How did you get interested in agriculture? And what are you hoping to gain from your apprenticeship?
May 2026

I have been in and around agriculture for over a decade in North Carolina. The native ecological biomes in the Piedmont region of North Carolina where I was raised is what started my interest in local working lands, and how they function historically, naturally and culturally. Before coming to Round River I worked for two local farms—one livestock operation and one heirloom cereal grain operation—while also maintaining a herd of landrace Spanish cattle. 

My favorite cow is a Spanish range cow. I believe no other cow has done more for the history and nature of the Americas than this forgotten range cow. Back in North Carolina, my range cattle utilized cropland, woods, and remnant native tracts. Historically, the piedmont prairie was dominant throughout Central NC. Savannas were abundant where mega fauna like bison and elk were previously able to flourish and help promote grassland ecology. 

Though I was raised in NC my roots come from the Central Highlands of San Luis Potosi, Mexico. It was not until my early twenties I was able to meet my biological family and experience the land my people come from. My grandfather ran Swiss cattle down in Mexico on my family’s range and grew an heirloom white dent corn. 

My hope for the season at Round River is to gain experience raising cattle in a similar environment to my family’s range and agriculture lands in Mexico. Beyond this season my intention is to transition from raising cattle in NC to focus on implementing the Holistic Management framework on my family’s working lands in Mexico. My hope is to help promote and restore their native ecological grasslands and regenerate their agriculture fields for future generations to come.