Cultivating Dreams: The Early Days

Juan Carlos and his wife, Rosana now had the land. The family realized they had something very important and unique in all the world: At an elevation of 9,676 feet, this land in the Ecuadorian Andes mountains offered an exceptional geographical advantage for growing farm fresh flowers, an advantage that positioned them over strong international competition. With hard work and a commitment to their dream, this land could eventually become the perfect environment to produce some of the world’s most renowned fresh flowers.

Ecuador, the Spanish word for Equator, offers twelve hours of sunlight per day. With the sun directly overhead, these unique flowers would naturally grow up straight and tall, to be nurtured by the Ecuadorian sunlight. The combination of fertile soil, ideal climate, and pure rainwater from the Andes Mountains could transform the family’s land, accustomed to producing only straw, to now become a flourishing floral farm.

However, what the family didn’t have was any experience in cultivating flowers for international distribution. In addition to this challenge, they needed to focus on raising their family. Their dual role was to pursue their dream and instill moral and ethical values within their young family as well as their growing core of dedicated workers.

A dynamic couple, juggling the joyful chaos of raising two little ones while eagerly awaiting the arrival of their third child; still they dared to dream big. With hearts full of determination and a vision that couldn’t wait, they plunged headfirst into their extraordinary adventure. Despite financial hurdles, the passion exhibited by Juan and Rosana for building their first greenhouse was so unwavering that they bravely took on debt to bring their dream to life. This isn’t just a story of perseverance; it’s a testament to their dedication and the magic that happens when dreams are nurtured with love and hard work.

Building a Prominent Family of Dedicated Workers

The farm’s journey began with familiar faces—locals whose families had deep connections to the land. Some were descendants of those who worked alongside the family’s great-grandparents; others had long contributed to the community through social programs. These bonds of trust and shared history laid the foundation for their farm fresh venture.

Floriculture in southern Ecuador began 27 years ago, sparked by a deep desire to keep families together. For years, Ecuador suffered from a lack of viable employment. The Velez Malo household watched as families were torn apart, forced to seek formal jobs far from home. In 2000, according to data  “datos del INEC pag. 38, 2005” more than 560,000 people emigrated from Ecuador—a heartbreaking record wave of emigration. This represented 4% of the entire Ecuadorian population. 

Many parents had to leave their children with grandparents to migrate to the United States or Canada, hoping to find work and support their loved ones. The foray into floriculture began in response to this situation, with the dream of creating opportunities right here at home. Was it possible to offer not just jobs, but a chance for families to stay united, to build a future together?  That was the goal, and yes, it was achievable.

The Beginning Years

The first three years were relatively smooth sailing for the family business, with only minor obstacles along the way—nothing they couldn’t handle. However, after 2000, things took a turn for the worse as the Ecuadorian government instituted a conversion of their currency, the Sucre, to the US dollar. The goal was to slow runaway inflation which was also rampant in many other South American countries. The long term objective was economic stability.

However, this move caused many economic problems, as the exchange rate was not one to one, thus financially unfavorable to the local population.  The policy of dollarization also caused the profitability of many Ecuadorian export businesses, including this family’s flower company, to dwindle to near nothing.  The uneasy economy led to a massive wave of Ecuadorians migrating to other countries, driven by significant economic losses and rising unemployment.

Despite these turbulent times, the Velez/Malo family remained undeterred. They stayed focused on their mission to uplift their community, refusing to be discouraged or swayed by the surrounding economic chaos in Ecuador at the time. Their resilience and determination persisted, proving that even in the face of adversity, they were committed to moving forward and supporting the people of their region.

A Light at the End of the Tunnel

In my subsequent posts, we’ll see how the dedication of Rosana and Juan Carlos to their employees and an unyielding commitment to their dream of producing the best farm raised flowers in the world. Little did they know this would lead to unimaginable success.  We’ll follow the journey of many long time workers, and experience the joy that economic stability would bring to their family of employees. This is a wonderful story, one that needs to be told. Cheers.

Source:

Herrera, Gioconda. Carrillo, María Cristina. Torres, Alicia (2005). La migración ecuatoriana transnacionalismo, redes e identidades. Disponible en: https://www.google.com/books/edition/La_migraci%C3%B3n_ecuatoriana/IYysXF8JYmYC?hl=es&gbpv=1&dq=La+migraci%C3%B3n+ecuatoriana:+transnacionalismo,+redes+e+identidades&printsec=frontcover. Consultado el 31 de May. de 24