The proof is in the produce

From Oaxaca to Petaluma, Teo and Maxima Zarate cultivate organic crops, independence and family traditions

Two individuals work in a sunlit field, harvesting leafy greens among neat rows under a clear blue sky.
Maxima Zarate (left) and her husband, Teo, inspect a bed of lettuce at Red Hill Ranch near Petaluma on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. After working for another farmer for 17 years, the Oaxacan-born couple took over operations at the organic produce farm on the Marin-Sonoma county line. (George Alfaro/Bay City News)

By George Alfaro • Bay City News

October 26, 2026

FROM TENDING THE FIELDS IN OAXACA to growing crops in Sonoma County, Teo and Maxima Zarate have spent their entire lives working in agriculture, growing organic produce that feeds the local community.

The couple, who grew up farming in Oaxaca, Mexico, worked for 17 years under a farmer who operated on Red Hill Ranch in Petaluma before deciding to take it over themselves. They grow a range of vegetables, fruits and herbs while managing the costs and labor of organic production.

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