Monday morning, Oxbow lost a member of its farm family in every sense. Tino Hernandez, our senior field crew member, passed away suddenly during the early hours.

Tino is survived by his family, including his wife Yolanda, son, Gustov, and nephew, Valent, who also work with us on the farm. We are all devastated by the loss of our friend and colleague, a gentle giant who was the master of any task on the farm or in the field. It is impossible to describe how hard Tino worked to provide for his precious family and put nourishing food on our plates, and yours.

Today the Oxbow staff gathered together to honor Tino and his family. We are surrounded by Tino’s work and spirit, and cannot imagine a day in the field without him.

We will post updates later on in the week about how you can support Tino’s family in the wake of this tragedy.

Tino Hernandez in the fields. Photo courtesy of Audra Mulkern.