MAISIE JANE HURTADO
Selling her first flock of sheep, Maisie used that money to buy her first 2,000 lbs of almonds. Testing different flavors, the initial five baked nut products were produced. It took 22 years for Maisie Jane’s to get to the multi national almond producer that it is now. With acres of farmland to manage along with buying locally owned almonds from growers, the job may feel overwhelming to some. With empowerment from her husband Isidro, who works on the manufacturing side of things, the two have joined their expertise to keep it all running smoothly. For Maisie, she has learned to evolve and have faith in the long term vision. “Your initial business plan may change a little bit, for example we now do a lot of co packing for other companies. Keep your eyes open to opportunities because diversification in business is key.”
M A I S IE JA N E’S C A LI FO RN IA SU N SH IN E At the young age of seventeen, Maisie Hurtado went from raising a flock of sheep through the Future Farmers of America to owning her dream business. As a fourth generation Chicoan and almond farmer’s daughter, agricultural lifestyle was ingrained in Maisie. The simple things in life were enjoyably introduced from her parents through daily chores and close encounters with nature’s life cycles, both plant and animal. Cooking also came naturally to Maisie who liked to experiment in the kitchen. As conversations at the family dinner table recurred about the lack of fresh quality almonds on grocery store shelves, so inherently did the idea for Maisie Jane’s.
In the future, Maisie would love to build a visitor center where people can come and experience the almond orchards and the product’s process. Sharing the family story, and the uniqueness of the company being the grower, processor and packer is vital when showing the connection they have with their product. Most food manufacturers do just one of these steps. The dream is that Maisie Jane’s will continue to grow for years to come, with her three daughters’ involvement. “I envision a little train on the farm” she says, along with a cozy café dedicated to all the local farmers. Walking through the pink blossoming rows of trees, that is a vision we would love to see ripen.
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For me,
you have to love what you’re doing because that is what’s
A sweet strong medley of spices immediately envelops your senses as you walk through the door, accompanied by the handshake of similarly sweet and strong owner Sarah Adams. Chico Chai opened its doors in 2004, changing the way our area experiences tea. From the earliest memories of childhood, Sarah has been in the business of experimentation. “I would try to grow anything that was edible and make tea out of it,” she describes of her young self. That same enthusiasm continued well into college where a friend gave Sarah lessons on the basic idea of chai. Like many people at that time, she had no idea what she was consuming as the drink was new on the market in America. Sarah began testing recipes; using an array of old spices her mom had given her and new ones like cardamom and star anise. She experimented for years, getting feedback from her roommates who “usually loved them.”
what already exists or something brand new. “For me, you have to love what you’re doing” she says “because that is what’s going to fuel you through however long it takes to get successful.” Unchanging ingredients with the same level of quality as the day she began selling, Sarah believes the slow sustainable growth model of Chico Chai will keep the company gracefully growing. We know we will continue to see her and the chai crew pouring up steaming cups for many years to come.
SARAH ADAMS
you through however long it takes to get
After graduation and a move home to Chico, Sarah recognized a lack of fresh local chai. Hoping she wasn’t the only person craving something different, a spicier and more traditional tea than the ones previously found on market shelves, she followed her intuition. As far as business goes, Sarah had the simple idea that she could support herself with enough determination, applying that spirit to the company. She took business classes through the Business Development Center at Butte College and read a lot of books. Along with educating yourself, Sarah believes the key to opening your own business is a quality product and believing it’s an improvement on
going to fuel
successful.
C HI CO C HAI
SARAH ADAMS 55