Juan is a Mississippi rancher, researcher, agriculture consultant, and Soil and Water Deputy Commissioner committed to strengthening the people, knowledge, and land that sustain agriculture and rural communities.
Towards a fairer agricultural system
Juan’s work sits at the intersection of environmental justice, food sovereignty, and farmworker justice. With experience managing over $7 million in grant projects, serving as a USDA grant reviewer, and consulting for national and local organizations in Mississippi, he brings both institutional knowledge and field-level experience to his work. He is actively open to new partnerships, consulting engagements, and collaborative opportunities that work towards educating and building a strong and resilient agricultural industry for all.
Fruits of labor
As a rancher and published researcher, Juan pairs boots-on-the-ground experience with an academic portfolio spanning Southeastern agriculture, Latinx labor, and the Southern beef industry, making him a sought-after collaborator, speaker, and thought partner for farmers, organizations, and institutions working toward a more just and equitable food system.
Resources for farmers
An ever-growing collection of resources for other farmers and agricultural workers, developed and maintained by Juan.
In addition to other writing and public speaking engagements, Juan writes for the Mississippi Farmer to Farmer Newsletter in partnership with Columbia University.
Ole Miss
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The Mississippi Museum of Art
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Columbia University
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The Southeastern Geographer
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Southern Cultures
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Living Roots Magazine
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The Daily Mississippian
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Motivos Magazine
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Ole Miss ■ The Mississippi Museum of Art ■ Columbia University ■ The Southeastern Geographer ■ Southern Cultures ■ Living Roots Magazine ■ The Daily Mississippian ■ Motivos Magazine ■
Featured in
Offerings
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Most recently, Juan served as a consultant on the environmental and climate justice study of U.S. Beef Systems Mapping and Analysis for the Environmental Defense Fund. He has experience bringing together diverse groups of farmers and farmworkers and has served in leadership circles to bring more diverse perspectives to the agricultural industry.
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With experience serving as a USDA grant reviewer and managing deliverables on over $7 million of multiple state, private, and federal projects, Juan understands the emerging opportunities in the grant space and has the expertise to execute these opportunities and engage farmers.
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Ranging from academic to community-centered events, Juan has experience providing presentations on U.S. Southeastern and Mississippi agriculture, climate change and land access, BIPOC agricultural presence and importance, land and food sovereignty, Mississippi farmer opportunities and connectivity, and environmental and social justice.
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Interested in collaborating on academic works? As a rancher and researcher, Juan has the unique experience of boots on the ground to today’s most pressing agriculture and environmental challenges, paired with the experience of having multiple publications under his belt with focus areas such as the U.S. Southeastern agriculture, Latinx immigrant and migrant labor, tacit knowledge, animal-human relationships, and the Southern beef industry.