Photo by Ronnie L. Esparza.
James Nakahara is senior farm business advisor at Kitchen Table Advisors, supporting Central Coast farmers and ranchers. Before sitting on a panel for the Zócalo and The James Irvine Foundation event—“‘What Is a Good Job Now?’ In Agriculture”—he joined us in the green room to talk about Santa Cruz surf, James Baldwin, and the value of touching dirt.
What is one of your favorite spots to go to in Santa Cruz?
I really like West Cliff, in particular Steamer Lane. I’ve been surfing for 10 years. I learned here and in Hawaiʻi—I have family there.
Who is somebody that inspires you?
My cousin Molly; she’s the reason I got into agriculture in the first place. She gave me an understanding that there’s more to life than professional jobs, that you can find a lot of meaning and value just touching dirt and being in community around soil. She’s a farmer up in Grass Valley. And she’s also now working for California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) as their educational manager.
What is your favorite fruit?
I think my favorite fruit is a tomato. I once heard that knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, and wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad. And so I like tomatoes as a starting point of navigating the complexities of the world.
Who is your dream dinner guests—dead or alive?
I’m going to go with James Baldwin or Mark Twain.
What would you serve them?
Probably something with rice—protein and rice.
What is one way that we can support farmworkers?
Being engaged with your food system. And not just caring about the quality of the food, but the quality of life of the person who harvested it.