Meet-A-Student: Alex Rojas
- Laura Wayte
- Jul 10
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 14
From: Lago Agrio, Ecuador
Favorite Animal on the Farm: Llama
Hobbies: Rugby, soccer, chess, music
Alex Rojas joined us this summer to spend a year learning about regenerative farming. He went to university at the Technical University of the North in Ibarra, Ecuador, studying agricultural engineering for 6 years. He previously worked in for a fertilizer and animal feeds business in Ecuador, and he is keen to bring organic practices back to Ecuador and start his own agriculture business.
“I'll want to start a business in one of the cities where I’ve lived, an organic farm project,” he said about his plans after his internship. “The techniques I am learning here are very important. Organic agriculture in Ecuador still doesn’t have much recognition, and there is overuse of petrochemicals. But I believe that by bringing new ideas we can give it the value it deserves.”
Alex, who is 28, said he will likely start a farm with livestock and a garden.
“Although that’s the beauty of an organic farm. You can have many areas and bring it closer to sustainability,” he said. “I would like to create businesses with other small producers creating an larger organization and motivating the organic farming industry in Ecuador.”
Even though Alex is a native of the Amazon region in Ecuador, he is drawn to our farm’s one llama. Llamas inhabit the Andean region of Ecuador, which is where Alex lived while attending college in Ibarra. But he also loves working with the pigs.
“They are interesting!” he said. “I like pigs because they are one of the smartest animals on the farm and they are funny and curious. The piglets are adorable running around and playing.”
Alex says he really enjoys traveling because he learns new things. He is currently learning English along with farming. He enjoys this aspect of living at Deck with its close, communal living arrangement.
“The farm is very technical and it's difficult to be aware of everything. We [students] must be patient while learning each area. It's very entertaining!” he said. “Everyday there is something to learn about the farm and about living with other people. We must learn to adapt to each other. We have many different thoughts. We are all from different worlds but we all agree on some points and that’s wonderful.”
This is Alex’s fourth time in the USA. He traveled here previously to compete in chess championships.
“In high school I played chess and represented my city in the national championships and I won one time! I came to the US for the international competitions. While at the University I played in many championships at the school and was champion for 3 or 4 consecutive years.”
So, if anyone in the area wants a challenging chess opponent, send an email to the farm! We’ll see if we can set up a game between Alex’s chore duties.
