Who We Are

Abrhan learned about Native American Seed from brother Juan Antonio and other family ties down south of the border. Enjoys walking the dirt roads in the evenings after work, taking in the tranquillity and beauty of the farm when the day is done.

Adam is a hardworking farm worker and skilled mechanic, with a knack for maintenance that keeps everything running smoothly on the farm. Known for his integrity and caring nature, he's a highly regarded pillar of his community. His wife, who shares his love for making a difference, helps cater delicious meals that bring people together, while also being deeply involved the local school, ensuring it stays a place of warmth and learning. Together, they’re raising a young daughter who is already showing her entrepreneurial spirit, selling her creations at the local farmers' market. Originally from Kentucky, Adam’s down-to-earth values and strong sense of family reflect the heart of rural life.

Allison came to work with us in Junction after receiving her master’s degree in Natural Resource Conservation at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, TX. She has several years of experience working at a native plant nursery in Austin, as well as experience in native seed production in west Texas. Allison is especially passionate about restoring pollinator plants and loves rearing butterflies. In her free time she enjoys making pottery, playing with her dogs Buddy and Birdie, and swimming in the Llano river.

Bill remembers always being aware and a part of nature. He tells many stories, including a favorite from his early teenage years when he went backpacking deep into the Gila wilderness with his dad ... sleeping on the ground about 5 or 10 miles from the pickup truck. Together they had hiked to the headwaters of the Gila River, birthplace of Geronimo. Sleeping on the ground, listening to the sounds of mountain lions in the night, and being awakened the by hot, smelly breath of a bear who wandered through the campsite looking for food. His dad, without many words, showed him how to collect watercress, nuts & berries to season the native gila and cutthroat trout they caught wading the freshwater stream - a stream so clean that you could drink from it: "We'd stay for days and didn't even have to carry any water." It was this area that inspired Aldo Leopold's campaign to set aside the first National Wilderness Area. Remote camp-outs such as these helped inspire the Native American Seed mission to help people to recreate and restore clean, natural wilderness places close to home.

Cruz is a fun-loving, outgoing family man who’s always ready for a game with the kids after a long day’s work. It’s his resourcefulness that truly shines—whether he's making a basket from corn husks to use in harvesting squash blossoms from the garden to bring back to the kitchen, or improvising creative solutions to everyday challenges around the farm, he always makes it work. A friendly and easygoing guy at heart, Cruz loves dancing with his wife and kids and is always ready to lend a helping hand.

Emily was raised here on the farm. She graduated from Austin College in Sherman, then spent 4 years in Austin working with a food security non-profit community and school garden program before coming back home to the family farm. Always on lookout for networking and community-building opportunities related to our work at Native American Seed. Manages our huge native plant photograph collection, updates web products with higher and higher quality photos. Early spring and fall, you can find Emily at the computer producing the most colorful native seed catalogs in the country. She loves to hear your stories about how Native American Seeds improve diversity, habitat, and health of the land. With your permission, she loves sharing experiences with others through our print catalog, web, and media channels. Her interests in local food and learning the Spanish language and culture are ongoing and contagious. Married to co-worker George, together raising a son Fisher (lifetime Native Plant Society of Texas member) here on the farm. Talk about a future farmer! The little one is on grandad's or papa's lap in the tractor most every day.

George came to Native American Seed as an intern after graduating from college in Sherman, TX. He's got a remarkable knack for looking at problems as "challenges" to be met, and the kind of willingness to learn that is a priceless asset in a business full of the unexpected, unpredictable, and at times downright chaotic. His persistence and attention to detail, along with his ability to grasp the "big picture," are qualities that allow him to move easily and competently to the spots where help is needed when he's not busy in the barn cleaning seeds.

Israel is the newest farm worker on our team, though he’s no stranger to the crew, being closely related and neighbors with several of the other workers. His strong work ethic and willingness to help out wherever needed quickly made him a valuable part of the team. Whether it’s tackling tough tasks or lending a hand to others, Israel’s dedication and reliability shine through every day.

Jan is a "back-to-the-land" person from the 1970s, an organic gardener canning her own food in the kitchen. Got milk from goats, eggs from the chickens she kept in her yard. Jan earned a degree in business administration, worked 10 years for Braniff Airlines out of Love Field, then transistioned to the new DFW Airport in the 1980s. Loved flying to distant lands, but always worked for the company in all forms of "ground-based" customer service. When a combination of factors led to Braniff's demise, Jan returned to her first love of plants and the land by joining Bill operating his DFW-based nursery and landscape construction company. Being an integral part of Native American Seed since inception, Bill says, "It would've never happened without her."

Javier works here on our farm in Junction, Texas and is known for his big smile and unwavering reliability. Whether it's tending to crops, caring for seed cleaning equipment, or helping with the daily tasks on the farm, Javier always shows up with a positive attitude and a strong work ethic. His friendly demeanor makes him well-liked by everyone around him, and his dependability makes him an essential part of the team. Even during long hours under the hot Texas sun, Javier's commitment to getting the job done is matched only by his warmth and kindness toward others.

An artist as well as a hard worker. One small example, if you ever visit the farm - take a look at the concrete step that keeps water out of the old chicken coop (now our mechanic tool area). Jorge carefully and skillfully created the words N-A-T-I-V-E with a paper stencil and painted it to look just like it was a metal inlay. It’s fun to have his youth and creativity on our team.

Juan Antonio and his brother Abrhan heard about Native American Seed thru family ties. Both are hard working individuals who provide well for their families. In the evenings, after work, you can find them on a walk around the farm enjoying the beauty they have created in expanding our native wildflower and prairie grass seed production.

Leslie grew up romping around North Texas and has always held a deep respect for wild land. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 2013 with a photojournalism degree and worked as a freelancer focusing on enviromental issues until being hired in June of 2022 here at NAS. She has a passion for communicating the importance of native ecosystems and native plants. She has a crazy rescue dog Roro and loves to kayak and camp out. If you have photos to share, she is your gal!

Michelle grew up in the Adirondack Mountains where her love for the natural world developed into a career in horticulture. She graduated from Colorado State University in 1996 with a degree in Landscape Horticulture and attained a Master of Agricultural Education from Texas State University in San Marcos in 2007. During her multi-faceted career, Michelle has held positions in retail nursery sales and management, ran her own design/build landscape company focused on the use of Texas native plants, worked as an urban farm apprentice, and even did an early stint doing plant tissue culture for a seed potato firm. Michelle is especially proud of her time working with community gardeners at a San Antonio-based land trust where she learned to empower others toward their own path as urban land stewards through educational workshops, event planning, and developing educational materials. After admiring Native American Seed for the entirety of the Texas leg of her horticulture career, Michelle proudly joined the team in 2022. Her love of conservation and restoration is also reflected in her personal life, where she shares 4 acres along the Old San Antonio River with her husband and daughter, along with many four-legged and feathered beings both domestic and wild.

Melinda joined Native American Seed on the first day we moved into Junction back in summer of 1995, been with us ever since. Born and raised in Junction. Spent some time in college, but promptly returned to her home community and got seriously busy with living life itself. It is Melinda's friendly and helpful voice you're most likely to hear on the phone when you call. Her down-to-earth sensibilities and 'get it done' attitude are invaluable when it comes to helping you find what you need. It is Melinda helping push the rest of us along to excellence, matching her pride and enjoyment that comes with providing great customer service.

Pepe is a dedicated farmer and native plant cultivator known for his deep knowledge and strong work ethic. Always wearing the biggest brimmed sun hat in the field, he brings both protection from the sun and a sense of humor to the job. His positive attitude and collaborative spirit make him a joy to work with. Whether planting, harvesting, or cleaning seed up top in the barn, Pepe is the kind of teammate who lifts everyone around him.

Sarito is Bill’s eldest sister. As a child in Dallas in the late 1950’s, she sat in the branches of a big Mimosa tree in the front yard reading books that took her to faraway places, as her little brother was busy creating miniature landscapes in the blackland clay under the 2 huge Bois D’Arc trees in the back yard. After leaving home, she soon became the ‘vagabond’ of the Neiman family. She lived all over the US, in Europe, and in India, never settling for more than 2 or 3 years at a time. Throughout those years, when one road ended and the next one hadn’t yet appeared, she always came back to Texas for rest and shelter from life’s storms. Sarito is grateful for the steady and rooted refuge created by Bill, Jan, and their children Emily and Weston. In return, she freely contributed whatever skills and insights she had gained to support their journeys. She helped create our first website in the early 1990’s and was deeply involved in the website redesign prior to our current one. A lifelong words-person, she helps out as editor when asked to “clear away the smoke so the flame can shine through” in our written communications. Now settled in Junction, Sarito’s passion is to find the common ground that brings us together despite our different backgrounds and experiences. She aims to help build and sustain a sense of community based on the heartfelt values we all share. She has a particular interest in helping people navigate the challenges of creating space for nature’s wild beauty in urban areas.

Weston was raised on our seed farm with big sister Emily, began working full time with the operations after his athletic journey at college. Weston took to those Friday night lights only found in West Texas small towns. He was the high school quarterback in his senior year. Received a football scholarship to join a team in the Western Conference at New Mexico State University. Made his first touchdown in Honolulu at the Aloha Dome. Bundled in boundless energy, a knack for bringing spirit, playfulness, and teamwork to otherwise routine jobs. Back in the Drouth of 2011, Weston qualified Native American Seed to win the 2012 Texas Water Development Board’s "Rain Catcher Award" by leading the design and build-out of 2 high-capacity rainwater catchment systems on the farm. Since then, he has installed several residential and commercial rainwater harvesting projects. A former football star, he loves competition, strategy and numbers. Most likely if you see major improvements or cutting edge innovation, you can thank Weston for the idea. Our warehouse in New Braunfels for example! Under his purview and with talented inventory and sales staff, it has increased our capacity and ability to serve professional customers. We've seen him everywhere: on the combine, answering sales calls, and working in administration.