Ace and Andie Estrada: Raising Farmers and Families
What was originally just an effort to help their farmers feed families in the pandemic has become Rural Rising PH’s Ace and Andie Estrada’s way of raising their children to have a sense of social responsibility.
While most businesses are born out of wishful thinking or passion, Rural Rising PH was born out of an accident. As residents of Baguio during the pandemic, Ace and Andie Estrada saw firsthand how the isolation affected the suppliers from the ground. Farmers, unable to sell their produce, would “give away” or “throw away” their produce. Frustrated with the sight, Ace then wrote a viral Facebook post that would then spur Baguio’s citizens to come together to resolve the farmers’ plight.
“By begging to borrow a red-plate government truck, we were able to bring down 3 tons of vegetables which we bought from the farmers. Those 3 tons were sold out within 30 minutes in EDSA,” Ace recalls.
Realizing how it empowered and boosted the farmers’ morale, they continued their operations. In four years, these “rescue buys” — as Ace and Andie dubbed these operations — eventually created a group of over 45,000 members and a page of over 262,000 followers that all came together for a single advocacy: to unite the farmers with their consumers. Thus, began Rural Rising PH.
“We have accidentally created a buying bloc that can help farmers during their time of need,” Andie beamed. “Farmers not just from Luzon but from parts of the Visayas and Mindanao were able to feed not only other families but their own as well!”
Rural Rising PH: A large-scale farm-to-table operation
Since then, their efforts have sprouted three outposts focused on bridging farms to families and organizations within the Metro: RuRi North in Quezon City, RuRi Centera in Mandaluyong, and RuRi South in Alabang. In fact, some organizations and families have joined the effort, buying in bulk and distributing the produce themselves!
Although they’ve helped the farmers establish an alternative flow of income, Ace and Andie now look to solving the operational issues that plague the farmers. Besides encouraging them to shift to organic methods of planting to reduce the costs of pesticides and fertilizers, they’ve also elected not to pay themselves a salary.
“We often pay double the farm gate price while selling the goods at half the typical commercial price,” Andie shares as she picks up a bag of zucchini that they had priced at PHP40.00~PHP50.00 a kilo compared to the usual PHP300.00~ PHP370.00. “The only cost we usually add is from the transport and dispatch of the produce.”
“Doing so allows us to help more farmers. Right now, we’re aiming to help over 100,000 farmers and help them become debt-free by 2030,” Ace adds.
Family support incoming!
But with more farmers knocking on their doors for assistance, how could Ace and Andie scale up their operations when most of the funding goes to delivering the produce to the outposts for the families’ easy access? The answer to their upscaling problems came in the form of three of their four kids — Andre, Aren, and Ally, and their daughter-in-law Ailah, and son-in-law Den Kevin. They treat Rural Rising PH as if it’s another sibling, Andie shares.
“While we have our specific tasks and area of expertise, we conceptualize together, we prepare together, we execute together, and we lament or celebrate together depending on the outcome,” she adds.
Eventually, the desire to help the farmers became a family advocacy. Despite the long grueling work hours with no specific times, extensive travels to the countryside, slugging their odd-sized bags, trolleys, and laptops, and the stresses and unpleasantness of the retail business, the kids push forward — something that fills both Ace and Andie with pride.
“Although we do not expect our children to match the level of effort and time we [Andie and I] pour in,” Ace adds. “we’re proud that they chose to embrace the advocacy on their own.”
Andie also admits that seeing her kids subjected to hardships does weigh heavily on her as a mom. But seeing her kids develop a kind of humor that reminds her of Saturday Night Live somewhat eases the guilt. “They have perhaps developed resilience to negativity, complexity, and the overall errs of humanity,” Andie admits. “So, I say, I’m lucky — I get to work with my children closely and I know what they’re made of as adults in the real world, and boy, am I so proud!”
Meet Rural Rising PH’s Core Front
As Ace and Andie have become the faces of Rural Rising PH, the kids are Rural Rising PH’s hands and feet. They are, as Andie calls them, the “core front.” Loading and packing, managing the website, payment, dispatch, customer inquiries, quality control, and even HR — all these operations are in the hands of the younger ones who are just as inspired as their parents to help the farmers in need. In fact, 29-year-old Andre finds the experience fun to work alongside his family.
“Working with my parents has been incredibly fulfilling. It’s a unique opportunity to connect with them on a deeper level while contributing to something we all believe in. Knowing that our efforts are helping to achieve a shared goal is rewarding,” adds Ailah.
Sure, everyone’s ready to help. However, channeling that inspiration is just the first step to running a lean and mean advocacy machine. There was a lot of learning to be done, especially for 27-year-old Ally who is a recipe developer by profession. Especially since she came from the restaurant industry that thrives on structure, she admits that it took her some time to get used to the “erratic” and “on-the-fly” working style.
But it’s why she’s learned how to look at things from “a different perspective” — something she’s learned from working with her family. “If things don’t go your way, look at it from a different angle. My parents are always coming up with new ideas and campaigns to support our farmers, which is inspiring. It’s about finding ways to make things work even when they seem challenging.”
Doing so translates to developing a sense of empathy — a skill that 29-year-old Aren, a law graduate, points out is a “must-have” in the family business. “We all have to be more forgiving whenever someone messes up, but also we have to step up and be more accountable whenever we’re lacking. Of course, we forgive each other, but just because we know they’ll never really get mad in the same way a crappy boss would, doesn’t mean we can just do whatever, especially considering how important the work we do is.”
Growing as individuals and as a family
While many fear working with family due to the drama that comes from the blurred lines between colleague and family, Rural Rising PH’s transition from a pandemic effort to a surviving family business proves that the opposite is also possible. But it takes a lot of communication — one that involves both listening and speaking — something that Ace and Andie know makes everything fair at home and work.
“We always try to let them know that their opinions about things are as important as ours — whether it’s about the NGO, our businesses, or casual conversation,” Ace points out.
Ace and Andie’s “less talking, more listening” approach has been quite crucial, especially in conflict management. With the kids each having their own approaches, personalities, and schedules, it’s inevitable that they’ll clash. However, both Ally and Aren offer sage advice to the many other kids who are thinking of or are already involved in the family business.
“Find your own voice within it. It’s also important to establish boundaries between family and work in order to maintain healthy relationships,” Ally advises. “Communication plays a big role too; it’s important to have regular check-ins for everyone to express their thoughts and concerns. Creating a safe and comfortable environment ensures that everyone feels heard.”
“You also have to decide early on if you can really adjust to your family’s quirks and not take things personally, because it might go beyond work and affect your relationships with them,” Aren adds.
Even Den Kevin, who has wisdom from working in two family businesses, knows that family always takes precedence over work. “Know that even if you disagree in the day-to-day, you and your family are all working towards the same goal. This should inform how you look at your business, and how you look at your family as your collaborators in this endeavor,” he says before sheepishly joking. “Of course, there are days when I act more like a disgruntled employee than a dutiful son, and that might make my mother frown. I just have to make sure to make up as soon as I can, and get right back to work.”
Because at the end of the day, family is what holds Rural Rising PH together. Whether as an NGO or as heads of the household, Ace and Andie have sworn not just to empower their kids but the farmers as well.
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