In his home shop in Santa Rosalia, Javier Garcia Navarro pedals a steady cadence on an antique sewing machine. The smell of leather and the sound of roosters fill the air. Javier admits to getting carried away by the sounds, smells and harmony of it all.
Javier's primary job is in an orchard thousands of miles away - a place after 23 years, he has come to think of as a second home. There, he tends and harvests and coordinates. Here at home, he still tends and harvests, just on a different scale. Like his father and grandfather before him, he grows vegetables and raises chickens and cows. While his farming skills may have been passed down, everything Javier knows about leatherwork is self-taught.
As a young boy, Javier's family would pass a leather shop in an area steeped in the history and culture of the vaquero - cattle herders of past generations. "I would just stare, amazed at the cutting, the stitching," Javier shares. "I loved it - and the smell!" The shop owner would give him scraps that he made into key chains. From there, his skill and passion grew.
We learned about Javier's talent through his leather gifts to friends and co-workers here at the farm. Each piece reflects the same attention he pays our beloved peach and pecan trees. His pride in both is undeniable, and his passion for the orchards and his craft creates a distinct rhythm. "There is harmony with my co-workers and long-lasting friendships," he says. "I am used to the rhythm of the months at the farm and the months here at home with my family."
A favorite recent project is the handsome tool holster made of fine, chocolate-colored leather that we're honored to feature in this year's catalog. The holster's sturdy stitching is reinforced with rivets and rings like classic vaquero leather goods. Inspired by years in Pearson's orchards, as well as in his own gardens, the hardworking design holds pruning shears, harvest knives and trimmers.
