Faces Behind Farm Policy: Courtney Schuster

What started with her grandfather’s dream and 40 acres has become Courtney Schuster and her families’ flourishing 4,000-acre specialty crop family farm.

In 1933, Courtney’s grandfather, Carl, immigrated from Austria to the United States, where he settled in south Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. Driven by a love for farming and a passion for crop production, he was determined to make an earnest living.

Today, the Schuster family’s farming operation, Rio Fresh, maintains the same pride in growing exceptional, healthy produce for their fellow Texans and families across the nation, including organic and conventional crops such as cilantro, broccoli, celery, cabbage, beets and onions. 

While Courtney hadn’t planned a life on the farm, after college and a career outside of agriculture, home began to call.

Upon her return to the family business, she worked in Human Resources and a sales capacity at Rio Fresh, but over time she recognized a growing demand for organic produce. While her father was open to the idea of incorporating organic practices into their farming operation, he lacked the capacity to expand, so he empowered Courtney to lead the farm’s growth in organics.

Courtney recruited a knowledgeable friend, Chris Bueno, and launched their first season with 50 acres of organic kale in challenging growing conditions. Despite some tough seasons, organics have expanded to around 800 acres of the family farm.

“It’s the most challenging thing I’ve ever done, and I never stop learning. I learn something new every day,” said Courtney.

The Schuster family’s growth is the result of hard work, time and grit to continue farming through long hours and adversity.

When the family patriarch moved to south Texas nearly 90 years ago, the abundant water was one of the largest deciding factors in his choice to settle in the region. However, Courtney’s family now has limited access to those same resources. 

Today, water scarcity threatens the Schuster family’s legacy as well as the entire farming community in the Rio Grande Valley. Without water, it’s impossible to grow and harvest a crop, and without production, a family farm can’t continue. The pressure of water scarcity is exponentially increasing as Mexico fails to comply with its water treaty with the U.S.

“Water is the lifeblood of what we do,” said Courtney.

The Trump administration has taken important steps to support South Texas farmers and producers while pressuring Mexico to deliver long-overdue water including delivering $280 million in emergency assistance for the Rio Grande Valley and working to ensure Mexico meets its obligations under the water treaty to share the waters of the Rio Grande.

Despite the unique demands facing Texan specialty crop farmers, Courtney has a positive outlook on the future of agriculture. To her, the key to success moving forward is “to continue to evolve and adapt.”

Although their farming operation is rooted in family tradition and honoring the legacy Courtney’s grandfather established, the Schusters, and Rio Fresh, are committed to exploring agricultural innovation and technological advancement. Rio Fresh has taken advantage of new technologies in its production process that have tremendously increased efficiency and yield.

Reflecting on her time farming, Courtney says “It is incredibly rewarding, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

The family traditions inherent to farming create both meaningful memories and examples for the next generation of agriculturalists to follow. Courtney’s father set an example for her as he supported her endeavors and taught her the ropes of farming and the value of hard work. She is proud to pass on the same values and lessons to her own children.