From Groceries to Agritech, a Journey of Community, Innovation, and Sustainable Farming: Meet Martita Mestey Durruthy

Women's History Month is celebrated by presidential proclamation annually in March to honor and recognize the contributions, achievements, and struggles of women throughout history. GlobalMindED is proud to highlight the voices and work of influential Women throughout this month.

Meet Martita Mestéy - Durruthy (she/her/ella) . Martita's journey is deeply rooted in a family legacy of entrepreneurship and service, shaped by her parents' grocery business and inspired by her grandmother, the first female farmer grocer in Garochales, Puerto Rico in the 1920s. This heritage is a living memory of perseverance and tenacity that fuels Martita's drive to work harder for those facing barriers to entry. As a single mom without a formal degree at the time, she navigated the challenges of balancing multiple jobs, while managing the family grocery store—a responsibility her father would eventually entrust to her and her brother. These experiences honed her work ethic and solidified her belief in the power of connecting people with essential resources and the transformative impact of community support.

What is your personal/professional story??

My journey intertwines a deep-rooted family legacy in the grocery business with a passion for technology and innovation. Growing up in a family-owned grocery that served underserved communities, I learned the importance of hard work and community support. My father always said, "All I want to do is feed my people."?These early experiences shaped my mission with FarmdOut, where I aim to revitalize the agricultural sector by leveraging technology to empower farmers and consumers alike, ensuring food security and promoting sustainable practices. Agritech is not a new industry. I'm not the first to combine tech with agriculture, and I'm willing to partner with anyone for the greater good.?

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What key moments in your life led you to where you are today??

The first time I witnessed someone stealing from our store and saw my father choose to let them go, understanding their hunger as the motive behind their actions, it struck me deeply that people were in dire need and felt they had nowhere to turn. This incident illuminated the profound disconnect between grocers and the communities they serve, as well as between grocers and farmers—a realization that became a turning point in my career. Being on the founding team of Nourish and Bloom Market in Fayetteville, Georgia, a small autonomous grocery store?further shaped my understanding of the industry. When we finally opened our store, we faced the stark reality that we were too small for large distribution companies, highlighting the necessity for small grocers to forge direct connections with farmers. My journey through technology and executive search, enriched by my professional experiences in diversity and economic development, endowed me with a distinct perspective to tackle this gap. Motivated by this realization, I set out to create an app that leverages advanced technology for farm mapping, equipping farmers with the necessary tools to make informed decisions. This initiative aims to bridge the crucial gap between farmers and consumers, fostering a more connected and informed food system.?

Where does your passion to serve come from??

My passion for service is deeply ingrained, stemming from my family's long-standing commitment to community service. Growing up in this environment, I saw the impact of a community-centered approach to business. This experience instilled in me a strong desire to contribute positively to society. My drive is now focused on leveraging technology to transform the grocery and farming industries, aiming to create more sustainable, efficient, and community-focused systems.?

How can GlobalMindED help you reach your goals?

GlobalMindED and FarmdOut together have the potential to create a transformative impact on the agricultural sector by uniting our communities around a shared vision of sustainability, equity, and innovation. By leveraging GlobalMindED's platform to amplify the stories, challenges, and successes of the farming community, we can inspire action, foster collaboration, and drive meaningful change. This partnership could mobilize a powerful network of educators, industry leaders, and policymakers to support and implement solutions that empower farmers, enhance food security, and promote environmental stewardship. Together, we can build a bridge between the agricultural and technological worlds, creating a synergistic force that propels us toward a future where every community has access to sustainable, locally sourced food. The combined strength of the GlobalMindED and FarmdOut communities offers an unprecedented opportunity to make a lasting impact on how we grow, share, and think about our food.

We are delighted that Martita will be one of the featured speakers on "Climate Collaboration for Intergenerational Climate Solutions: Clean Tech, Green Skills, and Regenerative Agriculture" at GlobalMindED this June.

The upcoming launch of FarmdOut's app, leveraging geospatial technology, marks a significant milestone in a five-year journey to empower the agricultural community. Designed to offer comprehensive insights into land management, the app enables farmers to make informed decisions that optimize for sustainability and productivity. This initiative aims to reduce water usage and promote biodiversity, contributing to a healthier, more sustainable food system. By providing consumers with transparent information about the food they purchase, Martita advocates for a future where informed choices support a more equitable and abundant world. Her story, emblematic of perseverance, community engagement, and the transformative power of connectivity, inspires a movement towards a future where innovation, guided by compassion and community spirit, leads to profound societal change.

GlobalMindED CO Board Members: Vu Tran, Remington Green, Scott Bemis, Patrick Shaffer, Natela Manuntseva, Paulette Tate, Cheri Wrench, Peter F Tedstrom, Jeff Wise, Dr. Fernando Branch, Christina Trujillo, CIPP/US, Yolanda W., Vance Knapp, Shannon Stone, Jill Wright CEO EXECUTIVE SHINE Leadership, Customer Experience and Human Connection Expert, Shelley Peterson, Tamara Otero

GlobalMindED National Board Members: Kennon Harrison, Jr., Curtis Symonds, Mary Papazian, Laura Gent Felker, Gabriella (Gaby) Rowe, John Moreno-Escobar, Karen Ashworth-Macfarlane, Tim Shephard, Terrill Glass, Yustina Saleh, Ph.D., Charles Radman, Anthony Newton, Dr. Paula Hopkins, Jackie Jackson, Jen Schramm, MPhil, SHRM-SCP, GPHR, Wendi Safstrom

Rosanna Durruthy ; LinkedIn