Meet the Modern Farmer: Omar Laafoura - Modern Farmer

Meet the Modern Farmer: Omar Laafoura

Omar Laafoura grew up in cosmopolitan Casablanca, where his only glimpse of agrarian life came from books.

Ben Stechschulte

Omar Laafoura grew up in cosmopolitan Casablanca, where his only glimpse of agrarian life came from books. Yet, as he studied history (in North Carolina) and law (back in Morocco), Laafoura found himself yearning for a farm. “I knew nothing about what it meant to be a farmer,” he admits. “But the one transferable skill from a humanities background is a comfort with research.”

So Laafoura did his homework, interviewing dozens of farmers outside Marrakech, while simultaneously overseeing a waste-management firm in Casablanca. In 2013, the 29-year-old purchased a 50-acre plot of rocky, parched land – all he could afford – and finally broke ground last spring. In addition to some 3,500 citrus trees and heirloom varieties of everything from watermelons to eggplants, he also raises bees, chickens, and guinea fowl.

Although many of the country’s organic crops are exported to Europe, Laafoura hopes to hawk his in nearby markets. For now, however, he’s giving part of the harvest away in pursuit of higher learning: “Anyone who can provide helpful advice gets paid in produce.”

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