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USA250 Journal Project
Personal Chronicle: July 4, 2025 – July 5, 2026
A gift for reflection. A record of now. A story for what’s next.
✍️ “Who am I?”
I’m Mateo Ortiz.
Son of soil. Son of stubbornness.
Somewhere in between.
I study earthworms and carbon and sunlight like they’re scripture.
I know how to graft citrus. I also know the soil doesn’t care if your last name is Ortiz—it just wants to breathe.
I’m the kid who stayed when Lucia left. Who listens when Papi preaches, but still googles “how to rebuild soil microbiomes” under the table.
I post under @SunrootPoet. It’s mostly dirt. Trees. Rot. Hope.
Sometimes I think I’m writing for the grove. Sometimes I think I’m writing for myself—just in case I disappear before anyone understands what I meant.
Who am I? I’m not trying to save the farm.
I’m trying to give it breath again.
✍️ “How did I get here?”
I grew up between citrus crates and compost piles, watching Papi pray over trees and Mami balance what prayer couldn’t fix.
I always liked the quiet parts. The way the grove sounds right before the rain. The feel of soil after cover crop roots break it open.
School taught me how bad it all is—climate change, citrus greening, phosphate runoff. But it also taught me what’s possible: no-till, native pollinators, real regeneration.
So I came home. I wanted to help. I thought if I spoke his language—results, resilience, legacy—he’d listen.
But Papi hears change as insult. He hears my hope as doubt. And maybe he’s not wrong.
I applied for a grant behind his back. I told myself it was just to start something small. But deep down, I knew it was more.
How did I get here?
By standing still while the world shifted—and realizing I could plant something better.
What has life taught me?
That soil heals when it’s allowed to rest.
That families don’t compost as easily.
And that sometimes you have to grow toward the light, even when your roots say stay.
Family, Friends & Associates
Miguel Oritz – Father.
Carolina Oritz – Mother.
Lucia Oritz – Sister.
Anaya Powell – Local Co-Op Organizer and Agricultural Activist.
