Wages recovered for coastside farmworker couple

DA’s Office led prosecution against operator at HMB farm withholding wages

• By Holly Rusch, Daily Journal staff

• Dec 1, 2025

Workers at Earthvine Grower, an aquaponics farm in Half Moon Bay.

Yelp.com

Last year, Gabriel Reyes was working at Earthvine Grower, an aquaponics farm in Half Moon Bay. From August 2024 to January 2025, $10,242 in checks written to him for his labor bounced, and $1,268 owed to his wife, Ofelia, for work with the same company was never paid. 

Without payment for his work, Reyes was left struggling, he said, relying on the city and nonprofits like Ayudando Latinos A Soñar and Coastside Hope for help with basic needs like rent and food.