The Guadalajara Reporter

Sisters run 83-year-old agricultural business from downtown Guadalajara

A stone’s throw from the Tapatío landmarks Teatro Degollado and Hotel Frances, a unique retail store with a long and interesting history peeks out beneath graceful, yellow and white arches. 

One may think a farm and garden supply store out of place on this piece of urban real estate, but the constant flow of customers in and out of La Casa del Hortelano tells a different story. 

“We used to sell our products — seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and so on — throughout the entire republic,” said Dulce Ballesteros who, with her sister Martha, owns and operate La Casa del Hortelano (House of the Garden). “Now, because of decisions my father made about offering credit, we don’t sell nationwide, just regionally. But the business has been here in the same building since 1930.”