Isaiah Stewart, the Detroit Pistons power forward and environmental justice advocate, has made an unexpected pivot after his NBA career — becoming a farmer. Stewart never saw himself owning farmland or farming crops, growing up in Rochester, New York. His path to beginning farming is very much shaped by his childhood. It mirrors the family ethos that his father – Dela – deeply rooted into him when his father immigrated from Jamaica in the late 1970s.
Dela Stewart cultivated a garden behind their house, abundant with cucumbers, tomatoes, and callaloo. And he instilled the importance of a strong work ethic and commitment to excellence into all of his kids from an early age. Now a senior, Isaiah still finds himself looking back on his formative experiences. They have enriched his experience of agriculture and cultivated in him the fruits of passion for planting and promising produce.
We just could really never afford to buy tools like this,” Stewart said, referring to the skill set that he and his family learned through necessity. Though willing to admit that he didn’t always think he should be a farmer, now he’s become one in spirit. He is the proud owner of 28 acres of land in Temecula, California. His plan for this stunning property is to call it “Paraiso De La Luz,” or Paradise of Light.
The farm grows an impressive diversity of crops—date palms, cherimoyas, finger limes, citrus, and avocado trees, among many others. Stewart participates directly in the farming production, putting in hours day and night instead of just overseeing it all from a distance. His wife, Kiley, joked that it was because she never saw him until the end of the day. His commitment to the farm has him working from sun up to sundown.
From Stewart’s perspective, his entry into agriculture has been deeply influenced by Sam Cobb, a long-time mentor and friend. Now Sam is better known as the only Black date farmer in the United States. Cobb grows more than 2,000 date palm trees on his 54-acre farm in Desert Hot Springs. Featherstone marvels at Stewart’s enthusiasm for farming and his desire to ask questions and learn.
“What impressed me about Isaiah is that he wants to get into this stuff,” Cobb stated. He further explained the challenges of growing date palms: “I told him this is the toughest crop to grow. It takes years for a date palm to mature. And he was like, ‘Well, I’m young, I have time’. My mouth fell open. I couldn’t argue with that.
Though basketball has not worked out, farming has given Stewart a new kind of tranquility beyond the game. It’s a dream of his to spend his days farming when his NBA career comes to a close. An amazing clean new slate to do something truly special. All it took was a little T.L.C.—Tender Love for Community. It really did feel like we were walking into a fairy tale castle. But man, it was like so surreal,” he said of those initial experiences on the farm.
Looking back on his upbringing, Stewart recognizes the impact of his father’s gardening wisdom. “My father always had a garden, and he cherished it and always took great care of it,” he said. The lessons he learned from those early agricultural experiences ring true with him today as he works on his own crops. And it always produced such tasty vegetables and salad greens each season. I guess I didn’t realize until being here the reward that comes from the work that goes into caring for your crops.
“Nobody worked like us during this offseason and training camp,” he noted, emphasizing that his dedication to farming mirrors the commitment required in professional sports. “I’m constantly doing things when I’m there in the offseason,” he added.
Stewart’s new foray into farming comes from that deep personal passion. It bolsters his connection to his upbringing and family values. While many might not expect a professional athlete to pursue agricultural interests—especially someone from a city like Rochester—Stewart embraces this unique path with determination and enthusiasm.
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