San Francisco — For six years, Detroit Pistons fans have grown accustomed to watching Isaiah Stewart serve as an enforcer and defensive anchor. In the first 46 games of this season, Stewart has elevated his production on defense even more.
He is leading the league’s second-best defense and is currently in the running for several defensive awards. While registering a career-best average of 1.9 blocks per game, Stewart ranks sixth in total rejections with 78. He leads the NBA in defended field-goal percentage at the rim, holding his opponents to 43.0% shooting.
Stewart will be honored with a bobblehead giveaway before the Pistons’ home game against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. But the bobblehead won’t feature Stewart defending the rim. Instead, it’s Stewart riding a tractor and dressed in farmer’s overalls.
“This bobblehead represents my love and passion for farming. I have a tractor that I operate and use on my land,” Stewart told The Detroit News. “I’m interested in all different kinds of crops. If my mind isn’t on basketball, my mind is on farming. I am always researching something about farming every single day. I feel like it’s my calling.”
In southern California, Stewart owns two agricultural properties called Paraiso De La Luz, which is Spanish for “Paradise of Light.” His main hub focuses on producing tropical and subtropical fruits such as figs, finger limes, grapes, kumquats, mangos, passion fruit and pomegranates. Two hours down the road, he owns a desert hub that solely produces dates, in partnership with Sam Cobb Farms.
During the offseason, Stewart works diligently on his crops. When the Pistons are in season, however, he relies on his employees and the property manager for daily updates.
“It speaks to his character, his intelligence. He’s a guy who wants to make the world better. He understands what the world needs, in terms of farming and the environment. I think it is amazing,” Jalen Duren said to The Detroit News. “He’s always coming in here, talking about the new cows he’s got, or whatever new trees he planted. I think what he’s doing is great. I’m inspired.”
Stewart’s passion for farming began at his childhood home in Rochester, N.Y. He has fond memories of watching his father, Dela Stewart, tending to the family’s backyard garden. His father grew a variety of vegetables, including cucumbers, greens and tomatoes. Stewart’s favorite part of watching his father was seeing him transform his work into delightful meals.
The hard work that the elder Stewart put into the family garden instilled a strong work ethic in his son, which ultimately helped him reach the NBA. However, he could never have predicted that his efforts would later inspire his son to pursue farming as a second career more than 20 years later.
“He had a garden in our backyard. Every year, as soon as the weather got good enough, he would go back there and clean it up. Uproot everything. Make a fence with sections of different plants,” Stewart said. “I know he is proud of what I am doing. With him being from Jamaica, and his father did it – that is who he got it from – and now, I’m doing it.”
Stewart’s upbringing and passion have laid the groundwork for his farming career as he strives to be a pioneer in the industry.
Black farmers once dominated the agricultural business, but over several decades, the demographic has significantly diminished. As he continues to inspire a generation of NBA hopefuls in Detroit, Stewart hopes his agricultural work will increase the number of Black farmers nationwide.
Stewart intends to sell his harvest in grocery stores one day to provide consumers with high-quality produce. It’s his way of bringing better fruits and vegetables to consumers, who might be missing out because of infrastructure problems some farmers face when trying to deliver their crops to supermarkets.
“My family loves it. They see how invested I am in it and how much I care about it,” Stewart said. “They know what I’m striving to be. I am not doing this for fun. I’m doing it because I want to be one of the best farmers in the world when it is all said and done.”
@cotydavis_24
The Engine Room: Should the Pistons trade for Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo?
Coty Davis and Tarohn Finley debate the trade value of Giannis Antetokounmpo at the deadline Feb. 5.
