A carpenter plants 450 trees and quits his steady job to live off a fruit that blooms at night: “I make 100% of my living from it”

After more than two decades working daily as a carpenter, Vilson Vogel one day walked away from it all. He decided it was time to change his life. At first, it was a way to supplement his income. But after planting hundreds of trees, Vogel, 55 (São Miguel do Oeste, Brazil), left a stable job to focus exclusively on growing dragon fruit.

The shift began taking shape nine years ago while he was working for a local company “with a good salary.” He was looking for extra income and found it in this fruit, known as dragon fruit. “That idea turned into a dream come true,” he told NSC Total.

For a time, he balanced his carpentry job with planting and caring for the crop, which he then sold to customers. Eventually, he had to make a decision. Demand kept growing, and so did the time it required. “Customers would come to my house when I wasn’t there. They would take the pitahayas from the table and leave the money. That’s when I decided to quit my job.”

A change for the better for Vogel

He made that decision four years ago. Since then, his sole focus has been production. “I make 100% of my living from dragon fruit,” he says. He currently grows around 450 fruit-bearing plants, producing between five and six tons per harvest (every four to five months), depending on weather conditions.

He sells the fruit in different ways, both through local stores in São Miguel do Oeste and directly to consumers. He also uses technology. “I have regular customers and even a WhatsApp group.” It is a full career transition. At times, after record harvests, he has had to look beyond his own town to sell the produce.

The early days were not easy. As he explains, the first two years after planting require closer attention due to the plant’s fragility, especially because of weather conditions. “Dragon fruit doesn’t adapt well to very cold places. I’m in a privileged area. It gets cold here, but there are few frosts,” he says.

Now, the main challenge he faces is market competition, which has driven prices down. “It used to sell for between about $8 and $10 per pound. Today you can find it for around $0.80, $1, or $1.20.” This shift especially affects large-scale producers with employees.

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.