Meet the Locals: Zach Hoffman & Estefany Martinez  

By Heather Rule

Zach Hoffman is originally from Fargo, while his fiancé, Estefany Martinez, a first-generation American, was born in Fergus Falls and grew up in Pelican Rapids before moving to Fargo for a few years when she turned 18. The couple recently moved to Pelican Rapids.

While Pelican Rapids was home to Martinez, Hoffman fell in love with the city when they visited for Martinez family gatherings. Hoffman wanted to experience that small-town life on a daily basis. After their engagement, the couple also realized that they didn’t want to raise a family in Fargo.

“We want our children to be raised in a small town,” Martinez said. “Specifically Pelican because of the diversity. And being an interracial couple, we wanted to make sure that if we do have children one day, that our children are going to feel safe and accepted in a community.

“And what better community than the melting pot of Pelican Rapids?”

Martinez was a nail technician in Fargo but now works as a marketing assistant for the Otter Tail Lakes Country Association. Hoffman works for BTD Manufacturing in Detroit Lakes. They purchased a Pelican Rapids house in October 2022, a place they saved for when they moved to town and stayed with Martinez’s parents.

Now that they have a house of their own, Hoffman and Martinez have noticed the great potential for growth in Pelican Rapids. It’s led them to try and get more involved in the community, from things like attending meetings at city hall to looking into joining committees or giving input to help develop the city. She’s talked with the chamber of commerce about how to get the Mexican community more involved or to try and figure out some Hispanic-friendly events.

Hoffman loves the scenery of the area. In Pelican Rapids and Otter Tail County, they can take a drive and within five minutes “see breathtaking views” that they don’t get anywhere else, Martinez said. Having a backyard full of woods rather than the concrete jungle of a city is one of Hoffman’s favorite things. They enjoy spending time at Maplewood State Park together.

As a couple they’ve taken food ventures around Otter Tail County, finding new places to eat at various small businesses and towns in the area, “because we want to try everything and see everything and get to know more of the neighboring communities,” Martinez said.

“It’s amazing to live in a small town,” Martinez said. “It’s been a dream to come back and to be accepted again.

“Just open arms and open hearts. And we’re just very excited to start our life here.”