How Do You Spell Organic? K-Y-V

The speaker for our November meeting was Francisco Arroyo from KYV Farm 1670 Borrow Pit Rd., Switzerland.  KYV is a CSA with a USDA organic certification.  Sound like alphabet soup?  Well, this is how Francisco explained it (supplemented with some information from the University of Florida).

KYV is one of only two farms in our county that are certified organic farms.  The University of Florida has a publication on Organic Production.  Francisco's explanation was a little less technical but just as accurate.  KYV farms uses no chemical pesticides or fertilizers.  Francisco farms like he did when he lived in Puerto Rico.  At that time he had no idea that his practices were "organic".    It was the only way Francisco knew how to farm.  He hadn't even heard of the term, "organic" until he and his wife Vivian started KYV Farms here in 2006.  Traditional methods of farming:  crop rotation, cover crops (green manure), overplanting (to compensate for loss through disease and insect destruction), cured farm animal compost, are combined with modern efficient irrigation and cold frame use at KYV to produce the highest yield of healthy and organic produce.

Find out about CSA's and what the name, "KYV" means; check out the rest of this article (click the Read More >> link below).   And this month our website features articles on junior gardening by Arlene Hendrickson,  Growing our Future Gardeners, and the Old Settler's Reunion at Alpine Groves Park by Carolyn Mullinax, Oh, the Fun We Had.


More About KYV

Having explained KYV's organic farming techniques, let's tell you about the farm's business plan as a CSA.   Here is a definition of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) from the University of Florida, What is a CSA?  Francisco explained that KYV's CSA component consists of offering "shares" of the upcoming harvest to households in exchange for paying the price of the share up front.  This allows KYV to purchase the organic seed and pay for the irrigation and other expenses of producing crops without KYV's having to resort to borrowing money (and paying the interest).  Shareholders receive a weekly (or biweekly) share of the harvest over the season.  The amount each shareholder receives depends upon the yield; there is no fixed arrangement.  That means shareholders are, like KYV, stakeholders in the end product.

KYV also offers discounts on share prices in exchange for work done on the farm.  And there are payment plans.  KYV has 150 shareholders for their fall program.  It also has a market stand that sells organic produce on Saturdays.  If your aren't ready to become a shareholder, you can visit the stand to bring home the harvest.  Persons receiving SNAP food assistance can utilize the federal government's "double bucks" benefits at KYV.

The model is working, and KYV is busy expanding their customer base.  They sell produce to organic food processors like Amy's Frozen Entrees.  They also provide unique organically-grown heirloom produce to niche producers like St. Augustine Distillery.  In 2013 Richard Villadoniga of Slow Foods First Coast, introduced the distillery to KYV Farms.  KYV started producing heirloom varieties of sugar cane used in the distilling of rum.  These varieties are not used in making cane sugar, and finding a viable grower for the plants is helping to keep the species alive.   Sugar cane, unlike other plants is not propagated by seed, but by planting cuttings of living plants; growing is the only means of preservation.  Oh, and did we mention they sell organic eggs?

To keep up with market expansion KYV farms has extended its acres under cultivation past the borders of the original homestead of two acres.  One neighbor leases five acres of his backyard, and eighty acres are being cultivated along 16A.  It's a refreshing change of land usage from the residential development going on in the area.

KYV is committed to educating the public about the benefits of eating organic and introducing people to the farm itself.  It offers tours to schools and community organizations of all types.  It participates in the annual Slow Foods Tour de Farm and other events, so mark your calendars!

If you've read this far, you've earned learning this tidbit:  KYV stands for "Kiko" (Francisco's nickname) "Y" (Spanish for the word, "and") "V" (Vivian).  Kiko and Vivian = KYV.  (The lady in this picture with Kiko is our club Treasurer, Carolyn, who invited him to speak.  Vivian was back at the farm keeping the vegetables growing.)  Many thanks to Kiko and Vivian for the benefits their farm has brought to our community.

Now see what else our club has been up to over the past month:

• Junior Gardening Program - Growing our Future Gardeners
• Old Settlers' Reunion -  Oh the Fun We Had