Cheverie Family Farm

Kelly Cheverie’s family has been on Prince Edward Island since the 1600s. Descended from the original Acadian settlers to the island, his ancestors set down roots on the eastern tip of the island, and his family have been farming the island’s soils and fishing its waters ever since. Kelly’s great-grandfather purchased an initial 3-acre parcel of land to start farming, and over time the family has added to it. Kelly’s farm now comprises approximately 85 acres spread out over three separate plots of land, 60 acres of which is wild swamp and woodland. The community in which the farm is located is East Point, an area scattered with grain and hay farms, and surrounded by the deep blue Atlantic Ocean on three sides.

Kelly grew up farming. His family grew grains, had a small vegetable garden that they tended, and raised beef cows, pigs, and chickens. In addition to the farm work, Kelly’s father was a lobster fisherman, which acquainted the family with the mutually supportive relationship that farming and fishing can have. Today Kelly grows spelt, rye and triticale; strawberries and wild cranberries; and has a small vegetable garden. When he is not on the farm, he works in construction.

Kelly had 18 acres of his farm certified organic in 2001. The close proximity of his land to the ocean means convenient access to lobster and crab fertilizers which enrich his soil, and seaweed for mulch. He sells his delicious organic strawberries and some of his cranberries to the PEI Preserve Company to be made into sweet organic preserves. He takes great care to process his organically grown cranberries within hours of picking, ensuring a high quality product, and a strong market demand. In the last few years he has started exploring the possibility of growing blackcurrants, which he hopes will grow into a potential new small fruit crop for him. He is also interested in growing organic soybeans.

For Kelly, farming is an integral part of his identity. It is part of his upbringing and his heritage. While many farms have turned in the direction of large-scale monoculture, Kelly feels strongly that the future success of island agriculture lies in small mixed farms that develop slowly and steadily, and can adapt more easily to sudden shifts in market demands. He enjoys farming organically because it allows him the space to learn from nature and experiment with different techniques. As he says:

It feels good to grow a healthy crop…to be more in tune with nature. I feel more in control of my own destiny—not just another person in an assembly line—free to change my farming methods depending on the needs and requirements of the land and crops.

Although the learning curve in organic production is steep, Kelly is enjoying the process of becoming more in-tune with his land. He points out that the fundamentals of organic farming are not anything new. This type of farming was practiced sustainably for millennia. Kelly feels that the root of good farming is recognizing what is necessary to maintain a healthy system, and making sure you have these basic ingredients. For him, what is necessary is soil that is alive, and plants that are sturdy. He says:

If my great-grandfather could farm without synthetic soil enhancers and pesticides, why should I need ten times the number of resources to survive?

For Kelly, the answer is quite clear: “If you can get by without using artificial inputs, why wouldn’t you?”