Local Producer Spotlight: Canewater Farm
Throughout the region, historic barns and modern ones too, preside over open fields and pastures revealing the working land that is synonymous with Jackson Hole’s agricultural heritage. One such local farm, Canewater Farm, is a certified organic food grower situated amid the fertile grounds in the high country of Teton Valley, Idaho. Snugged up near the foot of the Snake River Range, Canewater Farm cultivates a cornucopia of home-grown produce and flowers, supplying our region with wholesome sustenance. By growing their organic crops in a sustainable way, the farm supports the communities surrounding the farm, all while honoring and preserving the land we all cherish in this special place called the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
After working with The Clear Creek Group in the firm’s early years, farmer Rafe Rivers established Canewater Farm in a small town in Georgia in 2013, then followed his heart and moved the family farm to Teton Valley six years later, leasing 13 acres of farmland, where they cultivate organic food as well as meaningful community relationships. Today, the farm supplies over 25 local restaurants, grocers, and families with its organic produce.
Situated at the end of a dirt road in Victor, Idaho, and set beautifully next to wooded foothills and a warm spring lined with cottonwoods, the scenic farm appears as enchanting as a storybook picture. In autumn, a maple tree adorns that family’s straw bale homestead in brilliant red while a long-retired grain silo marks an earlier era. Since migrating wildlife visit the property often, Rafe and his family embrace the practices necessary to coexist with the natural environment and the wild animals that also call this place home.
Welcoming the opportunity to be part of a larger movement of small farms that can make a significant impact on the environment, Canewater Farm’s organic practices are coupled with a focus on sustainability too. Their contemporary half-domed barn is covered with solar panels on the flat side. Another smaller barn, also half-domed, supports a greenhouse, while two stand-alone greenhouses grow seed crops and produce. This harvesting season, one is filled with ripening heirloom tomatoes while the other harbors bins of onions.
Here we talk with Canewater Farm’s founder, Rafe Rivers, about organic agriculture and the guiding philosophy of his farm:
Q. What was your inspiration for starting up Canewater Farm?
A. Wendell Berry was my first inspiration for farming. His book, “Culture and Agriculture,” helped change the way I thought about land use, soils, food, and community. After this, I never looked back.
Q. When did it all begin and how has it evolved over time?
A. After living in Jackson, I went back to school at UC Santa Cruz to study Agroecology. From there I worked on farms in New Mexico, Vermont, and California. From there, we started Canewater Farm in 2013 in a small town on the Georgia coast, near Savannah. After six years, we were able to achieve our dream of moving the farm to Teton Valley.
Q. What is your favorite aspect about the farm?
A. My favorite aspect of the farm is raising a family here. It is the ultimate joy to watch my children harvest tomatoes, show their fellow friends how to pick cucumbers, and watch my wife harvest flowers late into the evening. Being able to feed our family and community healthy food also helps make the work worthwhile. We also love building relationships with local restaurants and market customers. Lastly, getting to work with great people in such a beautiful environment is a dream come true. We don’t take a day for granted here on the farm.
Q. Why is your focus on growing organic food important to you?
A. I could write a book to answer this question. To keep it short, stewarding land and growing food is extremely important. In my opinion, stewardship includes not using chemicals. It includes a biodiverse system where nature and the farm can coexist. We farm along a riparian creek full of migrating deer, elk, bear, sandhill crane, and songbirds. I would not want to jeopardize their corridor. I would not ask my children, my employees, or my customers to eat food that I have sprayed with chemicals. That would not sit well with me. It is not an option.
Q. What is your advice to anyone wanting to start an organic farm of their own?
A. I would advise working under farmers you respect. It was important for me to see different business models. When I started farming, I had so many ideas that I wanted to pursue. It was nice to make mistakes on other people’s dimes before starting my own. There are many ways to run a farm. At first, you want to do everything — vegetables, animals, grains, dairy, etc. It is nice to explore and understand which styles fit with your personal goals and lifestyle. I spent many years exploring different farms. This coupled with an education and lots of reading and research was key to my success.
Q. Please share a fun fact or facts about you and/or your farm.
A. We are proud that all of our produce that is not purchased is donated every week to the Teton Valley Food Pantry.
The Canewater Farm supplies local restaurants like Healthy Being, and its produce can be found at Barrels & Bins in Driggs, Idaho, and Whole Foods in Jackson, Wyoming. For additional places to purchase Canewater Farm products please visit: http://www.canewaterfarm.com/where-to-buy‑1.
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