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Farmer Kev’s Organic, of West Gardiner, which has provided farm shares of organic produce to the communities it serves for 10 years, is still growing. Owner and operator Kevin Leavitt shared his story as he celebrates his 10th year anniversary.
“Farmer Kev” prides himself on offering affordable and fresh produce, convenient for his customers.
Leavitt grew up in Winthrop in a non-farming family, and was only exposed to gardening and farming when he was in high school and managed the community garden.
“After a few summers of gardening, I challenged myself to grow more food and sell it at the local farmers market,” he said. “I began leasing land and would continue to grow more each summer.”
During the off-season he attended the University of Maine. He graduated with a bachelor of science degree in agriculture and economics.
He started Farmer Kev’s in 2009.
“I had started Farmer Kev’s because it was something that I enjoyed doing, and I felt like it had many positive impacts on my community,” he said. “I felt a career in agriculture is something that I would feel proud of. Organic farming has always had the stigma that it’s expensive, and my mission was to change that, and has always been to provide organic food to the average person.”
Farmer Kev’s niche is being a farm that delivers produce directly to the customer’s door.
“We’ve been called the modern day milkman,” he said. “There are a lot of farms that grow produce, but we are the only one locally that you can select what produce you want on our website and have it delivered.”
The farm grows produce from May to January, which makes it an extended season farm. “Which means that people can rely on us for most of the year,” he said. “We also put a large focus on affordability, and try our best to stay efficient so that the average Mainer can buy our produce.”
After 10 years in business, Leavitt is not resting on his laurels.
“As we look ahead, we have been putting a lot of investment into greenhouses,” he said. “We know people want to buy local produce as much as possible, so we are looking at how we can supply produce year-round. We also know the workforce is changing, and seasonal jobs aren’t appealing. So we hope to grow produce for a longer time while employing a workforce year-round.
PHOTO: “Farmer Kev” Kevin Leavitt, of Farmer Kev Organic, West Gardiner. (Submitted photo)
