home.grown. Farm Feature: Reeves Farms
Jack Gelok
Marketing Intern
A Berry Sweet Legacy: The Story of Reeves Farms
It all started with a young 18-year-old coming from Draycott, England to Jacksonville, New York. His name was Arthur Thomas Reeves the founder of Reeves Farm. Arthur started out working on his aunt and uncle’s farm, but by 1898, he and his wife Mary had saved enough to buy their own patch of paradise on what is now known as Reeves Road. With eight kids running around, the Reeves family was starting a farming legacy.
The Fast-Paced World of Farming
In the mid-1920s, Arthur’s son Edward, along with his wife Flossie, took the reins and moved the farm a bit further down Reeves Road. They focused on crops and milking cows. Their son Cecil, after a stint in the Navy during WWII, decided he’d had enough of cows and set his sights on crop farming. Cecil and his wife Dorothy juggled raising nine kids and growing vegetables and grain, proving that farming really is a family affair.
60’s Expansion
By the 1960s, the farm was expanding faster than you can say “strawberry shortcake.” Cecil and Dorothy bought more land, growing fresh market vegetables and berries. Their hard work laid the groundwork for the farm’s next big leap.
The Reeves Farm Today
In 1990, Cecil and Dorothy handed the keys over to their sons Bruce, Mark, and Brian. After Bruce left the partnership in 1992, their brother Andy joined the team. Today, two of Mark’s children, Nolan and Karin, are also part of the farm’s management, making Reeves Farms a true multi-generational operation.
The Reeves Family Looking into the Future
What makes Reeves Farms extra special is their commitment to sustainability. They use Integrated Pest Management, reduced tillage, cover crops, crop rotation, and organic production to keep the soil and water healthy. It’s all about farming smart to ensure this land can keep producing mouthwatering berries and veggies for generations to come.