Organic and Natural Farms
Karma Acres Farm
This farm and apiary is located near the 10,000 acre Four Creeks State Forrest and it provides the soil and sunlight to support local honey production and organically grown produce and herbs. Owners Lisa Broward and Lee Hughes are helping to make things sweet at some of the Jacksonville area restaurants, and Dennis Decker the farms manager is providing local purveyors with fresh organic produce.
Dennis is reviving and maintaining some very interesting growing methods. He is building Hugel Hoops (a German mounding technique) -key hole shaped mounds that improve access. They each contain a fruit tree that provides partial shade to the plantings below. In addition, Dennis is also using trench like pits which are filled with tree branches, logs, and organic materials and then covered with soil and mulch to provide a well-drained and deeply watered home for intensely planted mixed varieties of plants which mimics nature in diversity. Rounding out the sustainable methods are conventional raised beds filled with vegetables and herbs. All are treated to enrichment with the composted manure and mulch from the surrounding woods.
Lisa is the beekeeper, starting with one hive and growing each year, with a projected hive count of 15 by 2014. She harvests honey twice a year and is currently moving some of the hives to local pesticide free locations according to what is in bloom. Extraction is done off site with filtering and bottling done at home. Lisa is completing work on the lengthy Masters Beekeeping Program through the University of Florida and has attended the Bee College in 2012. She is a member of the Jacksonville Beekeepers Association.
Contact:
Lisa Broward - browardl@comcast.net