By Joey Lu, ASU sustainable food systems graduate student
What color is a lemon when it’s ripe? The answer may surprise you, but it’s actually green, not yellow. This fun fact was just one piece of knowledge shared by Mark Kuechel on a visit to his farm in Yuma, Arizona.
A fourth-generation farmer, Mark is the current owner and operator of Kuechel Citrus Farm. Kuechel Citrus Farm is a regular stop on the Farm and Food Immersive for students pursuing the Masters in Sustainable Food Systems at ASU, primarily because of Mark’s passion for conservation advocacy and education in the state.
Citrus Farmer
Mark’s family was among some of the first farmers to grow citrus in Southern California. His great-grandfather immigrated from Germany in the late 1800s to what would eventually be renamed Orange, California. He started the family’s farming business in 1882 with 10-acres of date trees. When the market for dates became over-saturated, Mark’s great-grandfather ripped out his date trees and took a chance planting Valencia oranges. This chance paid off and the oranges turned an excellent profit.
Mark’s family continued to grow citrus, and soon, many farmers in the area had also followed their example and begun making the switch from dates to citrus, helping to lead to the California citrus boom. Eventually however, the citrus industry in Orange faded away—faced with increasing challenges of accessing water as well as pressure for development, citrus farms closed. By 1974, Kuechel Citrus Farms was the last commercial citrus grove in Orange, CA. The following year, his family moved to Yuma, Arizona when the Yuma Citrus industry was at its peak in terms of export, and Mark and his family have continued to grow citrus there ever since.
Celery Connoisseur
Mark himself grew up working on his family’s farms, and at the age of fifteen, started his own business with 30 acres. Carrying on his family’s legacy, Mark grew not only citrus, but also alfalfa, chiles, cotton, peaches, wheat, radishes and celery.
While he grew citrus in Arizona, he grew celery in California. However, he didn’t just grow the regular green celery that most consumers are used to seeing in the grocery store; he also cultivated red celery, white celery, orange celery, celery you could use as a straw, and even celery that grew to be six feet tall. Mark’s enthusiasm for celery varieties almost rivals his passion for conservation. Almost. His experience growing a broad variety of crops better equipped him with the knowledge of different growing methods for diverse crops, knowledge that serves him well in his role as a leader in conservation efforts in Arizona.
Conservation Expert
How does conservation fit into his life? It’s embedded in everything he does.
During the visit, he spoke about the water scarcity challenges unique to farmers in Arizona, and what he has learned and changed on his farm to help with its conservation. For instance, he utilizes lasers to angle a slight slope in his fields so that water flows from the canal down to all of his crops, irrigating them in half the time it would have taken before.
In addition to his own farm, Mark is actively involved with conservation efforts in Yuma. As the current chair of the board of supervisors for the Yuma National Resource Conservation District, Mark helps oversee the operations of conservation projects within Yuma. Part of his efforts include leveraging Natural Resource Conservation Service funding to cost-share concrete lining of canals to prevent spillage and lower evaporation. Some farmers may not be able to afford such a project on their own, or may not even be aware of this conservation practice. As such, conservation districts play a crucial part in educating farmers about conservation practices and connecting them with funding opportunities.
Beyond Yuma, Mark also serves in various positions on both the Arizona Association of Conservation Districts, and the National Association of Conservation Districts. For the past 15 years, Mark has dedicated countless volunteer efforts to advocate for conservation practices and policies for farmers and producers at all different scales. As a farmer, he is acutely aware of both the challenges associated with farming and the opportunities to care for the land. Serving on conservation districts helped him share his expertise more broadly, furthering collective conservation efforts and knowledge.
Future Thinker
When asked about how he first got interested in conservation, he simply replied “I was born into it.” For Mark, conservation is critical not only for himself but for the future of farming. As the producers of our food, farmers work intricately with their land to grow food and have a vested interest in ensuring that their land and resources can continue to be productive. They are uniquely positioned as active stewards, and hold a wealth of knowledge. Farmers, like Mark, who are passionate about sharing their knowledge, are critical for guiding and sharing the momentum for conservation efforts within and beyond their local communities.
As extreme weather events—especially droughts—become more frequent and more intense, new conservation practices will become increasingly important to build resiliency for farmers and producers. Conservation districts—and the farmers and producers who volunteer on them—may become increasingly important resources for producers as they face new challenges and opportunities.
What about Mark’s future? Although he is semi-retired, Mark still plans to grow citrus for at least a few more years and simultaneously continue his conservation education efforts in Arizona. Although both farming and life can be unpredictable, it’s clear that Mark’s passion for citrus, celery, and conservation will continue to inform his work and his community for the foreseeable future.
This blog is part of a series from the Swette Center's annual Arizona Food and Farm Immersion, a required course in their two graduate programs. Students tour the state, meeting with farmers, ranchers, entrepreneurs, government staff, and non-profit leaders.