Notes from the farm: the promise of seeds with jo Galvis

Jo & their dog, Corazon. All photos by Kate Warren.

Meet Jo Galvis, steward farmer at Wally Farms and owner/operator of El Alimento.

Jo Galvis is a farmer and seed grower with roots in Colombia and New York. They grow open-pollinated and carefully selected vegetable seeds for regional seed companies, to increase the availability of climate-adapted seeds for local farmers.

Where some of El Alimento’s seeds get their start.

Jo in their field.

What is something you grow, make, or contribute that feels especially personal?

Because of the rhythm of working with seeds, I feel like I enter into an intimate relationship with each crop I grow — learning their history, what conditions shaped them, and what they need to express themselves fully. Over the course of a season, I witness their entire life cycle.

Jo gets hands on with their plot.

My approach is to grow fewer varieties within each species than you might see on a mixed vegetable farm. For example, I grow a single variety of corn. This is intentional: corn cross-pollinates easily, and introducing other varieties nearby can change the qualities I’m trying to preserve. Because I grow seeds for seed companies, maintaining the integrity of a variety — their flavor, structure, resilience — is central to the work.

There is not only one way of growing seeds, and while isolating varieties is part of the work I do, there are many seed stewards who take the opposite approach, planting multiple varieties of the same crop to encourage genetic diversity.

And then there are the plants that feel like companions. Each year, I grow Uchuvas, also known as Cape Gooseberries. They carry a papery husk, like tomatillos or ground cherries, and their flavor lands somewhere between sweetness and acidity, almost like sour candy. They tend to surprise people, and always bring a little joy. Uchuvas are native to the Andes, and I grew up with them. Growing them here is a way of staying connected to where I come from, a thread that runs alongside the rest of the seasons.

Tomatoes starting to climb last season.

What feels urgent in agriculture or food systems right now?

It’s very urgent to protect our neighbors and communities against ICE and the racism encouraged by this and many other administrations. Supporting the NY 4 ALL bill is one step to take. It’s very important to strengthen our regional food system by creating opportunities for farmland access and affordable and long-term farmworker housing.

Corazon.

If someone visited Wally Farms for one day, what would you want them to notice?

I’d show them the range of projects that make Wally so special, each one so different, shaped by people who bring their own care and vision to the land.

And then I’d take them up to the pasture at the highest point, where everything opens up.

The Stargazing Field at Wally gives an incredible 360 view.

Come to the farm next month and take home some veggie starts from El Alimento at our Plant Sale on May 17th!