Kibo (pronounced kee-bōh) means “wish” or “hope” in Japanese. The choice of a Japanese name comes from Vince’s connection to Japan, where he lived and worked for three years after college. Teaching in a remote farming village in the mountains of central Japan, he developed a love of the food, language and community spirit that defined his life there. Years of travel around Asia only deepened his connection to the region.

Many years later, after having worked for several other farms, Kibo Farm became the fulfillment of Jenny and Vince’s wish to find a place where they could farm for themselves. In a county where affordable land is very difficult to come by, the Trotters found grape-growing landowners committed to diversified agriculture, sharing resources, and connecting people to the source of their food. In 2015 Vince and Jenny planted their first crop on the Belden Barns property and have been expanding Kibo’s field and orchard production ever since.