Variety Act Miami #14: Meet Kristina Matos Fiorentino, Owner of The Little Farm.
Udderly impressive small business owner, beekeeper, educator, mother, and life-long learner.
Do you smell it in the air? The cozy, cardamom-spiced aroma of fall, certainly, but also—the 14th issue of Variety Act Miami. Hello! I’m your compère, Natalie Guevara.
Ah, Miami, a place that most associate with palm trees and mezcal Palomas. But about 20 miles southwest of Downtown, you’ll find the Outback of Magic City: the Redlands, Miami-Dade County’s agricultural Oz. It’s here, amid bees and berries, that you’ll happen upon The Little Farm and its impassioned owner Kristina Matos Fiorentino, a woman with range who’s living on the range.
Kristina—or Kristi, as her friends call her—is earthy, glamorous, and surprising. Our paths first crossed in early elementary school, and then later at the tail-end of high school. She’s always been pixie-esque—a Cuban-American Audrey Hepburn. A thoughtful student, star cheerleader, sweet soul, ever into self-improvement and diving deep into new interests. A gifted make-up whiz, during our college years she taught me the virtues of M·A·C Strobe Cream, and they were lessons that eclipsed my humanities syllabus, for sure. As an adult, she worked as an educator, teaching middle school students, grades 6 through 8, for five years. And today, she’s a farmer and business owner.
Over the last few years, Kristi has balanced farm and family life with great tenacity, humor, and acceptance. At The Little Farm, she runs a hands-on educational program that welcomes school groups and members of the wider Miami-Dade community to learn about what goes into a day on the farm, from the agricultural circuit to the apiary. In addition to the horses, goats, sheep, and bunnies, her homestead includes three exceptionally expressive and wondrous young kids. Bright eyes and bushy tails clearly run in the family.
This year, you can partake in The Little Farm’s earthly delights during their upcoming Fall Festival, which will run Saturdays and Sundays, October 9th through October 31st, 10 am to 4 pm. For $12 admission, you get a rollicking fall day of animal encounters, a hay maze exploration, a butterfly garden, local food vendors, a pumpkin patch, and pony rides. If there’s one thing that Kristi is gonna do on her farm, it’s give you a full-out autumnal experience.
Without further ado, hear more from Kristi about her path to rural living, fall time on the farm, and, por supuesto, her Miami favorites.
MEET KRISTINA MATOS FIORENTINO, OWNER OF THE LITTLE FARM.
On making her dream of owning a farm her reality:
I can’t say that I ever saw myself owning and running a farm in the form that it has taken, where it’s a known educational destination and a hub for the community. However, my husband Julian and I did dream about creating a homestead someday where our children could run around freely, live amongst animals and wildlife, and take a stab at growing some of our own food. We probably talked about it for a couple of years before it became our reality. Truth be told, we didn’t go out looking for the farm, the farm found us. It was totally the wrong time, but one thing I’ve learned living here is, If not now, then when?
On a song that takes her back to the first year of working on the farm:
Our first year working and living on the farm was actually really challenging in many ways. We dove right into the deep end, and although we are still learning and figuring it all out, we didn’t give ourselves that grace at the very beginning.
When I think back to that first year, I’m constantly reminded of Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer.” I don’t know how many times Julian and I sat back at the end of the day and basically told each other,
“Woah, we're half way there
Woah, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand, we'll make it, I swear”We’re not even half way there yet.
On the most unexpected, surprising quality of operating the farm day in, day out:
Unexpected: Not much is actually in your control. This one has been tough for me to get a grasp on because I’m your typical Type A.
Surprising: Everything you think you know about caring for animals or even growing a plant is likely incorrect. Yet it’s been nothing short of frustrating and magical all balled up into one.
On the one skill from her background in teaching and education that has informed her approach to running a small business:
Planning. There’s actually a lot from my background in education that I use daily on the farm, but being able to look ahead a couple months at a time and work backwards to make sure that we meet an end goal in a timely manner is super valuable here. It has to happen during growing seasons to make sure that our seasonal garden actually grows on time; it happens with some of the animals’ care; and it’s crucial for our annual events like our upcoming Fall Festival.
On her cultural diet:
Okay, time to talk about my guilty pleasures.
I’ve spent the last year really diving deep into beekeeping: I acquired two hives, then three, now I’ve got eight (and growing). I made it a point to really educate myself on the art and science of tending to and being surrounded by honeybees. I took a course, I read a lot of Beekeeping for Dummies and The Beekeeper’s Handbook, and I’ve spent a lot of time inside the hives. At the moment, I’m reading a pretty awesome book called Honeybee Democracy—I’m still learning, but it’s a lighter read, for sure.
I’m also deep into planning a complete home remodel. I follow a few designers and renovation accounts on Instagram that give me inspiration daily, such as @chrislovesjulia, @studiomcgee, and @danielkanter.
On her favorite quality about fall in South Florida:
Although it’s still hot at the moment, I love that fall feels different. There’s a sense of renewed joy in the fall after a long, hot summer. It’s also the start of the holiday season. It’s a time where, at least for me, the months slow down a bit and people are a little happier and maybe even a bit more grateful.
On what she’s most excited to showcase during this year’s Fall Festival at The Little Farm:
It’s going to be so much fun for the community. Our guests are going to be able to enjoy lots of fall photo ops around the farm and the pumpkin patch, take a stroll around our beautiful butterfly and pollinator garden, spend time with our animals, and indulge in some local fare.
I’m really excited to showcase our Little Farm Shop of goodies that I personally curated from locals right here in South Florida. We’ll have locally made, all-natural fruit pops, delicious guava butter, farm-fresh eggs, and raw wildflower honey courtesy of my chicken and bees; typical Honduran encurtidos (pickled beets and carrots) by @cocinajireh; elderberry syrup by @elderberryelixir to keep our immune systems in check; handmade beeswax salves by @buenabeeda from rescued hives in Miami; raw, local, and seasonal kombucha by @drinkliveculture; and a few other small-batch items ready to enjoy throughout the month.
On what she’s up to at 8 am on a Wednesday:
I’m on my way to drop off two out of my three kids at school. I’ve just handed off Eloise, my one-year-old, to Julian until I get back home. Isaac, my five-year-old, is begging me to put on music while Olive, my three-year-old, is begging me not to—she takes after me. We set an intention for the day and share it with each other, and then I give in to one song.
On where we’ll find her at 10 pm on a Sunday:
I’m deep into whatever my binge of the week is. These past couple of weeks it’s been The Path on Hulu.
On the affirmation that helps her power through the days that feel especially chaotic:
Who am I kidding? My days are totally overwhelming, but I embrace it most of the time. I have three kids, constant commotion on the farm, and I still have to live here, too. One hard thing about running a business that isn’t just out of your home but also actually your home is that there is absolutely no way to separate the two.
I was given a note once that read, “You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.” I think of that often here. I’m learning that sometimes, some things have to take a backseat and that’s okay.
And as a fitting tribute to her Strobe Cream days—on what she’d name her own honorary M·A·C make-up item:
It would be a sun-kissed bronzer/peachy blush duo. I’d call it 4 pm Farm Glow.
KRISTINA’S MIAMI FAVORITES.
Miami anthem (current or classic!): “Don’t Go Yet” by Camila Cabello. Doesn’t it just sound Miami?
Restaurants & bars: My go-to, tried-and-true restaurant is Whisk in South Miami. As for bars, I honestly haven’t been to one in years.
Cafés, diners, bakeries, & ventanitas: I recently visited a little spot in Homestead called White Lion Café—it’s a café/diner/home-cooked meal all rolled up into one in a little shack off a literal dirt-beaten path.
Fireman Derek’s Bakeshop in Coconut Grove is always a go-to to satisfy your sweet tooth.
And I will always cherish the hole-in-the-wall ventanita that is Mary’s Café—formerly known as Mary’s Coin Laundry—in the Shenandoah area.
Cultural centers, art shops, & bookstores: A favorite of mine will always be the Arsht Center, and Museum Park, with PAMM and the Frost Museum of Science.
The Coral Gables location of Books & Books will always be my favorite and the only place I will buy a book other than on Amazon.
Shopping: Gosh, I haven’t been shopping in an actual store in a while, but I love small, curated boutiques best. Market Miami and OHM Boutique are still favorites to pick out pieces for a special occasion, but I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that I live in my high-waisted jeans from LOFT (I just got a second identical pair).
Grooming: I can’t live without my facials every six to eight weeks.
The Great Outdoors: We recently visited John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park with the kids and, when they’re a little older, I’m excited to take them back to go snorkeling and diving. We also love going to Larry & Penny Thompson Park to play and explore.
Small businesses & local vendors: I love supporting local. The vendors at the Coconut Grove Farmers Market are top-notch, and all those vendors I mentioned who will be a part of our Fall Festival are definitely favorites of mine.
The recommendation you’ll always give to a first-time Miami visitor: Make sure to visit the little neighborhoods and restaurants within that truly showcase the flavor of Miami. Miami has so much to offer; you just have to look in the right places.
THANKS, KRISTINA!
Keep up with Kristi’s bees-ness at @kristinafiorentino and her business, The Little Farm, at @thelittlefarmmiami. Admission to The Little Farm’s Fall Festival (October 9th through October 31st, Saturdays and Sundays, 10 am to 4 pm) may be purchased on-site on the day of your visit.
Until next time, un besote!