It’s that time of year already when we find out if winter will be short or long. The annual Malverne Goundhog Day ceremony takes place at 7:00 AM at the gazebo in Malverne (by the train station). Please join us at the farm afterwards when we will be serving a light breakfast from 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM. It’s a great chance to visit with neighbors and chat with our field manager, Stephanie. All are welcome.
Our program is growing. Many hundreds of children will visit the farm in the coming year and we are developing school-location programs with districts in Malverne, Garden City, and Levittown. Stay tuned for more announcements in subsequent newsletters.
The Nassau Land Trust has forged a partnership with the Levittown School system to promote an active program of agriculture and education. The first phase centers around revitalization of and upgrades to their year-round greenhouse at the Abbey Lane administration center. Here Crossroads farmer Stephanie Kane and farmhand David Gambino are working with science teacher Kevin McDermott to fill new beds with top soil and Crossroads organic compost. (Many thanks as always to The New York Equestrian Center as our partner in compost production.) The operation will serve as a living class room throughout the year.
Next up will be outfitting the building with an automated irrigation system, designed by farm staff in consultation with Kevin (pictured above at center). The food produced in the program will be used by the vocational culinary program at the school as well as in the school cafeterias.
The weather outside is frightful — but we are seeing green. A carpet of green winter rye is growing in lot 2 (above) and elsewhere on the farm. This cover crop will get turned-in come spring, thus adding organic bio-mass to the soil web. In the meantime, it stabilizes the soil structure and hinders erosion and run-off. And inside our year-round hoop house, lettuce and other crops are flourishing with the solar heating effect (below). This building will be full of tomatoes in just a few months.
The blueprints are off the drawing board and are approved and we are ready to build! The farm will have a new warming kitchen and rest room building in 2017 — with your help.
We still need to raise some funds.
This is a great way to make a difference with a financial contribution to something tangible and permanent. This structure will upgrade our physical plant and will allow us to host catered affairs, do light food and meal prep for the store and events, provide the modern conveniences for staff and visitors, and more.
Click the link below to help us build in 2017!
You can also mail a check to the Nassau Land Trust, 2417 Jericho Turnpike, Garden City Park, NY 11040. All contributions are 100% tax deductible. The NLT is a New York State 501(c)(3) non-profit. We receive no public money for running the farm and must therefore raise all funds necessary for operations and capital improvements. Our break-even annual operating budget is about $250,000.
Stephanie is at the NOFA winter conference in Saratoga Springs! As a scholarship participant, she is pressed into service as a volunteer. But more importantly, she is attending workshops and rubbing shoulders with farmers from all over the northeast region. And we thought winter was a time to relax!
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Spring is a cumin in! Well, the song says summer, but we have spring on the mind.
Want to get involved? Want to make a difference at the farm and in your community? We have a vibrant and well organized volunteer program. Maybe this is the year for you to get get your hands in the dirt and to help sustain this unique and exciting project. Without volunteers, we couldn’t get all the work done. We are truly a community effort!
Click below for more information and to sign up. Join us at our first volunteer orientation in 2017 on April 8th at 11 AM.
And welcome back all of our veteran volunteers! Feel free to join us that day to help us welcome the new volunteers.
We are now accepting applications for store manager to start in the spring. For more information about this exciting and challenging full-time job, please click here. Please do not call us about this job. All applications must be by email with a resume attached.
We produce high-quality organic compost at Crossroads Farm in conjuction with the New York Equestrian Center.
We have large volumes available at very competitive pricing. Please email us for more information.
Support Crossroads Farm and Purchase Your 2017 CSA Booklets Today!
Support your local farm by providing revenue before the next growing season. This revenue goes towards the purchase of soil, seeds, and other farming supplies.
Here’s how Crossroads Farm Consumer Supported Agriculture (CSA) works:
- Purchase your CSA booklet at $50 and receive $55 worth of coupons.
- Purchase your CSA booklet at $100 and receive $110 worth of coupons.
- Use your CSA coupons for purchases in the farm stand.
Additionally, customers using their CSA booklets get a 10% discount on all their farm stand purchases.
You may purchase your CSA booklets on-line by by clicking the link below or in the store at Ground Hog Day on February 2nd or in the store when we open in the spring.
Spring Seedlings
As always we will be selling our own organic seedlings at the farm in the spring. The number of varieties will be bigger than ever.
Are you a professional gardener, a school garden manager, a landscaper, or just an avid home gardener? We are now taking wholesale pre-orders of 24 or more seedlings. We will grow the plants you need for delivery when you need them! For more information and inquiries, please email us and let us know what you need.
The farm store is closed for the winter.
Thanks for your patronage and we look forward to seeing you in the Springtime.
With gratitude,
Rick White, NLT Chairman
Stephanie Kane, Field Manager
Judi Consigli, Operations Manager
Leonore Russell, Director of Education
Lee Jacob, Volunteer Coordinator
480 Hempstead Avenue – Malverne – NY – 11565 – google map – 516-881-7700 – info@nassaulandtrust.org – Store Hours
| Click donate to make a fully tax-deductible contribution. Or click volunteer to offer your time. Our success depends on you, our extended farm family! |
