The only remaining farm in New York City is moving to a bigger plot of land.
Last week, Councilman Barry Grodenchik announced that the Queens County Farm has secured a lease agreement for 1.6 acres. It will take over a space owned by the New York State Office of Mental Health.
“This additional land will allow the farm to increase crop production by more than 30 percent,” Grodenchik says.
According to Queens County Farm Museum executive director Jennifer Walden Weprin, the land leased to them by the state was part of the farm’s original footprint dating back to 1697.
The farm hosts an average of 400,000 visitors annually, and has welcomed more than 10 million visitors since it was established in 1975.
“This expansion supports the farm’s planned growth and will enable us to broaden our reach so we can serve more people in need of fresh produce in our communities,” Weprin says.