2012 Small Farm Summit Featuring Will Allen and Chef Ann Cooper Draws a Record Crowd

Interest in growing and farming on Long Island is a booming enterprise as evidenced by the 800+ people who enjoyed the Small Farm Summit on Saturday, April 14 at Hofstra University. More than 30 organizations, led by the North Shore Land Alliance and including Hofstra University, Whole Foods Market and the New York State Conservation Partnership Program stepped up to sponsor the second annual Small Farm Summit. It was an extensive day of learning, handson instruction, entertainment and networking focused on growing more food locally for individual use, in schools, to feed people in need and to grow the local economy.

A recent Newsday article confirmed that on Long Island we do not grow enough fresh food to feed ourselves. In short, Long Island is not yet sustainable! People are hungry for both nutritious, local farm produce and new knowledge about how they can be a part of this growing movement.

Eastern Suffolk County enjoys the #1 agricultural economy in the State and the land to support it. Locally we need to grow on a smaller scale and in some instances more creatively – from small farms, to front and back yards, to community gardens to service gardens at churches – on the sides of walls and the tops of buildings!

This means “Planting Food Everywhere” as Small Farm Summit panelists Roxanne Zimmer, a Cornell Master Gardener, Brian Haweil, publisher of Edible East End, Denise Marku, Land Steward for Peconic Land Trust and Michael Veracka of Farmingdale State College explained in just one of the 45 workshops offered throughout the day.

Summit topics covered something for everyone including new developments in aquaculture, shellfish and finfish cultivation, which has been a mainstay on the north shore for centuries. For the backyard gardener there were classes offered on composting, building healthy soil, season extension methods and insects of significance to Long Island. For health and nutrition advocates topics included school gardens, edible medicinal plants and school lunch nutrition. Experiential workshops on beekeeping and chicken-rearing delighted children and their parents. Beginning farmers and experienced farmers attended panels focused on business planning, marketing agricultural products, organics and valueadded operations.

Did you know there are food deserts on Long Island? Food deserts are defined as areas where fresh fruits and vegetables are not available in local grocery stores. Adelphi University, Sustainable Long Island and Island Harvest hosted provocative discussions on both food equity and food justice and local programs that are addressing this issue.

Throughout the day, farm and food related exhibitors like NOFA, Slow Food, local farms, service gardens and CSA’s hosted demonstrations and shared information about programs and products available on Long Island. Land trusts and organizations with resources for farmers disseminated information and gathered new, interested parties for their missions. In the late afternoon, Grammy award winner Tom Chapin led a family concert that addressed food in a comical way with his music and the event closed with a celebratory wine and cheese reception.

Chris Ivers of Whole Foods Market presented a check to the North Shore Land Alliance for $5,600 for sponsorship of the Small Farm Summit from the proceeds of 5% of the register tally from one day of business at the Jericho Whole Foods Market.

“The North Shore Land Alliance would like to thank the steering committee, co-sponsors and volunteers that made the day a rousing success,” said Lisa Ott, Land Alliance President. “When this many people devote a beautiful Saturday in the spring to learn about farming, there is clearly a movement on Long Island that will only continue to grow. Growing fresh, local food is closely related to land availability and we are so pleased to be a part of something that strengthens the inextricable bond between people and land.”

Other sponsors of the 2012 Small Farms Summit included High Mowing Seeds, Edible East End, the Center for Collaborative Communities, the Town of Oyster Bay, the Waldorf School of Garden City, LI Green, Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, iEat Green, Long Island University, Adelphi University, Farmer’s Market Kennedy Plaza, Slow Food Huntington, Peconic Land Trust, NOFA-NY (Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York), Kaos Farm, Nassau Land Trust and many others who lent their expertise to creating such a worthwhile day.

The Small Farm Summit is a part of the Small Farm Initiative that began in 2010 to support sustainable efforts in local food production, farmland preservation, food waste reduction and recycling, water conservation and agricultural education.