Our Projects

Parkland/Recreation:

• In January the RFA initiated a summit of state and municipal parks officials from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and New York to discuss efforts to increase agricultural projects on parkland in Rockland County.
• Currently discussing large scale project with Rockland Parks and Recreation

Corporate Land:

• We are consulting with Active International on possible locations for farms on corporate land. Corporate parks often have large tracts of open space that could tapped for small-scale agricultural uses like providing food shares to employees of the corporation.

Governmental:

• RFA met with Honorable Harriet Cornell, Chairwoman of the County Legislature, who enthusiastically pledged her support for RFA's mission. Together we have restored the Farmland Protection Board and we are working on petitioning for an official Agricultural District to Rockland. Both bodies would both guarantee right to farm laws for farm operations within the county.
• We are working closely with NY State Assemblywoman, Ellen Jaffee, who assured her support as well, stating that the RFA is the largest and most diverse group of citizens gathered for a great cause in Rockland County.

Planning:

• The RFA is working with the County Planning Department to assess the actual acreage of land under production here in Rockland. The Planning Department has created a GIS query tool to help identify active farmland. We hope to have the results of this mapping project shortly.

Community Gardens:

• We are working with the County Health Department, Cornell Cooperative Extension and local municipalities on a new Community Gardens initiative for under-served areas of the county. Weíre hoping to break ground on a new garden before the summer

The Neighbor to Neighbor Gardening Program

• Another RFA member organization, run by Raoul Cansino, is launching a new garden for schoolchildren in Chestnut Ridge this spring. A master gardener and student mentors from Green MeadowHigh School will be helping children who have little or no contact with gardening or nature to build self-confidence and gain a connection to the earth. This program, which is free for the selected participants, will run from August 22 through October 28.

Hands 2 Mouth:

• Based on the concept of Victory Gardens, Lisa Kaess and Joan Gussow are organizing events that introduce people to the fun and benefits of growing their own vegetable/herb gardens. The first garden project will be at the Martin Luther King Center on June 6th.

Farm to School:

• The RFA participated in a Farm to School feasibility meeting along with the Health Department and local school food directors of many of the public school districts. The discussion focused on how to provide local foods to schoolchildren.

Religious/Spiritual: 

• The Stony Point Center, a renowned religious retreat center and a member organization of the RFA, has broken ground on a new garden on campus. The garden will supply food directly to their kitchen, providing fresh produce for the meals for the Center's staff and guests.

CSA (Community Supported Agriculture):

• Camp Hill Farm, Rockland's very first Community Supported Agriculture farm opened its doors with 20 shares of organic produce. Camp Hill Farm is a biodynamic operation in Pomona, owned by John McDowell and Alexandra Spadea.  It now serves 50 shares of organic produce.
• Currently in process of CSA (Community Supported Agriculuture) installation at the former Cropsey Farm as a component of a large park solution in New City (collaboration with Rockland County and Town of Clarkstown)

Education:

• RFA is currently working with Rockland BOCES to install an educational, rehabilitation (special needs students) farm solution on school grounds.  Details forth coming.

Hospital/Rehabilitation:

• RFA is currently discussion next steps to implement a farming solution for a major Rockland Hospital for purposes of patient rehabilitation and as a food source for the hospital.