Grossmann's gets a new name

Grossmann’s Farm, the sole remaining farm in southwestern Nassau County that many have come to know throughout the last century, has been rechristened Crossroads Farm at Grossmann’s.

The name change came about after the Grossmann family, which owned and farmed the property from the late 1880s until its sale to the county in January 2010, requested it, according to the Nassau Land Trust, which assumed management of the farm earlier this year.

“The Grossmann family was quite clear that since they no longer own the farm, they don’t want it to be named just Grossmann’s,” said NLT Chairman Lloyd Zuckerberg, “but they are pleased that the new name connects to its past.”

It took several tries, but finally members of the NLT’s Grossmann’s Farm subcommittee settled managed to settle on “Crossroads” as the new name, according to Malverne resident and subcommittee member Andrea Paniritis. “The [subcommittee] met and bounced around literally two dozen different names,” she said. “Many of the [members] … felt quite passionate about their own suggestions, but in the end we all agreed that this name best represents our objectives for this important regional treasure.”

The name represents the past, present and future of the farm, according to Pennie Schwartz, also a Malverne resident and subcommittee member. “We really had an open discussion of what the farm meant, where the farm was going and we all decided ‘Crossroads’ was so appropriate,” Schwartz told the Herald.

Physically, she noted, the farm sits at the intersection of Hempstead and Ocean Avenues, and geographically, it is near the border of New York City and Nassau County. Emotionally and spiritually, she added, it is at a crossroads in its growth.

Grossmann’s farmer Bill Walsh, who has introduced organic practices to the farm operation, agreed with that assessment, and said that taking on the responsibility of once again making the farm a valued community resource was a career decision that put him at a crossroads.

“I really feel that renaming the farm Crossroads Farm at Grossmann’s sends a powerful message to the community that because of the efforts of so many people, this piece of land sits at the threshold of a new beginning,” Walsh said, “one that honors its past but looks clearly into the future.”

Not all Malvernites agreed with the name choice. Malverne historian Robert Powers was concerned that people outside the community would fail to realize that Crossroads Farm is actually the former Grossmann’s. “I think they’ll be a bit confused,” Powers said. “I had hoped that they would have called it Malverne Farm — this way everyone would know. I just feel there’s no connection with the village. … I think Malverne Farm would have been a tribute to Malverne. Crossroads means nothing to us.”

Powers also expressed dismay at what he considers NLT’s failure to seize an opportunity to involve the Malverne community in farm-related decisions. “It would have been great to say, ‘What do you think the name should be? Let’s have a contest,’” he said. “We’ve asked if we can have input on stuff, and I don’t know if there was any input from the residents, but it would have been nice to have input.”

The community is always welcome to participate in farm-related activities, Schwartz said, but this situation did not call for community input. “Quite honestly, if I was running a business, I don’t think I would make a contest about what my business should be named,” she said. “I think the people who were at the heart and the soul of the [subcommittee] went to great lengths and took a lot of time to come up with a name that we really felt suited the farm and the project. And it was near and dear to our hearts, working on it for so long.”

Additionally, Schwartz said, NLT is always looking for volunteers and encourages people — both in and outside Malverne — to get involved. “You want to farm? You want to be back-end? You want to build? You want to help with fundraising? We have it out there in any and every way to invite people in the community to come on board and help in any way that they can,” she said. “All we have really is a farmer. You want to come out and help him in any way? Feel free.”

The farm is open from 1 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays. For more information about the farm, visit nassaulandtrust.org.

No matter what it’s named, the farm will always symbolize Malverne, according to Powers. “We’ll always call it Grossmann’s. ‘I’ll meet you at Grossmann’s,’ ‘Are you going to Grossmann’s?’ It will always be called Grossmann’s,” he said.