East Meadow Farm provides fresh produce to Long Islanders

The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau is dedicated to providing and teaching about local agriculture and how beneficial it is for Long Island residents. CCE Nassau, with its main office in Eisenhower Park, has a farm on Merrick Avenue when locals can go to buy fresh produce. CCE Nassau was established in 1914, and always had a farm stand. Since then they’ve branched out and gotten into other areas.
The farm sits on 2 1/2 acres of organic farm land and is open everyday. At the farm there are services for members and nonmembers of CCE Nassau. Visitors can have their soil tested by master gardeners and staff, help with plants and lawn car, indoor and outdoor insects, and growing fruits and veggies.
They offer community gardens at the East Meadow Farm that consist of beds that can be leased to families, individuals, schools and other groups. The beds can be used to grow produce for families, or as a learning experience for schools.
Demonstration gardens at the farm are maintained by master gardeners. Visitors can stop by and learn how to properly grow roses and dahlias, vegetables and herbs, and more. They can also learn how to properly compost, and take a look at the farms butterfly garden and mini arboretum.
To get children involved in agriculture, CCE Nassau runs a 4-H program, which is a worldwide youth development program. They have after school programs, camps and virtual programs. One of the activities that the 4-H kids are involved in is the 4-H Entrepreneur Farm Stand that is located at the East Meadow Farm. The entrepreneur program gives teens the opportunity to learn about agriculture, retail and advertising skills.

“We do offer field trips here, we offer community programs, where we go out to the libraries and schools, and we have a few different things we do with the schools,” Richard Castillo, the 4-H program manager, said. “We also have after school programs where people can come here and do various projects, whether it be STEM-based, whether it be nutrition-based, or garden-based.”
Their farm stand runs from July through October on Fridays from 4 to 7 p.m. The kids focus on selling the goods they help grow at the farm.
Typically the program sees between 15 and 30 kids signing up, according to Castillo. The program teaches life skills, and teaches them about to be self sufficient.
“As we enter a world where the future seems kind of uncertain, you can kind of ease their anxieties by putting the power back into their hands and letting them know they can do it,” Castillo said. “This just fuels the next generation and makes them feel like they’re apart of something.”