To preserve acreage 'in perpetuity,' Riverhead family sells land development rights for Garden of Eve Organic Farm to Suffolk
Eve and Chris Kaplan-Walbrecht, owners of Garden of Eve Farm in Riverhead, stand in a plot of sowed garlic on the Sound Avenue property on Tuesday. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
A Riverhead family has sold the development rights for part of their property to Suffolk County in an effort to preserve more than 66 acres of farmland along the scenic Sound Avenue corridor from the looming threat of development.
Since 2001, Chris and Eve Kaplan-Walbrecht have owned and farmed at the idyllic 135-acre Garden of Eve property, growing over 350,000 pounds of vegetables every year and drawing more than 25,000 people to their farmstand annually.
“We really believe in the future of working farms in Riverhead and on Long Island, and we’d be really heartbroken to see the farm turn into a housing development,” Eve Kaplan-Walbrecht told Newsday on Wednesday.
The married couple said interested buyers have approached them throughout the years looking to buy the property for development, but they rejected all offers.
Part of the reason, Chris Kaplan-Walbrecht explained, is that they believe it is important for them to protect the land’s rich soil for farming uses.
“When you farm organically, your whole mission is to improve the farmland and build organic matter,” he said. “It’s a lot of work to do that, a lot of farming practices like putting down compost, not working the soil aggressively…you don’t want to see it wiped off where the top soil is bulldozed off. We have a different philosophy of what soil means to us."
The couple eventually decided they wanted to try and preserve the property and reached out to county officials in 2020.
Suffolk Legis. Al Krupski (D-Cutchogue) helped facilitate a deal.
“We’ve been trying to preserve the big farm belt in Riverhead along Sound Avenue as much as possible. It’s good, productive agricultural land and any time a land owner shows interest in preservation, we’re always happy to entertain that,” Krupski told Newsday.
The Suffolk County Legislature on Dec. 6 voted 7-0 to acquire the farmland development rights for 66 acres of the property in a $4.6 million deal.
The land's development rights will be acquired through the county’s Purchase of Development Rights Program, which preserves agricultural soils and farmland properties within Suffolk County for farming use.
The deal means the Kaplan-Walbrecht family still owns the land, but the property’s use now is permanently restricted to agricultural production only, preventing any future development on it should they ever sell it.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone welcomed the acquisition.
“One of the many things that makes Suffolk County incredible is our unparalleled farmland,” Bellone said in a statement. "Suffolk was a pioneer when it came to preserving farmland, and the addition of the Garden of Eve farm to our nationally recognized program is a major accomplishment to ensuring the future of farming."
For Eve Kaplan-Walbrecht, her family is happy knowing the future of the longtime Sound Avenue farming property is secured forever.
“This means that whatever happens to us in the future," Eve Kaplan-Walbrecht said, "that someone will be farming here hopefully in perpetuity.”
A Riverhead family has sold the development rights for part of their property to Suffolk County in an effort to preserve more than 66 acres of farmland along the scenic Sound Avenue corridor from the looming threat of development.
Since 2001, Chris and Eve Kaplan-Walbrecht have owned and farmed at the idyllic 135-acre Garden of Eve property, growing over 350,000 pounds of vegetables every year and drawing more than 25,000 people to their farmstand annually.
“We really believe in the future of working farms in Riverhead and on Long Island, and we’d be really heartbroken to see the farm turn into a housing development,” Eve Kaplan-Walbrecht told Newsday on Wednesday.
The married couple said interested buyers have approached them throughout the years looking to buy the property for development, but they rejected all offers.
Part of the reason, Chris Kaplan-Walbrecht explained, is that they believe it is important for them to protect the land’s rich soil for farming uses.
“When you farm organically, your whole mission is to improve the farmland and build organic matter,” he said. “It’s a lot of work to do that, a lot of farming practices like putting down compost, not working the soil aggressively…you don’t want to see it wiped off where the top soil is bulldozed off. We have a different philosophy of what soil means to us."
The couple eventually decided they wanted to try and preserve the property and reached out to county officials in 2020.
Suffolk Legis. Al Krupski (D-Cutchogue) helped facilitate a deal.
“We’ve been trying to preserve the big farm belt in Riverhead along Sound Avenue as much as possible. It’s good, productive agricultural land and any time a land owner shows interest in preservation, we’re always happy to entertain that,” Krupski told Newsday.
The Suffolk County Legislature on Dec. 6 voted 7-0 to acquire the farmland development rights for 66 acres of the property in a $4.6 million deal.
The land's development rights will be acquired through the county’s Purchase of Development Rights Program, which preserves agricultural soils and farmland properties within Suffolk County for farming use.
The deal means the Kaplan-Walbrecht family still owns the land, but the property’s use now is permanently restricted to agricultural production only, preventing any future development on it should they ever sell it.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone welcomed the acquisition.
“One of the many things that makes Suffolk County incredible is our unparalleled farmland,” Bellone said in a statement. "Suffolk was a pioneer when it came to preserving farmland, and the addition of the Garden of Eve farm to our nationally recognized program is a major accomplishment to ensuring the future of farming."
For Eve Kaplan-Walbrecht, her family is happy knowing the future of the longtime Sound Avenue farming property is secured forever.
“This means that whatever happens to us in the future," Eve Kaplan-Walbrecht said, "that someone will be farming here hopefully in perpetuity.”
A look at Suffolk farmland preservation efforts
- In 1977, Suffolk County created its farmland preservation program, the first in the nation. To date, the county has spent $270 million preserving over 10,877 acres countywide.
- The county in recent years has made efforts to preserve farmland along Sound Avenue in Riverhead for agricultural uses only.
- In January 2021, Suffolk County purchased development rights for two Sound Avenue parcels. One parcel is 46 acres of farmland. The second consists of 20 acres of farmland and about 73 acres of open space and habitat.
- In May 2021, Suffolk bought the development rights to another 11.16 acres of Sound Avenue farmland.
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