Kerber's Farm school in Huntington gets go ahead to expand 

A Huntington farm will have more room to teach students about Long Island’s rich agricultural history thanks to a preliminary agreement with Suffolk County.

Kerber’s Farm, a working farm and school on Pulaski Road with an onsite store, can use part of the adjacent Suffolk County-owned Froehlich Farm Nature Preserve to harvest vegetables and flowers, maintain pollinator pathways and expand on programs that teach students about the history of farming on Long Island, according to county documents. 

The Suffolk County Legislature voted in December to approve the deal, allowing its parks department to enter into a 20-year license agreement with the school at Kerber’s Farm for the non-exclusive use and management of 20 acres of Froehlich preserve. In June the county voted to amend the resolution to include two more parcels that were inadvertently left off the original resolution approving permission to enter into an agreement with farm owner Nick Voulgaris.

Legis. Stephanie Bontempi (R-Centerport), sponsor of the resolutions, said the county always looks to partner with well-established and successful organizations to maintain its properties, and Kerber's Farm, one of the last working farms in the Huntington area, fit the bill.

"The county relies on the public to offer programming in its county parks, as it does not do so," she said. "It's a win-win partnership." 

Voulgaris will be responsible for clearing and preparing the land for planting, installing an irrigation system, and putting up fencing. All of the crops grown will be donated to local food pantries, Bontempi said.

Voulgaris operates a not-for-profit school from his business that offers agricultural educational programs and hands-on experiences. The school teaches the importance of a sustainable ecosystem, organic farming practices and farm-to-table operations.

He declined to comment on the preliminary agreement.

According to a Suffolk County resolution, Voulgaris expressed a willingness to use and manage a portion of Froehlich Preserve because space on his farm is limited. 

Kerber’s Farm, known for its pies, doughnuts and other treats, is located at 309 W. Pulaski Rd. Froehlich Farm Nature Preserve is across the street.

Froehlich Farm is a 312-acre site acquired by the county in 1991, according to county documents. The county's Nature Preserve Handbook gives guidance to permitted uses of properties that are part of the County Nature Preserve inventory. Among the allowable activities is providing "settings conducive to the development and implementation of environmental and natural history related educational programs.”

The soil found on Froehlich Farm is classified as prime for agriculture on Long Island by the United States Department of Agriculture, Bontempi said, making farming an "acceptable use." 

Bontempi said a formal contract on the terms of an agreement between the county and Kerber's has not yet been signed and could take up to eight months. She said once an agreement is signed there will be a pilot program using 5 acres of the preserve. She said eventually a crosswalk will have to be installed on Pulaski Road between the two sites, at Suffolk's expense because it's a county road.

Richard Eisenberg, a professor of law at Touro Law School in Central Islip, said public-private partnerships are a benefit if done right.

"It's an opportunity for the local, county or state level government to accomplish more with less," he said. "If there's a partner out there that's available or interested it can be a a very positive experience."  

Bontempi cited Cornell Cooperative Extension's management of a shellfish hatchery and camp, and The Warrior Ranch in Calverton as programs run on county property that provide public programs.

In 2021, the Kerber’s Farm school began offering classes to students using the farm’s vegetable gardens and assorted livestock, including hens, ducks, pigs, goats and more than a dozen beehives. The farm dates to 1941.

“As a former teacher, this partnership is exciting because it’s extending educational opportunities,” Bontempi said. “There’s nothing better than hands-on experiences to learn about things.”

Vicki Fleming, 4-H Youth Development Program Director and Farm Administrator for Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, said farm schools help children make connections to the origins of the food they eat, which can lead to better choices as they grow up.

"Then there's the whole other side of having children outside and experiencing nature," she said.