Brentwood community farm expands
A newly expanded community farm — where volunteers plan to grow garlic, beans, cabbage, tomatoes and squash for donation — is slated to be unveiled Friday morning in Brentwood.
The FREE Community Farm at St. Joseph is a collaboration between Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, an Old Bethpage not-for-profit that provides services for the disabled, and the Sisters of St. Joseph, who are based in Brentwood and donated an acre of land for the farm.
Anita Dowd-Neufeld, divisional director of FREE, said the farm is a “perfect alignment of missions.” She said the Sisters of St. Joseph seek to address the needs of the underserved just as her group does.
The ribbon-cutting is set for 10:30 a.m. Friday, which is also Arbor Day.
The farm will be tended every day by FREE members, “people of different abilities,” Dowd-Neufeld said.
Islip Supervisor Tom Croci said he plans to attend the Brentwood event and said of the project’s farming aspect, “It’s got a real old world Long Island feel to it.”
The grand opening coincides with the town’s creation on Tuesday of an Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator position, he said.
Croci said he hopes to the fill full-time, paid position within a couple of months and called it long overdue. The ADA coordinator will serve as a liaison among the town departments and advise officials on accessibility and other issues, he said.
“Certainly, residents who have special needs or are disabled will appreciate now having somebody in town hall to ensure that ... we’re always remembering our Americans with Disabilities Act and that this is a town for all of our residents,” Croci said.
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