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The Latest News from the Peconic Land Trust
March 16, 2017
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Preserve Spotlight 
A Model of Community:
Quail Hill Preserve, Amagansett
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Quail Hill Farm picking day, August 2016 by Michael Halsband
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In its 28th season, Quail Hill Farm, under the direction of Scott Chaskey and Layton Guenther, is a model for Community Supported Agriculture across the country -- and around the globe. A stewardship project of the Peconic Land Trust for all these years, the farm is located on the Trust's Quail Hill Preserve, donated by Deborah Ann Light in 1990. The farm has nurtured hundreds of families and aspiring farmers! We have been fortunate to be a part of so many hopes and dreams and are looking forward to welcoming summer members in early June.
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Apprentices in the fields, August 2016
by Michael Halsband
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In his letter to interested shareholders for the 2017 season, Scott said:
"Recently a potential Apprentice, applying for the 2017 season, began her letter of intent with this, "Objective: to provide honest labor..." This seems like an admirable place to begin, and just the right kind of promise that a farmer may make to those who have chosen to support the farm.
"Years ago, attempting to define an ecological approach to agriculture, I entitled a chapter of This Common Ground: "To Provide Some Harmony." "Harmony and honest labor: good words to repeat (and provide) as we enter our 28 th season of community agriculture in Amagansett."
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Alec Baldwin with Scott and
the Apprentices summer 2016
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Want to hear more from Scott? Take a listen as Alec Baldwin talks with Scott about the farm, organic produce, and conservation on the podcast:
We couldn't agree more.
The Springs School Visits the Farm
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See How You Feel at Quail Hill Farm,
with 5th graders from the Springs School
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And as an added treat, the farm was honored to host 5th graders from the Springs School last fall as part of the See How You Feel project, a photography program to help young people inquire into the nature of seeing, stretch their point of view and discover the emotion of the creative experience. The program is funded by the Anna Mirabai Lytton Foundation -- started by longtime farm members Kate Rabinowitz and Rameshwar Das in memory of their daughter Anna.
The students' time at the farm is lovingly captured in this delightful short film. See it now!
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Conservation News
Amber Waves Farm is now the proud owner of the
Amagansett Farmers Market and Farmland
Farmland now includes enhanced easement, donated to the Trust, assuring food production on these fertile fields
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We are so pleased to congratulate Katie Baldwin and Amanda Merrow of Amber Waves Farm on their acquisition of the Amagansett Farmers Market and farmland.
Katie and Amanda acquired the property from conservationist Maggie de Cuevas, who worked closely with the Trust in her purchase of the market and farmland in 2008.
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photo by Mallory Samson
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With this new transfer, Maggie donated additional easement restrictions on the farmland that now protect its affordability and accessibility for food production. This is the first time these additional restrictions, pioneered by the Trust, have been applied in the Town of East Hampton.
We can't wait to see what's in store at the farm! Beginning in 2009, Katie and Amanda were cultivating the fields of the market under a lease managed by the Trust. Since that time, they have built a successful CSA farm, based on three pillars: community, education and the Amagansett Wheat Project, bringing an important crop back to East Hampton. Their excitement and enthusiasm is contagious and we wish our former Quail Hill Farm apprentices tremendous success! They are now in control of their destiny!
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Conservation
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Click the image to hear the farm speak!
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Please take a few minutes to hear from the Edwards farmland about the conservation effort underway in Orient, NY. Using its Revolving Fund, the Trust acquired the land in 2015 with a simultaneous sale of the development rights to the Town of Southold. We are currently raising funds to repay the Revolving Fund for the acquisition of the farmland, woodlands and wetlands as well as funds for repairing the wetlands tide gate to improve the water quality.
Just indicate the Edwards Farm Conservation Project in the special purpose field
or call us at 631.283.3195.
Interested in learning more about the tide gate restoration and remaining acquisition balance? Contact Tim Caufield or Holly Sanford at 631.283.3195. For additional information on this important conservation effort, please visit our website.
And stay tuned, on June 17, we will be hosting a walk with North Fork Audubon member Rick Kedenburg along the woodlands and wetlands to look for
breeding birds of the North Fork.
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Farms for the Future
Visit to Gabrielsen Farm Shines Spotlight on
How Greenhouses are Extending the Season
and Growing Opportunities for Local Farms
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 In January, members of the Trust's board and staff accepted an invitation to meet Carl Gabrielsen of Gabrielsen Farms in Aquebogue, to get a behind-the-scenes look at how their expansion into hydroponics extended their seasonal floriculture business into a successful year-round operation that also produces food.
Hydroponics is the practice of growing plants in a nutrient-rich water solution without the need for soil. At Gabrielsen's greenhouses, seeds planted in a one inch square of sterile material similar to peat moss are kept hydrated by oxygenated water that flows through the plant  trays. Temperature, humidity, and lighting are all controlled by a computer system which supports the seedlings growth until they are harvested and shipped to Long Island grocery stores and several local restaurants. We found a variety of greens like bok choy and mizuna, butter and Bibb lettuces and arugula, as well as herbs such as parsley, rosemary, basil, cilantro, and sage.
The business invested in up-to-the-minute technology that allows it to operate as a "green" facility, contributing to their success. This includes solar panels to manage their energy needs, a high-tech computer system that coordinates all ventilation, hydration, heating and cooling needs, and a recycling system that effectively uses one gallon of water in the greenhouses in comparison to the 40-50 gallons of water that a traditional grower would use in the field. Additionally, the greenhouses are heated by a high-efficiency natural gas system, and their team of staff manage any pest issues that may arise both with beneficial insects like ladybugs, as well as through  Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices that provide for the selective applications of pest control to affected plants.
The investment has paid off. The changeover to hydroponics allows Gabrielsen Farms to produce literally thousands of lettuce and herb plants that are brought to market on Long Island when most greenhouse operations are closed up for the winter. Now their business is a year-round operation, not only keeping their valued employees working, but just as importantly, providing fresh and delicious, locally grown greens year-round to Long Island's consumers. It's a win-win.
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Join In
There are so Many Ways You are Making an Impact!
Please Join Us for our Annual Volunteer Orientation
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Saturday, March 18:
10:00 am to Noon
Annual Volunteer Orientation and Training
Interested in giving some time to support
the conservation work of the Trust?
Join us and learn how you can get involved at this orientation program!
- North Fork: North Fork Stewardship Center, 22600 Main Road, Cutchogue
- South Fork: Bridge Gardens, 36 Mitchell Lane, Bridgehampton
Call Kathy at 631.283.3915, ext 29 to reserve your seat.
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School Connections
The Child's Garden featured on Go North Fork
The East End Farm to School Program is Looking to Hire
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The Child's Garden at the Ag Center
 The Child's Garden, a pre-school program under the direction of Maureen Radigan, and a neighbor of the Trust's Agricultural Center in Southold, was featured in a recent issue of
Maureen talks about the school's mission to "connect children with nature, gardening and to foster a reverence for and stewardship of the land." Maureen and her students are active visitors to the Ag Center and even garden their own plot at the center's "Community Garden." We love having the students at the gardens -- they bring a wonderful energy and curiosity. We look forward to seeing them growing this season!
East End Farm to School Project
 Our friends at the East End Farm to School Project -- with programs in Southampton, Bridgehampton and Tuckahoe School Districts -- are seeking applicants for a Farm to School Coordinator who will work closely with food service directors, farmers, and other partners to increase the amount of local produce procured by school food service providers -- for integration into the school meal program -- and to educate students about healthy eating practices. Interested? Click here for the Job Description and Application Process. Applications are due by April 6, 2017 and should be emailed to F2SCoordinator@gmail.com.
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Join In
Quail Hill Farm Summer Shares
Agricultural Center Community Gardens
Bridge Gardens Opens on April 1
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Quail Hill Farm
Deep Lane, Amagansett
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photo by Michael Halsband
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2017 will be the 28th season at Quail Hill Farm. Join us as a member of one of the oldest Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in the country. Pick weekly from both the fields and farmstand. With over 30 acres in cultivation, the variety of vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers will delight you. The summer season runs from early June to the end of October. Individual, Family and Box shares are available.
Community Gardens at Agricultural Center at Charnews Farm
3005 Youngs Avenue, Southold
 What began as a few small plots and a handful of gardeners has grown to a large community of people growing and sharing together at the Ag Center. Under the direction of Denise Markut, the Ag Center Community Gardens offer a variety of sizes -- there's one available just right for you! Orientation for the Ag Center Community Gardens will be on Saturday, April 29 at 10:00 am. Bridge Gardens opens for the 2017 Season on April 1
Join Today!
A unique public garden in the heart of Bridgehampton,
Bridge Gardens is a wonderful place to spend an hour or the afternoon.
And, the daffodils and the tulips will be blooming soon!
The gardens can offer both respite as well as inspiration. Garden Manager Rick Bogusch has designed the gardens plantings to be sustainable and local -- ideas you can bring home to your garden.
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photo Andrea Pickerell
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Friday through Sunday, March 24 to 26
Long Island Natural History Conference
Berkner Auditorium at Brookhaven National Lab, Upton, NY
We are pleased to once again be a co-sponsor of the largest regional forum on Long Island's natural environment. This year's presentations offer a wide variety of topics on natural sciences, from the global impacts on horseshoe crabs, why we are seeing more whales and sharks near Long Island, to the science behind vernal ponds, what is impacting our salt marshes, and Plum Island.
 Saturday, March 25: 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Spring Pruning with Jackson Dodds
Bridge Gardens, 36 Mitchell Lane, Bridgehampton
Meet Jackson Dodds, a certified ISA Arborist and President of the L.I. Arboricultural Association, who will take you through the basic steps of spring pruning for your deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. Workshop includes a guided walk with Garden Manager Rick Bogusch to show the practical application of pruning throughout the garden. Bring your questions!
$10/person, free to Bridge Gardens and Horticultural Alliance of the Hamptons members. Rain cancels.
 Thursday, March 30: 5:30 to 7:00 pm Is the South Fork A Pristine Paradise Lost? A Conversation Hosted by EAST Magazine and the East Hampton Star
Mandala Yoga Center, 10 Amagansett Square Drive, Amagansett
Scott Chaskey, Quail Hill Farm's farmer/poet will join local environmental leaders to discuss the environmental health and eco-mindedness of the East End. Moderated by David Rattray, the panel also includes Scott Bluedorn, Bill Chaleff, Brendan Davison, Bob DeLuca and Linda James. For more information, contact Biddle Duke at 802.973.0410 or biddleduke@ehstar.com.
Special Note: Our Birdhouse Building workshop at
Quail Hill Farm has been
rescheduled to Saturday, April 15.
To register call 631.283.3195 ext. 19.
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Peconic Land Trust conserves Long Island's working farms, natural lands and heritage for our communities now and in the future.
Financial Disclosure Statement: A copy of the last financial report filed with the New York State Attorney General may be obtained in writing to: New York State Attorney General's Charities Bureau, Attn.: FOIL Officer, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271 or Peconic Land Trust, PO Box 1776, Southampton, NY 11969. Please help us further reduce our carbon footprint. If you change your address, or would like to receive all (or some) of your communications from the Peconic Land Trust by email, let us know! Contact Janet Schutt, Donor Services Manager, at 631.283.3195 ext. 24 or email her at JSchutt@PeconicLandTrust.org.
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