Nassau County Legislature Deputy Minority Leader Arnold W. Drucker (D-Plainview) recently sent a letter urging County Executive Bruce A. Blakeman to give the greater Plainview-Old Bethpage community and all Nassau County residents clarity about the future of the Restoration Farm at Old Bethpage Village.
Founded in 2007 by husband-and-wife team Daniel Holmes and Caroline Fanning on seven acres leased from the county, Restoration Farm has become a destination for educational tours and internships as well as a vehicle for the delivery of fresh produce to families its farm stand and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.
However, the farm’s 10-year contract with the county expired at the end of last year. While a three-month extension has been issued, the county has yet to issue a decision on a new contract based upon responses to a Request for Proposals (RFP) that were submitted on November 20, 2024. Holmes, Fanning and their team are preparing for the 2025 season, but have suspended purchasing as well as CSA and shopper share signups indefinitely.
“As Old Bethpage’s representative in the Legislature, I have been consistently impressed by [Restoration Farm’s] commitment to organic agriculture and passion for community education,” Drucker wrote in a letter dated February 14 abnd obtained by Long Island Life & Politics. “Their excellent track record makes it especially concerning that the Farm’s future appears to be in limbo at this moment. I implore the County to take all necessary steps to complete the RFP process without further delay so [they] can continue to operate as it has for nearly two decades – as a hub for organic agriculture and community education – during this and many future growing seasons.”