This season marks a significant milestone for the Ecosystem Farm at Piscataway Park. For 20 years, through a land-based training program, the farm has been serving the community, providing farmer training, farmland protection and restoration, and local food in a way that advances sustainable land management, economic viability, and social equality among aspiring farmers.
Together, our farm staff have been faced with the challenge of farming on this land with marginal soil resulting from centuries of continuous crop production. Through research and regenerative farming practices, the Ecosystem Farm has been successfully producing organically grown food–and farmers!
In addition to growing food, the farm staff and apprentices attend field days and workshops to enhance their hands-on, in-the-field training. The mission of the apprenticeship program is to provide a well-rounded education to a new generation of farmers seeking to gain experience and training in the agricultural field. The food produced on the farm is primarily marketed through a Community Supported Agriculture or CSA program, which teaches just one of the various models used by farmers to create an economically viable farm operation. (For a great article about how communities are connected to and support farms through a CSA, read here.) General operating support for the Ecosystem Farm and apprenticeship program is funded by individuals, corporate donors, and grantors.
We welcome to the farm, Farmer Becky, who together with this season’s apprentices bring to the Ecosystem Farm aesthetic sensibilities, a passion for nature and for learning about how to produce healthy food to be shared by the community. We are truly fortunate to have such a creative crew of dedicated farmers, and are excited to share their insights and experiences on the farm throughout the season here on the blog.
Meet the 2012 Farm Crew…
and, of course, Farmer Becky!
