Over One Thousand Family Farm Festival Goers Enjoy Good Old Fashion Fun

Photo by Dan Simpson

Bedford Hills, NY – On Saturday, September 14th, 2019, Westchester Land Trust and Somers Land Trust co-hosted the second annual Farm Festival. The Family Farm Festival is a free and open to the public community celebration of the permanent protection of Stuart’s Fruit Farm, the oldest working farm in Westchester County. In April 2018, Westchester Land Trust completed a conservation agreement that ensures the permanent protection of this 172-acre property. Conservation funding partners included New York State, Westchester County, the Town of Somers, Scenic Hudson Land Trust and Somers Land Trust.

Photo by Cheryl Moss

Over one thousand community members from across the region enjoyed an afternoon full of with laughter and fun. Festival goers enjoyed children’s activities, old fashioned games, local brews, raffle prizes, hayrides and more. Great music, provided by local band The Station Agents, was a highlight of the event. Local food trucks Gyro Uno, King-Kone, Mac’s Food Truck and Road Grub were on hand serving a variety of delicious cuisine while samples of Betsy Stuart’s brown “Betsy” apple cobbler were a huge hit. Seasonal brews from Broken Bow Brewery, Nod Hill Brewery and Thompson’s Cider Mill were featured during the event.

“It’s wonderful to celebrate with neighbors and friends who believe in protecting our local farms,” says Lori Ensinger, Westchester Land Trust President. “We are committed to protecting our most precious natural resources like our local farmland, such as Stuart’s Fruit Farm, and love learning that so many in our community value and appreciate the work we are doing.”

Westchester Land Trust and Somers Land Trust thank the following business and organizations for their support: Angry Orchard, Arch Photography Co., Bionutrient Food Association, Broken Bow Brewery, City Carting & Recyclin, Clay Arts Center, Coffee Labs, DIG Farm, Greystone Bakery, GrowNYC/FARMroots, In2Green, Lil Beans Toy and Sport, Mona’s Coffeehouse, My Woodlot, Nod Hill Brewery, Peekskill Coffee House, Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI), Saw Mill River Audubon, Serendipity Magazine, Somer Litter Task Force, Somers Land Trust, Stuart’s Fruit Farm, The Rewilding School, Thompson’s Cider Mill, and UnWined Wine Bar & Kitchen.

Additional photos from the event can be found here or at https://flic.kr/s/aHsmH1whAE.

ABOUT WESTCHESTER LAND TRUST

Based in Bedford Hills, NY the Westchester Land Trust has worked for 30 years with public and private partners to preserve land in perpetuity, and protect and enhance the natural resources in Westchester and eastern Putnam counties—a densely populated region under persistent threat from the pressures of development. Through the use of conservation easements and outright land acquisition, WLT’s efforts benefit the long-term health of these communities by safeguarding critical watershed areas, air quality, food supply and natural habitats, as well as contributing to climate resiliency.  Since its founding in 1988, WLT has preserved nearly 8,400 acres of open space including 775 acres of preserves owned by the organization which are free and open to the public year-round.

For more information about WLT, please visit westchesterlandtrust.org and connect with us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/WLandTrust) and Instagram (@WestchesterLandTrust).