Farms

Protecting Farmland

Farms are facing increasing threats from development pressure, shifting climate patterns, and invasive species. Westchester Land Trust works with farm owners and municipal and community partners to permanently protect farmland and strengthen local food systems.

We help landowners find a conservation strategy that ensures long-term protection of their farm’s ecological and agricultural values while meeting the needs of a working farm.

Farmland Successes

Learn about the work we’re doing to protect Ryder Farm

Read about our role in protecting Stuart's Fruit Farm

Stuart's Fruit Farm stand
Youth volunteers helping out at WLT's Sugar Hill Farm

Sugar Hill Farm

Westchester Land Trust’s small-acre farm at our Sugar Hill Farm headquarters grows more than 8,000 servings of fresh, organic produce annually for our neighbors experiencing food insecurity. DIG Farm’s Allison Turcan works with hundreds of volunteers each year to grow, weed, harvest, and weigh food that is distributed through the Community Center of Northern Westchester (CCNW).

Volunteers are an essential part of the program’s success and make a tangible impact on hunger in our community. We offer ongoing volunteer opportunities from April through October—visit our volunteer page for details. We welcome all ages and abilities to learn about sustainable agriculture and connect with each other, the environment, and their food, through exploration at Sugar Hill Farm. Minors (under 17 years old) must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to volunteer at our Sugar Hill Farm garden.

Connecting Farmers to Agricultural Land

We believe that young and beginning farmers that do not have the resources to purchase agricultural land in Westchester should still have the opportunity to farm here.

Westchester Land Trust and 15 other regional partners are members of the Hudson Valley Farmlink Network (HVFN), coordinated by the American Farmland Trust. HVFN offers shared farmland linking services, training and networking events, and other resources for farmers and landowners.

If you’re looking to farm in Westchester (or any of the other 12 participating counties in New York) or a farm owner seeking a farmer, check out the Farmland Finder, a secure online matching database