Destiny Mirabel was working in one of the greenhouses when I walked up to the Columbia Street farm one afternoon in late May. I had imagined the farm’s Distribution Manager clad in overalls, perhaps wearing a pair of knee high rubber boots and wiping a moist brow on their shirt sleeve as they walked up to introduce themselves. Instead, I was met by a petite young woman with a long, silver-purple ponytail, her fingers adorned with long sparkly nails, and her sweatpants and basketball sneakers rounding out her manicured, yet comfortable look. Red Hook Farms is not your grandparents’ farm.
In a society where younger generations are willing to spend considerable sums on indoor plants and succulents, but cannot distinguish onion flowers from garlic blossoms, Destiny’s experience is singular. She began working at the farm in 2017 through Red Hook Initiative’s Summer Youth Employment program. The farm was not necessarily her ideal choice when being placed in the Summer Youth Employment program, but, after being placed there, she slowly grew to understand its importance: “At first, I honestly did not like it. I feel like everyone’s first summer is really brutal. It’s very hot, just sweaty. And if you’re not used to the physical labor, it’s a lot of hard work.” However, after growing vegetables herself and seeing others enjoy them, she came to recognize the impact of her hard work. She has been at the farm ever since.
Red Hook Farms provides a community-supported agriculture program (often abbreviated as “CSA”), as well as a weekly distribution for members of the community. Today, young people (aged 14-19) are no longer assigned, but instead apply directly to work at the farm through the Youth Farmer Program. Each year about 22 apprentices work for about 3 days a week, earning a salary as they learn the skills of a full-time employee and providing them with valuable job experience. The program is just one of several at the Red Hook Initiative, a community-based nonprofit in Red Hook that focuses on empowering youth, building community, and investing in residents.
In 2022, Red Hook Farms produced 19,760 pounds of produce between its two farm sites. This was fueled by its committed staff and 2,352 hours of volunteer work. The nonprofit works out of two farms: Columbia Street Farm (2.75 acres) is owned by the Parks Department, while the Wolcott Street Farm (1.1 acres) is on the site of the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) Red Hook Houses. Locals can buy produce at the RHI’s farm stand (open Saturdays from 10am to 2pm), or by committing to the CSA program, where members receive a box of 6 to 10 lbs of seasonal produce weekly from June through November. Members can also opt to add fruit (provided by the city’s GrowNYC program), eggs (from the Hudson Valley), or cheese (from New York State farms via Saxelby Cheesemongers) to their CSA subscription.
Beyond providing fresh local produce for the community, Red Hook Farms ensures that everyone can afford its produce. Pricing for the CSA program is on a sliding scale based on household income, with four different price levels, and with the additional option for NYCHA residents to pay in weekly installments. For NYCHA residents who are unable to afford the CSA program altogether, RHI also offers a unique program in which residents can volunteer time on the farm or provide their food scraps in return for vegetables.
As NYC Parks Dept. property, the Columbia Street Farm is open to the public whenever staff are working. Beyond using it to grow produce, Red Hook Farms runs Farm-Based Learning programs that allow children and youth of all ages to learn about farming. Plump chickens rest in a coop, a “bee buzz area” includes two hives and various plants for pollinating, and small informational signs dot the farm, naming plants and describing their benefits: the farm is filled with opportunities to teach visitors about a range of topics. Beyond being a place to volunteer, purchase produce, or provide food scraps to be composted, Destiny emphasized that the farm is a community center meant to be enjoyed by everyone: “Just feel free to stop by! We want more people from the community to stop by and come through… It’s a space where they can come and feel free to hang out, sit down, and take in the environment.”
As I walked home from the farm, a black plastic bag blew high in the air, slowly making its way towards the waterfront. Just a block from the farm, car after car of Amazon workers were parked, ready to deliver packages at a moment’s notice. While many are conditioned to receive packages or groceries at the click of a button, wrapped in plastic and shipped from around the world, Red Hook Farms stands as a unique opportunity to pause and return to a more natural environment, even in the city. The farm is a reminder of how hard work and community can change lives, teaching visitors and volunteers essential skills, and providing residents with healthy, real food.
