Listen to this articleAn agreement with Suffolk County Parks will allow a Huntington farm school to expand its education programs.
The School at Kerber’s Farm signed a 20-year deal to lease and manage 20 acres of land across the street from its property at 309 West Pulaski Road. The land is part of the 312-acre Froehlich Farm Nature Preserve, which was acquired by Suffolk County in 1991.
The 20 acres will be used by the school in teaching students the importance of farming, sustainability and healthy eating practices. The school also aims to address food insecurity in marginalized communities and educate students about the carbon footprint of their food choices. Increased public access will also be made to the existing walking trails of Froehlich Farms through the West Pulaski Road site, according to a Kerber’s statement.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for our school, and I am grateful for the support of Legislator Stephanie Bontempi and County Executive Ed Romaine and Nick Gibbons from Suffolk County Parks,” Nick Voulgaris, founder of the farm school, said in the statement. We are excited to teach our community about farming and highlight the rich history of farming in Suffolk County.”
Voulgaris, who has a background in hospitality and preservation, purchased Kerber’s in 2013, when it was slated for redevelopment. He restored the property which now has beehives, vegetable gardens, hens, ducks, pigs, sheep and goats. During the COVID pandemic, Kerber’s opened the nonprofit farming education school at the Huntington property.
Besides working in the field, students at the school can go into its 32-seat interactive classroom and cook a meal with the produce the farm grows. The school hopes to run 10 to 15 classes per week for students of all ages, as well as a summer camp program.
“This farm is set up to teach students about farming,” County Executive Ed Romaine said in the statement. “This is a nod to our past and where we have come from and our agricultural heritage. Let’s support our farmers and keep our agricultural tradition going strong in Suffolk.”
In 2023, Kerber’s Farm opened a new café and shop in Manhattan. The 1,400-square-foot location at 264 Bleeker St. offers the farm’s homemade items including pies, scones, muffins, and its popular cheddar buttermilk biscuit egg sandwiches. In the café, the menu features coffee, sandwiches, pie pockets, mac-and-cheese pies, as well as garden vegetables and eggs from the Long Island farm.
