Stony Brook University’s FoodLab, a farm-to-classroom training ground in Southampton, will open a new 10,000 square foot community garden this spring in partnership with Stony Brook Medicine and the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center.
The new garden will be funded by two sources: a $2,400 presidential mini-grant and a $50,000 grant from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Urban Farms and Community Gardens.
The garden is intended to be open to the public for most of the year and will serve as a place for socializing and relaxation. It will also serve as a venue for hosting events and a space for people to cultivate their own crops.
“If you've ever been in the garden, it's really calming,” said FoodLab executive director Judiann Carmack-Fayyaz.
“It's sort of not a scientifically proven fact, but I've seen it over and over again that working on a farm or a garden can really relieve a lot of these stress-related issues or sort of mental conditions… Just working in nature, being observant, really contributes to wellness,” she said.
Visitors who grow their own crops will mainly do it as part of the Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, program. The crops will be donated to families in need or people with health issues.
The grants will primarily cover the cost of a fence to secure the perimeter, a reach-in refrigerator, and a handheld tractor.
“I'm realizing that [in Southampton], there's no place on campus to buy fresh produce. There's like practically no place that you could walk to to get fresh vegetables or food. So there was a need on campus and a community garden would be great for that purpose,” Carmack-Fayyaz said.
