Project Update—Field Swap

March 13, 2023

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In February, leadership at the Old Bethpage Village Restoration asked if we could exclude Pond Field (aka the Berry Field) from the project, due to concern that the pastoral view of their southern crossroads would be ruined. In a meeting with Nassau County officials, we agreed to trade Pond Field for a similar-sized parcel directly to the south. This swap consolidates our fields away from the OBVR historical buildings, so that fencing, tractors, and other modern operations are less of an intrusion on the park’s 19th century theme. The swap also it shortens the length of fence by 600’, reducing the overall cost by $7,000.

But the swap also presents some challenges and costs. For one, we have 400 feet of healthy blackberry plants in Old Pond Field, and we can’t take them with us. Work has begun on preparing a new blackberry site, and new plants have been ordered, but it’ll be another 2-3 years before these plants come into production. And in addition to new plants, we’ll also need new locust posts, as blackberries require permanent trellising. Between the plants and the posts, we’re looking at a price tag of $2,000–$3,000 in materials alone.

Second, it’s too late for us to completely abandon our 2023 plans for Old Pond Field—garlic, winter squash, and, of course, blackberries. The county has agreed to let us harvest the garlic we planted last fall, and CSA members can pick blackberries for one more season, but we are not permitted to plant anything new. This leaves us in the lurch with regards to spaghetti, delicata, and kabocha squash, which we’d planned on planting in that field. Since we’re already operating at full capacity, we don’t have an empty field we can just switch these squash over to. We haven’t figured a solution this conundrum yet, but it’s on the to-do list.

Finally, New Pond Field won’t be ready for cash crops for another 1-2 years. Currently a cow pasture covered in thick sod and multi-flora rose, the field will require months of tractor work—and a lot of diesel fuel—before we can get a preliminary cover crop seeded. All of which takes time, money, and extra wear and tear on the tractors.

But despite these challenges, we still believe the field swap is for the greater good. For the past sixteen years, we’ve stayed on good terms with our OBVR neighbors by minding our own business and by minimizing our impact on the landscape. We knew this project would be a hard pill to swallow, so if swapping fields makes the pill go down easier, so be it.