5
Aug
Building Community at Pitney Meadows Community Farm
- Category: Local
Founded in 2016, Pitney Meadows Community Farm is dedicated to celebrating and exploring agricultural education, healthy food production and recreation. Nestled on 166 acres in the heart of Saratoga Springs, this farm is preserved in perpetuity as a working farm and stands as a unique community resource.
Pitney Meadows offers numerous opportunities to engage with the land and the vibrant community. The Community Gardens feature over 100 beds available to individuals, families and organizations for growing their own produce, all supported by an on-site Community Gardens manager. In the 11-acre agricultural production area, Pick-Your-Own CSA members can pick their own vegetables, learn about sustainable farming and taste and cook with new varieties. There are many volunteer opportunities on the Community Farm, providing ample chances for community members to work alongside the Farm Crew, learn best practices firsthand and directly impact the success of the community farm. The farm store, open 24/7, showcases products from local farms alongside produce grown on-site. Additionally, an accessible trail system invites walkers, runner, bikers and leashed dogs to enjoy the farm’s scenic beauty.
The community engagement opportunities at Pitney Meadow, through the Explore to Learn, Try and Learn and Work to Learn experiences, rest on the fundamental belief that learning is most impactful when rooted in experiential exploration within the living classroom of the working farm and protected forest. These programs deliver ideas and activities that seamlessly transfer to individual and community lives, ensuring that the lessons learned within the living classroom resonate in meaningful ways beyond the farm and forest.
Pitney Meadow’s Food Sovereignty Program strengthens the community in various ways. Annually, approximately 100,000 servings of nutrient-dense produce are donated through a coordinated system of local hunger relief agencies. In partnership with the Saratoga Community Health Center through the NutritionRx program, uninsured and under-insured patients receive nutrient-dense produce and culinary education to improve their health. Through the Sovereign Gardens Initiative, local organizations are empowered to develop and maintain their own gardens by providing plant starts, compost and cultivation support throughout the growing season.
As Pitney Meadows continues to grow and develop new programs, the staff aims to foster a dynamic, inclusive and resilient community rooted in a shared commitment to the well-being of the environment and one another. Together, innovative ways are sought to sustain agricultural endeavors and sow the seeds of a more vibrant, compassionate and interconnected community.
The farm is open to the public and warmly welcomes visitors. Explore the event calendar on their website and become a part of their thriving community, striving towards strengthening the community and the local food system.
