Instagram story viewer> @chesteragcenter> Posts

Chester Agricultural Center

@chesteragcenter

1.8K

followers

1938

following

We support aspiring and beginning farmers to access affordable land leases in Chester's "Black Dirt."

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

This past weekend we gathered our community to harvest Mlokhia. Mlokhia is a traditional Palestinian crop rich in flavor and even richer in history.

Thank you for having us @chesteragcenter & @saboonmaazeh!

Missed it? We’re planning another one soon! 🌿
Visit our website for more of our summer trips and events by @chesteragcenter

115

5

a year ago

Hot summer day photo dump 'cause we're too tired and sticky to think clearly. What a summer, what a year, what a bomb in Siria 😫

Kale pick up with Delroy, farm work day at Trinity Farm and the @blackfarmerfund, BQE out of Chester with the rad compas from @choycommons @rocksteadyfarm @starroutefarm and @yarafarm.ny, harvesting with @huerta7402, collecting pest insects with @grandpafarm, and fava beans with @saboonmaazeh 🥹🤩❤️ which remind me of my homeland, Ecuador.

Maria here as the human behind this account, sharing snippets of this amazing place here in Chester with so many great things happening on the daily. And the humans here are the best people you'll meet and work with.

I forgot, garlic scapes from @liberationfarmnys and sorrel from @theblackyardfarm for BQE.

You can kill the flowers, but you can't hold the spring. taken in Chester Agricultural Center by @chesteragcenter

3

1

a year ago

A few weeks back, we had the opportunity to welcome Chester’s Academy Ecology class on a visit to Rise & Root Farm as part of a student- driven community-centered initiative to connect young people and the public to local farms. We are elated to highlight student and teacher leadership in building local community connections at a time when the current administration is slashing federal funding for public schools, particularly funds that would be allocated to professional development for teachers and enrichment opportunities for students. To that we say, SHAME!

Rise & Root Farm’s hosts, Michaela and Karen, took the kids on a farm tour making a pit stop at the compost pile, where students had the opportunity to dig their hands in the freshly made natural fertilizer. Some took a whiff, others inspected for tiny life. “We can’t keep taking (from the earth)”, shared Karen, “we’ve done a lot of damage. We need to give back.” taken in Rise & Root Farm by @chesteragcenter

3

1

a year ago

On part II of our collaboration with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Urban Ag and the NYC Department of Education’s Office of Food and Nutrition Services (OFNS), we welcomed another group of students from the High School of Environmental Studies on a visit to the CAC on May 23rd. This visit was possible through federal and state Farm-to-School program funds, allocated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and NYS Department of Ag and Markets (NYSDAM) to reimagine agricultural education programming, increasing local food procurement of socially disadvantaged farmers and producers, and establishing learning gardens at public school sites across the city. “Some of my students thought we had to travel far to be on the land and connect with farmers, not knowing that we would be able to witness farming at the Chester Agricultural Center just within an hour’s travel time from NYC”, shared Ms. Ahmadi, the students’ Food Studies Class Teacher. She added, “to be aware of how the produce farmed here is feeding so many of us here and in the city is so important so students can make those big picture connections.” Farm to school funding is currently in danger due to the termination of several USDA programs and potential cuts to other school meal programs. The cancellation of these programs is estimated to impact over 12 million students, particularly those who may not have access to fresh foods outside of school. Speak out against farm to school funding cancellations! Contact legislators, sign online petitions, share personal stories about the impact of funding cuts, and encourage others to speak up. #makegoodtrouble taken in Chester Agricultural Center by @chesteragcenter

3

0

a year ago

Sorry if you were hoping to get in on our community garden this year. We have leased all our plots! "With a lick and a prayer", this small patch of land will feed thirty+ families and continue being a place for refuge, learning and community building 🌱 This year, we are excited to host @greystoneprgrms who are using the garden as a learning lab. Lots of experimentations take place here - with folks who may have zero experience growing food plants, and others who have not only worked with food plants but have kept bees, worked on the fields as farmworkers, and/or are long-time gardeners honing their skills on food preservation or just growing food to reconnect with their cultural culinary traditions. For more information on accessing a plot next year, please visit our website linked in our bio ✨ taken in Chester Agricultural Center by @chesteragcenter

3

0

a year ago

We’ve heard from our neighbors – is the store going to be open this year? Sadly, no, BUT for the first time, a handful of @chesteragcenter farmers will be bringing super fresh vegetables, flowers, and traditional soaps to @meadowbluescoffee every weekend, starting May 15!

Check out @choydivision, @littlegemfarm, and @flowermoonfarm for specifics on how it will work!

Our storefront is now home to @saboonmaazeh! Follow Joy for news on soap-making magic with black dirt grown herbs and flowers!

#inshallah #gratitud taken in Chester Agricultural Center by @chesteragcenter

3

2

a year ago

We are so ready for another season of veggies and flowers at the E.J. Szulwach Community Garden! Woot, woot for this amazing group of folks growing food on the Black Dirt! We have leased all our plots, installed a new irrigation system and will soon unveil a new garden sign.

Community gardens are spaces to share knowledge about plants and food, build community, reconnect with the land, and often times they serve as launchpad for larger agricultural dreams. We can’t wait to hear about the stories that the garden and its stewards will help us share over the season.

🌱🌶🌻🌱🌶🌻🌱🌶🌻

Estamos listos para otra temporada de verduras, vegetales y flores en el jardín comunitario E.J. Szulwach! Woot, woot por este grupo fantástico de personas comprometidas con crecer sus propios alimentos en la Tierra Negra! Hemos rentado todas las parcelas, instalado un nuevo sistema de irrigación y pronto estrenaremos un nuevo letrero.

Los jardines comunitarios son espacios para compartir conocimientos sobre plantas, alimentos, conectarse con los vecinos, reconectar con la tierra, y a menudo sirven como plataforma para emprender sueños agrícolas más grandes y complejos. Estamos emocionados por escuchar las historias diversas que el jardín nos ayudara a compartir con ustedes. taken in Chester Agricultural Center by @chesteragcenter

3

0

a year ago

We still have plots available in our community garden! The plots are 10 x 10 ft in size. Learn to grow food for your family or community and connect with gardeners in Chester and surrounding neighborhoods. Go to our linktr.ee in our bio to reserve your plot today!

Todavía tenemos lotecitos en el jardin comunitario! Miden 10 pies de ancho x 10 pies de largo. Aprenda a cultivar su propia comida para su familia o comunidad, y conectese con los vecinos jardineros de Chester y vecindarios aledaños. Vaya a nuestro linktr.ee en la biografía para reservar su lote!

#communitygarden
#gardeninglife
#gardening
#blackdirtgardening
#blackdirtgrown
#peoplesgarden taken in Chester Agricultural Center by @chesteragcenter

21

1

2 years ago

Greetings! Wishing you a happy and healthy 2025!

It has been a delight to be able to share the Chester Agricultural Center’s accomplishments over the course of the last year through our seasonal newsletters. We are proud of the leadership transition we underwent in 2024!

Our work would not be possible without the support of our partners, funders, and all those groups and individuals who have come through the CAC as students, teachers, mentors and mentees, food system workers, young people interested in agricultural careers, young farmers, and ag service organizations. Sharing knowledge with you all helps us uncover the ways in which this land access model can shift to suit our region’s farming ecosystem and changing needs.

To our funders, your unwavering commitment to our mission has allowed us to make substantial progress in our land access model as well as secure the infrastructure needed to support a multi-farmer project. We look forward to continuing the work of creating a more equitable and sustainable food system here in our region together.

Peep our stories for ways to engage with us and support us in 2025! And visit our website to learn more (🔗 in bio)

📸 by @kaylajayla111 🤗🙏🏻❤️

👨‍🌾👩‍🌾🧺

#farmlandaccess
#regional
#equitable #sustainable
#foodsystem
#blackdirtgrown
#nysag taken in Meadow Blues Coffee by @chesteragcenter

3

0

2 years ago

Last week of the store! What a ride! What a beautiful thing to hear from our supporters that they love coming here for our veggies and the vibe, but also they will miss us! Thank you to everyone who's shopped with us this season. Your support means a lot to us, and it makes us hopeful about the future of ag in the region. We can think creatively to get good food to people and continue to advocate for good, clean food in our region ( and beyond) but also to protect farmers' livelihoods. Stay tuned for more posts highlighting some of the amazing things that this year has brought the center 🔥 by @chesteragcenter

22

0

2 years ago

Last week, our team had an incredible day at the Chester Agricultural Center, where we connected with amazing local farms: Choy Division, Halal Pastures, and Rise & Root Farm. It was a day filled with learning, tasting, and community building!

We walked through the rich Black Dirt soil, trying fresh veggies like perilla, tatsoi, bitter melon, radishes, and turnips, all while learning from the passionate farmers who are dedicated to sustainable practices.

We met with Karen Washington of Rise & Root Farm to talk about food access and building equitable food systems that support farmers. Karen’s passion for food justice is truly inspiring, and we left the day feeling empowered to continue the work of breaking down barriers to create a more just and sustainable food future.

We ended the day sharing a delicious catered meal together, celebrating the incredible work being done by these farms and their commitment to the land, the people, and the future of agriculture.

#SupportLocalFarms #FarmToTable #SustainableAgriculture #FoodJustice #Community #blackdirt #newyork #bipocfarmers by @chesteragcenter

143

1

2 years ago

Thank you, Brother Duron, for capturing this moment!

Posted @withregram • @duronchavis

@omowaleadewale of @liberationfarmnys and @blackvegfest speaks at @farmaid

Very powerful moment to see a black family farm of my generation to be explicit about the ongoing discrimination of black farmers by the USDA. Thank you Omowale & Nadia for taking up space today in this very white space and speaking truth to power by @chesteragcenter

92

6

2 years ago