Harvest: Closter’s
MacBain
Far m Park
By Tara DeLorenzo
Sharing
The
A iming to provide for its community in a unique way, Closter
turned donated land into a community farm that now celebrates
its seventeenth year of giving back to its citizens.
MacBain Farm Park started as land that became available to the community
as part of a land swap, said former Closter Mayor Sophie Heymann.
The land was originally meant for Temple Emanu-El but was traded
for property on Piermont Road instead. Interested in environmental issues,
Heymann, as well as the Closter Environmental Commission, with
its leader Mary Mayer, and the council, fought to take the 5.5 acres for
the community and thus the farm was started.
“At the time, there were various opinions and some council people
who wanted to make it available for builders to add houses – it’s a prime
piece of property in Closter, and those of us who were interested in
having more open spaces succeeded in having it labeled open space and
develop it as an educational farm,” she said.