Rockland Farm Alliance

The mission of Rockland Farm Alliance (RFA) is to facilitate local sustainable agriculture in Rockland County by creating farms that serve as models of small-scale agriculture with educational facilities dedicated to the development and teaching of sustainable farming practices to people of all ages. RFA is a non-partisan group that includes farmers, nursery growers, horse stable operators, chefs, advocates for local food, educators, elected officials, representatives of environmental advocacy groups, and others interested in supporting farming in Rockland County. RFA was formed after a series of focus group meetings in 2007 sponsored by USDA's Resource Conservation and Development Program. The meetings were coordinated with the assistance of several new generation farmers, elected officials, land trusts and businesses interested in production of local healthy foods and agri-tourism. At these meetings local officials were surprised to learn that there were farms still operating in Rockland. Everyone agreed that there needed to be a group formed to advocate for local farming. Rockland Farm Alliance, under a licensing agreement with Rockland County and the Town of Clarkstown, has launched Rockland's first community farm in New City, at the retired Cropsey farm on Little Tor Road. This project represents an historic intermunicipal collaboration, and is the first tangible step toward developing a local foodshed in Rockland County. The project consists of 2 core components: a working, revenue-producing farm, and education/demonstration programs. The working farm focuses crop production to support a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.