Manor Farm

09/20/2026

🌻 The Sunflower Maze may be nearing the end of its season, but there is still so much to enjoy at Manor Farm. 🌻
The flowers are beginning to fade, but if you slow down and walk through the field, you’ll see that nature is still very busy. 🐝💛
The bees are making the most of the remaining blooms, gathering what they can as the seasons begin to change. The hummingbirds are fueling up as they prepare for their incredible journey south, and goldfinches and other birds are enjoying the sunflower seeds we leave behind for them.
And people are still coming—walking the maze, spending time together, taking beautiful photographs, and simply enjoying this special place. Those moments are part of what has made the sunflower field so meaningful to us.
🌻 So please come enjoy it while you still can. Take a walk. Bring your camera. Watch the birds and bees. Sit for a while. Take in the changing season.
This year feels especially important because we don't know if there will be another sunflower season here. That makes every visitor, every photograph, every hummingbird, every bee and every shared memory feel just a little more precious.
If you visit, please share your photos and tag so we can continue collecting the memories of this very special season. 💛
The sunflowers may be fading, but Manor Farm is still full of life. 🌻🐝🐦

09/17/2026

🌻It was wonderful to see so much community interest and participation regarding Manor Farm at last night’s Town Board meeting! I am sharing this message with some updates :

A MESSAGE FROM FRIENDS OF MANOR ROAD FARM

Dear Neighbors and Friends of Manor Farm,
Thank you to every resident and neighbor who came to Town Hall last night and took the time to speak about Manor Farm.
The public comments raised a number of important questions about the property’s history, its environmental protections, the proposed future use, and the impact that future operations could have on the surrounding neighborhood.
Speakers referred to the Town’s original Conservation Management/Use Plan, which describes Manor Farm as primarily passive parkland, a trailhead and interpretive area connected to the adjoining parklands, while also allowing environmental and educational uses.
Residents also raised questions about whether proposed food-distribution, office and related activities are consistent with that original purpose, and about traffic, access, zoning, environmental review and other protections associated with the property.
Just as importantly, people made clear that concern about Manor Farm should not be confused with opposition to food assistance or the charitable work of Long Island Cares. The question raised by many speakers was whether Manor Farm is the appropriate location for the full range of uses being considered.
We are grateful to everyone who participated respectfully and thoughtfully and helped put these questions into the public record.
The public hearing was listed as 2026-M-40, while the proposed resolution concerning the Manor Farm license is Resolution 2026-490.
We will continue following the public record and sharing information about the Town’s next steps.
Thank you again to everyone who cares about Manor Farm and its future.
Friends of Manor Road Farm 🌻

09/15/2026

🌻 WHY STARFLOWER DID NOT BID — AND WHAT MANOR FARM HAS MEANT TO US

A number of people have asked why Starflower Experiences did not bid on the new Manor Farm RFP, and I think the community deserves to understand what happened from our side.

Starflower did not simply decide to leave Manor Farm.

Our existing license agreement had additional five-year extension options available, but the Town chose not to continue that agreement and instead issued a new RFP with substantially higher financial requirements.

For a small nonprofit like Starflower, the increase in the license fee and the additional costs and responsibilities associated with the new RFP made bidding extremely difficult.

But the financial issue was only part of the story.

Beginning around September 2025, we repeatedly asked for a meeting with Town Parks leadership so that we could discuss any concerns they had about Manor Farm, understand what they wanted us to do differently, and see whether there was a way to address those concerns and continue our work here.

That meeting was never granted.

For years, we had also been asking the Town about structural repairs needed at the house and other buildings. There were times when Town representatives came to look at problems, but the repairs were never completed. There were also things we offered to repair or improve ourselves, but we were not given permission to move forward.

Over time, it also became increasingly difficult to operate some of the programs we had created here. Activities that had once been considered educational or community programming began requiring special-event applications and fees. At one point, we were even told that we could not bring a school bus onto the property, despite having arranged appropriate insurance.

Then, when our license came to an end, there was no meaningful conversation with us about whether there might be a way to continue, transition, collaborate, or preserve some of the programs and work that had been developed here over so many years.

That has been very difficult.

We are not against Long Island Cares.

They do important work, and had we been approached about working together in a way that fit within Manor Farm’s existing environmental and educational mission, I believe there could have been real possibilities for cooperation.

Starflower’s demonstration farming here was never intended to turn Manor Farm into a large food operation. It was about teaching people small-scale agriculture, sustainability, gardening, composting, pollinators, and things they could do at home.

We would have loved the opportunity to continue the educational programs we created and developed here.

On a very personal level, Manor Farm has never been just a place where I lived or worked.

I have loved watching children discover nature here. I have loved teaching about wildlife and the environment, caring for the bees and pollinators, watching the gardens grow, planting and tending the sunflowers, and seeing the birds, butterflies, hummingbirds and other wildlife return year after year.

Some of my favorite moments have been the simplest ones — watching a child become excited about a bee, seeing families walk through the sunflowers, finding a bird feeding on a sunflower head, meeting our quail or seeing people stop and appreciate something in nature that they might otherwise have walked past.

That is what Manor Farm has meant to me.

It has been a place where people could connect with nature and learn to care about it.

So when people ask why we didn't bid, the answer is not simply that we decided we no longer wanted to be here.

We would have loved to continue.

We would have loved the opportunity to sit down with the Town, discuss their concerns, make changes where necessary, and continue building on the environmental and educational work that had already been created here but we were not given that opportunity.

Whatever happens next, I truly hope that part of Manor Farm does not disappear.

I hope the sunflowers continue to bloom.

I hope the bees and pollinators continue to have a home here.

I hope the birds, butterflies and wildlife continue to be protected.

And I sincerely hope environmental education remains an important part of Manor Farm's future.

More than anything, I hope the future of Manor Farm honors what made so many people fall in love with this place in the first place. 🌻🐝🦋🐦

09/15/2026

This was just sent to me:

Dear Neighbors and Friends of Manor Farm,
We are reaching out to urgently sound the alarm regarding a critical vote taking place this Tuesday, September 15 at 6pm, before the Huntington Town Board.

On the agenda is Resolution 2026-M-40, a measure that would grant a long-term license agreement to Long Island Cares to take over operations at Manor Farm. While addressing regional food insecurity is a worthy cause, placing an active, high-turnover institutional hub on this specific parcel directly violates the legal purpose, environmental covenants, and neighborhood function of our park.

In 2000, Manor Farm was acquired using your taxpayer dollars through the Town of Huntington Environmental Open Space and Park Fund (EOSPA). It is legally bound by an EOSPA Conservation Management Plan that explicitly designates the property as passive parkland.

Under EOSPA covenants, this land was preserved to protect local groundwater recharge, maintain open green space, and provide low-impact, passive recreational access for the surrounding community. It was never intended nor legally designated to host an intensive non-profit operating complex.

Under the pending license agreement, Manor Farm will be converted into an active programming and logistics facility, including:
A Regional Food Pantry & Distribution Operation: Introducing ongoing supply trucking, food distribution traffic, and inventory staging.
Bus & Van Transportation Logistics: Daily scheduling of buses and shuttles bringing participants and clients to and from the site.
Classrooms & Commercial Kitchen Facilities: Repurposing farm structures into high-occupancy instructional and food preparation facilities.
Expansion of Agricultural Beds: Pushing planting beds further across the parcel, consuming the remaining open lawn and passive grounds.

For decades, Manor Farm has served our neighborhood as a peaceful green gateway to the surrounding trailheads. The proposed operational changes will effectively eliminate that access:

Manor Farm only has a small gravel parking area. Between regular non-profit staff, daily volunteer vehicles, delivery trucks, and visiting buses, this limited parking will be completely monopolized. Without available parking, local residents who rely on the lot to access the trails and grounds will be shut out.

By extending planting beds further across the property, the proposal removes the open, passive acreage where families can gather, stroll, or sit, converting shared public open space into an intensive agricultural and operational footprint.

The quiet, residential character of Manor Road cannot safely absorb regular bus traffic, commercial deliveries, and high-turnover distribution lines.

An operation of this size and logistical intensity belongs in an appropriately zoned parcel with adequate infrastructure and parking, not on deed-restricted, passive EOSPA parkland.

We need a strong, unified community presence to ensure the Town Board honors its conservation covenants and protects neighborhood access.

1. Attend the Town Board Meeting
When: Tuesday, September 15 at 6 pm.
Where: Huntington Town Hall (100 Main Street, Huntington)
Action: Fill the board room so our elected officials see that the community expects our open space covenants to be upheld.
2. Speak on the Record During Public Participation
Sign up to speak upon arrival.
Remind the Board of the 2000 EOSPA Conservation Management Plan and its strict passive parkland designation.
Point out the concrete access reality: monopolizing the small gravel lot with staff, volunteers, trucks, and buses leaves zero room for residents to park and use the trailheads, while extending the beds permanently strips away the open lawn.
3. Submit Written Comments Today
Email the Town Supervisor and Town Board members immediately.
Demand that they vote NO on Resolution 2026-M-40 and protect full, unobstructed public access to Manor Farm’s grounds and trails.

Manor Farm was preserved with taxpayer dollars for community conservation and passive recreation. Let’s stand together this Tuesday to ensure it remains open and accessible to the neighborhood that supports it.

With resolve and gratitude,
The Friends of Manor Road Farm

Watch meetings live on Optimum 18, FIOS 38, or online: Scroll down on this page to find the live meeting video for the date listed under Upcoming Meetings below; a "View Event" link will appear next to the meeting listing approximately 5-10 minutes before the meeting begins (if you do not see this l...

09/11/2026

🌻 IMPORTANT!! MANOR FARM PUBLIC HEARING — SEPT. 15 AT 6 PM please read and share!!
The Town Board will consider granting the Manor Farm license to Long Island Cares. If you care about the future of Manor Farm, please read this and consider attending.

Many people have been asking what is happening with Manor Farm and what they can do...

The Tuesday, September 15 Town Board agenda includes the public hearing about the future of Manor Farm — and on that same agenda is Resolution 2026-490, which would grant the Manor Farm license agreement to Long Island Cares.

📅 Tuesday, September 15, 2026
🕕 6:00 PM
📍 Huntington Town Hall, 100 Main Street

This makes the public hearing especially important. This is an opportunity for Huntington residents to speak about what they want the future of Manor Farm to look like before the Board considers granting the license.

For many years, Manor Farm has been a place for environmental education, wildlife and habitat, gardens, pollinators, hands-on children's programs, community events, agricultural education, volunteering, connecting people with nature and of course the sunflower maze.

The RFP process shows that very different types of uses are now being considered for the property.

Among the items raised in the RFP documents are:

• Establishing a Mobile Pantry location for fresh produce, shelf-stable foods and supportive services
• Using buildings for a food pantry
• A demonstration kitchen
• Office, classroom and volunteer-coordination space
• Expansion of the gardens and irrigation system
• A greenhouse and handicap-accessible raised-bed gardens
• A hydroponic container farm
• A produce washing and packing station
• Refrigerated lockers for food pickup
• An educational pavilion
• And even the possibility of requesting bus-route access to the property

There is another important piece of Manor Farm’s history that should not be overlooked.

When this property was acquired by the Town, was through the Huntington’s Environmental Open Space and Park Improvement Fund and was designated primarily as passive parkland, a trailhead and an interpretive area providing access to the adjoining parklands.

The original Town Conservation Management/Use Plan placed significant restrictions on the property. It contemplated limited environmental programming, restricted development, prohibited paved parking and called for only limited parking associated with park access and small educational groups.

That is why the current proposal raises such an important question.

If Manor Farm was acquired and presented to the Huntington community as protected open space whose primary purpose was passive parkland, environmental interpretation and access to the adjoining park system, how did we get from that purpose to considering a mobile food pantry, office and food-pantry space, demonstration kitchen, refrigerated food-pickup lockers, expanded utility needs and possible bus-route access?

Many of the original restrictions and conservation-related limitations on the property remain, but the uses now being contemplated have broadened considerably.

Before any new license is approved, residents deserve a clear explanation of how these proposed uses are consistent with the original purpose and protections under which Manor Farm was acquired.

Some of these ideas, particularly gardening and agricultural education, certainly could complement Manor Farm. But taken together, they raise an important question:

Are we preserving Manor Farm as the environmental, educational, wildlife-friendly community space Huntington has known for so many years. Can't tell you how many times i've heard people say that this is a hidden gem
— or are we changing it into something substantially different?

This isn't about being against helping people facing food insecurity. That is an extremely worthwhile mission. It is about asking whether Manor Farm is the appropriate location for all of these proposed uses and whether something very special to Huntington could be lost in the process.

If you have brought your children to programs here, walked through the sunflowers, photographed the birds and wildlife, learned about bees and pollinators, volunteered, attended community events, or simply believe this beautiful property should retain its environmental and educational character, please consider attending the September 15 public hearing and respectfully making your voice heard.

Whatever your opinion may be, this is the time for the community to ask questions and be part of the conversation about Manor Farm's future.

🌻🐝🦋🐦 Please share with your Huntington friends and neighbors. Community voices matter.

05/03/2026

🌱🐛 Compost Critters – Kids Event! 🐛🌱

Join us tomorrow at Manor Farm in Huntington on Sunday, May 3 at 2 PM for a fun, hands-on composting adventure for ages 4–8!

Meet worms, learn about decomposers, and even take home a worm bin 🪱🌿

💲 $5 or $30 with worm bin
📞 Register: 631-213-1927

Come dig into something fun! 🌎💚

04/20/2026

Dandelions aren’t just weeds—they’re one of the first food sources for 🐝 bees in spring. Before mowing, consider letting them bloom a little longer. A “messy” lawn can help support pollinators and the food we all depend on. So maybe rethink the “perfect lawn” for a few weeks. A yard full of dandelions isn’t neglect—it’s support for nature. 🌼🐝
Let’s help protect our pollinators… one dandelion at a time.

04/10/2026

Join us today for a fun and meaningful afternoon at Manor Farm! 🌎💚
We’re hosting a Sustainable Living program where families can learn simple, practical ways to make more eco-friendly choices at home.
✨ Hands-on activities
✨ Easy “green” swaps
✨ Make your own natural cleaner & pomander
✨ A story for the kids
📅 April 10, 2026
⏰ 1:00–2:30 PM
📍 Manor Farm, 210 Manor Rd, Huntington
Bring the whole family and enjoy time outdoors while learning how small changes can make a big difference 🌱
Donations appreciated