Went down a rabbit hole looking into railroads on Long Island and noticed plenty of row-crop fields towards the NE end but cannot find a production farm, as in bins and such. Couple of horse stables and horticulture farms. But nothing that would stand out as a row crop farmstead. Anyone with knowledge know about the area? Seems plenty of unique challenges given the population and all. I did find what looks like an old White tractor discing just East of Riley Ave and Edwards Ave intersection.
- Thread starter Bkpigs
- Start date
According to the USDA, Long Island, NY was, in 2007, home to 644 farms totaling 35,689 acres. Ag sales, excluding wine, were 258.7 million dollars. Crops ranged from
pumpkins, melons, potatoes, and other vegetables to nursery products, grapes, sod, poultry, eggs, etc. I was an EMS helicopter pilot in the northeast for 31 years and
remember flying out to Long Island many times and flying over a lot of farm fields. One time it was to pick up Calvin Klein who had been thrown from a horse and suffered
a serious head injury. We landed in a grassy field near the small hospital he had been taken to. There was a big potato field right across the road. Potatoes were in full
blossum and made for a very pretty sight as the sun was going down. I got to be on national TV later when we landed in NYC.
>))
pumpkins, melons, potatoes, and other vegetables to nursery products, grapes, sod, poultry, eggs, etc. I was an EMS helicopter pilot in the northeast for 31 years and
remember flying out to Long Island many times and flying over a lot of farm fields. One time it was to pick up Calvin Klein who had been thrown from a horse and suffered
a serious head injury. We landed in a grassy field near the small hospital he had been taken to. There was a big potato field right across the road. Potatoes were in full
blossum and made for a very pretty sight as the sun was going down. I got to be on national TV later when we landed in NYC.
>))philcaseinWPA
Member
Used to be a lot of potato farms in Suffold County, L.I. (eastern 1/2 of the
island) In 1973 I worked for an engineering firm doing a tax mapping project for
Suffold County. They were so far behind it was costing them a lot of money in
penalties so if you could read they hired you. That's how I got hired. I never
worked anywhere but the office in western Pennsylvania. Started in April 73 and
laid off in April 74. 12 hour days 5 days a week and any amount of time you wanted
work on the weekends. I was an unemployed newlywed and made a lot overtime pay and
no time to spend it. I spent most of my time figuring out the right of way for the
Long Island Expressway (CR 101?). Looked at a lot of deeds, road plans, and aerial
photography (no Google earth then). There was a huge duck farm in Riverhead. In
the summer of 74 my wife and I drove up there to see the place. Lots of open land
back then which surprised me. Townships were called towns and towns were called
villages, that surprised me also. Now my curiosity is aroused I will have to
Google earth it. Enough, but if you owned property along the Expressway and the
county came along in 1975 or so and said your deck was on their right of way, maybe
I made a mistake.
island) In 1973 I worked for an engineering firm doing a tax mapping project for
Suffold County. They were so far behind it was costing them a lot of money in
penalties so if you could read they hired you. That's how I got hired. I never
worked anywhere but the office in western Pennsylvania. Started in April 73 and
laid off in April 74. 12 hour days 5 days a week and any amount of time you wanted
work on the weekends. I was an unemployed newlywed and made a lot overtime pay and
no time to spend it. I spent most of my time figuring out the right of way for the
Long Island Expressway (CR 101?). Looked at a lot of deeds, road plans, and aerial
photography (no Google earth then). There was a huge duck farm in Riverhead. In
the summer of 74 my wife and I drove up there to see the place. Lots of open land
back then which surprised me. Townships were called towns and towns were called
villages, that surprised me also. Now my curiosity is aroused I will have to
Google earth it. Enough, but if you owned property along the Expressway and the
county came along in 1975 or so and said your deck was on their right of way, maybe
I made a mistake.
philcaseinWPA
Member
Sorry, Suffolk County not Suffold. Been a long long time
philcaseinWPA
Member
LI Expressway is now labeled I 495
Roger in Iowa
Well-known Member
Look on Google Earth, free app. Can go look mearly anywhere in the world. Also has historic aerial
views. Can see changes over the years.
views. Can see changes over the years.
As explained to me Long Island started to lose farm land in the early 1950's and has been doing so ever since. Most of the
production was for vegetables. Vegetables were such a legend it was a subplot on Seinfeld. Remember that George had to have a
Hampton tomato. Up until the 1980's there was a very active farm supply industry including dealerships for the major farm
equipment brands. A few as they were squeezed out came up into Central and Western NY using the big development money they got to
set themselves up big in terms of acres. I always wished that it might have been one of my families to have sold out big during
the 1950's and up then 1031'd their way into the Finger Lakes region. Not surprised that most open land is going for horse
paddocks and stables. Long Island especially the east half Suffolk County is where the big money people have homes and estates
now. I hear stories that it is quite a battle for the agriculture that is left to exist with the rich elites.
production was for vegetables. Vegetables were such a legend it was a subplot on Seinfeld. Remember that George had to have a
Hampton tomato. Up until the 1980's there was a very active farm supply industry including dealerships for the major farm
equipment brands. A few as they were squeezed out came up into Central and Western NY using the big development money they got to
set themselves up big in terms of acres. I always wished that it might have been one of my families to have sold out big during
the 1950's and up then 1031'd their way into the Finger Lakes region. Not surprised that most open land is going for horse
paddocks and stables. Long Island especially the east half Suffolk County is where the big money people have homes and estates
now. I hear stories that it is quite a battle for the agriculture that is left to exist with the rich elites.
fastfarmall
Well-known Member
I was there during the centenial during 1986,my cousin lived out on Amagansett, Long Island, there was a lot spuds then,actually a pretty area!
I used to drive our box truck out to Riverhead, Long Island (from central NJ) to get loads of cauliflower for our market in the '60's and 70's. It was always a wild drive to get over there
through Staten Island and Brooklyn to then pickup the Southern State or Long Island Expressway, but once you got about 1/2 out, it was a helluva nice ride out into farm country. I think that's
pretty much gone now as the Bennies have pretty much bought up all the farmland out there. Sad to say, - times have changed.
through Staten Island and Brooklyn to then pickup the Southern State or Long Island Expressway, but once you got about 1/2 out, it was a helluva nice ride out into farm country. I think that's
pretty much gone now as the Bennies have pretty much bought up all the farmland out there. Sad to say, - times have changed.
My dad and mom were married in 1927. They were living in Jefferson City, Missouri in 1929. The rich man that dad was working for in Jeff City suddenly became a poor man. Dad answered a newspaper ad and somehow got a job on Shelter Island and they moved halfway across the country, sight unseen. They were provided a house and large garden spot on Shelter Island and dad worked in the cauliflower fields, but his main responsibility was providing firewood for the farm owner, for an elderly widow neighbor and of course for himself. The pay was hardly worth mentioning, but they didn't go hungry. Mom said that dad built and maintained a mountainous pile of firewood, all cut and split by hand. It must have been a pleasant time in their life because all of their Shelter Island stories were positive. Dad had a job all the way through the great depression.
I think mom said that Shelter Island was two miles long and one mile wide. She's been dead for nearly 40 years, and my memory might be wrong. Shelter Island is located adjacent to Long Island. I've never been there, and I don't expect that to change.
I think mom said that Shelter Island was two miles long and one mile wide. She's been dead for nearly 40 years, and my memory might be wrong. Shelter Island is located adjacent to Long Island. I've never been there, and I don't expect that to change.
Guys Just caught this this morning. Lived here on LI north shore 60 mile east of NYC for 63 years. My father family had one of the last dairy
farms with processing plant sold milk and drive in store till late 1970's.
On my mother side my grandfather came from his family's Potatoe farm Hicksville LI. moved east in 1948 bought 200 acres and farmed greens and
potatoes till early 1980's I work on both farms through high school and went on to carpentry for a living. Both farms are now houses and a
golf course. Alot of the big farms are sod. Still a lot of farm acreage with houses splashed in here and there. oldiron29
farms with processing plant sold milk and drive in store till late 1970's.
On my mother side my grandfather came from his family's Potatoe farm Hicksville LI. moved east in 1948 bought 200 acres and farmed greens and
potatoes till early 1980's I work on both farms through high school and went on to carpentry for a living. Both farms are now houses and a
golf course. Alot of the big farms are sod. Still a lot of farm acreage with houses splashed in here and there. oldiron29
Keith True
Well-known Member
I went there quite a few times with a friend hauling seed potatoes.Picked them up there,and hauled them to Aroostic county in Maine.A load of seed potatoes is heavy,they are small and not so much air space between them as full size spuds.
Not much grain leaves the Island, It is used to make feed for poultry and livestock. Ferry is not viable for farming to expensive.
Truck freight come on and off the Island none stop. One guy is raising steers for restaurant use and another raises Buffalo.
I do see from time to time truck load of ducks heading for NYC. Most beef and pork is raised for family use. The Suffolk county Farm
Had a full Commercial butcher house that I think is now closed. oldiron29
Truck freight come on and off the Island none stop. One guy is raising steers for restaurant use and another raises Buffalo.
I do see from time to time truck load of ducks heading for NYC. Most beef and pork is raised for family use. The Suffolk county Farm
Had a full Commercial butcher house that I think is now closed. oldiron29
I was born on LI 77 years ago and still here--Polish relatives lived in Manorville and my grandfather and two uncles farmed there--mostly potatoes but also some cabbage and cauliflower---most of the farms have become housing developments or sod farms
My Italian relatives all worked for the LI Railroad--the railroad was a very important service back in the day--I designed replacement docks for the crumbling old rail docks in Greenport and Sag Harbor where they use to load freight cars onto barges to get them to Conncticut
My Italian relatives all worked for the LI Railroad--the railroad was a very important service back in the day--I designed replacement docks for the crumbling old rail docks in Greenport and Sag Harbor where they use to load freight cars onto barges to get them to Conncticut
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