Keep 462 Halsey Farm Thriving for Bed-Stuy
Donation protected
OUR HISTORY
462 Halsey Community Farm was started in 2012 by a group of Bed-Stuy residents who dreamed of a greener future for their neighbors. Co-founded by Shatia Jackson and Kristen Bonardi Rapp, the garden sprung to life from what was once a vacant lot, growing to be part of the fabric of the urban green spaces that sustain our city. Now, the farm thrives as a 100% volunteer-member supported agricultural community center, providing residents with a chance to grow and share healthful food and foster connections with neighbors and land.
Today the 462 Halsey Community Farm is a vibrant space with 16 communally tended raised garden beds, all cultivated and cared for by members and volunteers. Our gates are open regularly so our community can enjoy the space and interact with growth in action.
OUR PROGRAMS
462 Halsey serves the Bedford-Stuyvesant community as an essential green space through robust practices and community programming that serve our garden ethos, including:
- COMPOSTING. Our compost team processes over a ton of food scraps each year. Neighbors drop off food scraps year-round in a mutually generative practice.
- SUPPORTING THE BEE POPULATION. 462 Halsey is celebrating a decade of beekeeping. Our apiary was started in the summer of 2015, and our veteran apiarist Bonnie Banks, along with trusted apiary apprentices, tend to beehives that help keep our garden and surrounding nature pollinated and bountiful. Honey is also shared amongst the community.
- PUBLIC EVENTS & WORKSHOPS. Educational and interactive workshops including nature-based poetry, guided meditation, garden tool-training, agricultural methods, and cooking classes are regularly provided throughout the growing season at the garden. Our workshops act as key moments for neighbors throughout Brooklyn to connect, learn, and develop skills in mutual reciprocity with the earth. Favorite events have included mushroom growing workshops, hot-sauce making, backyard composting 101, and our annual Earth Day celebration.
- VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES. The 462 Halsey Community Farm regularly hosts between 80-120 volunteers a year who help tend to the space, process compost, execute special building projects, and more.
CELEBRATING OUR 14TH ANNIVERSARY
Now in our 14th season, The 462 Halsey Community Farm envisions a sustainable, connective, and inspiring green space that will serve our community into the future. The land has become a pivotal hub for the neighborhood, and we are charged with maintaining its vibrancy for years to come.
Community green spaces have never been more important. With the reduction of city-wide compost programs, we will continue to act as a community composting location, increasing our compost program, providing education, and utilizing the compost produced to invigorate our plants and better serve the community with our harvest.
In 2025, we will offer community workshops spotlighting local voices on topics ranging from environmental preservation, culinary arts, creative arts, bee-keeping and more. All of this will be done while offering a space for community members to connect and become empowered to engage with the land around them.
The knowledge 462 Halsey provides through our programs helps to build earth-conscious citizens, and we hope to increase our local sense of sustainability and interdependence.
We need your support to do this. Help us raise $3,000 by April 30, 2025. Your donation generates the support of:
- Rebuilding of garden beds and structures. Now in its 14th year, our farm space requires rebuilding and maintenance of many wooden structures, including our raised garden beds, a new beehive platform, sheds, rebuilt outdoor benches, planters, and more.
- A New Irrigation System. After years of using a tank system, which our dedicated members would fill weekly from a hydrant across the street, The 462 Halsey Community Farm was recently connected to city water in partnership with NYC Parks GreenThumb. In 2025, we will build a new integrated irrigation system that will feed all of our garden beds and reduce water waste.
- Support our Programs. Your donation directly supports our ability to offer publically available agricultural workshops and cultural events. Funding supports workshop supplies, honorariums for expert facilitators, and permitting.
- Art and Signage. We will be beautifying our space with new art pieces, including a mural on our new water hub and exterior signage. We are also improving wayfinding and will create new food scrap dropoff signage in our compost space.
Your partnership is essential to keep The 462 Halsey Community Farm a thriving public green space. Every dollar helps our community farm continue to thrive as a vital green space in Brooklyn—providing fresh food, educational programs, and a place for neighbors to connect with nature and each other. With your support, we can reach our $3,000 goal and ensure this urban oasis remains a resource for all. Join us in growing a greener, healthier community—donate today and make a lasting impact!
Co-organizers (2)
Jessica Angima
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY
Abby Highland
Co-organizer