OKO FARMS RELOCATION

In August, our landlord Two Trees Management notified us that they would be terminating our lease at the end of November because they’d recently been granted a construction permit from the city that they had not expected to receive for several years. While we understood that this site would not be permanent, the abruptness of the termination of our lease is unfortunate. However, this is neither surprising nor unusual as far as urban farming is concerned. Land access is one of the, if not the biggest roadblock for urban farms and it has been a constant challenge for us since our inception.

In May of 2021, we were delighted to sign a lease with Two Trees for a lot in North Williamsburg that had been vacant for decades. For the second time in less than 10 years, Oko Farms would have the opportunity to transform an under-utilized space in Brooklyn into an urban aquatic oasis that produced food for the community and improved ecological biodiversity. With the support of 100 volunteers we completed the farm build within 2 months and began a market stand in August along with tours, culinary programs and aquaponics education workshops. We are now fully staffed with the ability to pay our farmers through the Winter season and have successfully created job opportunities for youth on the farm. Please see our 2023 impact report HERE.

We are grateful to Two Trees for our four years in this space and the opportunity it provided to expand our programs and increase capacity. However, we are now in URGENT NEED OF A FARM SITE for 2025 and beyond! As we acknowledge Climate Week, it is important to ensure the sustainability of organizations like Oko Farms that aim to address both food security and climate mitigation in New York City. We encourage your conversations around climate justice to include actionable ways in which you can support the viability of organizations like ours. Please help us find a new home…

To learn more about our needs, please see our specs below or email contact@okofarms.org.