Group prepares to run Northport farm

By Michael R. Ebert
michael.ebert@newsday.com

With a joint purchase by Suffolk County and the Town of Huntington being finalized, the 117-year-old Lewis Oliver Dairy in Northport will soon be facing some minor changes. Namely, the nonprofit group Friends of the Farm will assume full-time caretaker duties.

“We’re becoming more of a managing entity,” said Pam Veitch of Northport, president of Friends of the Farm, which formed in 1996 after learning that the owner, John Cobb, Jr., could no longer afford to care for the animals. “We’re extremely excited, but nervous at the same time. It’s a big project. We’re looking for all the help we can get.”

Located on Burt Avenue, the farm includes a barn, farmhouse and an array of animals including three sheep, three goats, two cows, six rabbits, one pig, two peacocks and a horde of ducks and geese. Earlier this year, the county temporarily stalled the purchase when a survey determined the property was 1,476-square-feet less than originally reported. Eventually, Councilman Stuart Besen was able to convince Cobb to lower his selling price.

Early last month, the Suffolk County Legislature agreed to split the $1.6 million cost with the town. As part of the deal, the 24-member Friends of the Farm will serve as the animals’ caretaker, which can require $1,000 a month for feed such as hay, grain and corn.

“I think we all have different reasons for being involved in Friends of the Farm,” said Veitch, noting the farm has shrunk from 50 acres to under two since the early 1900s. “For me, it’s mostly about the historical preservation of what Northport used to be. We’re one of the village’s oldest farms now. Decades ago, there were cows everywhere.”

To raise funds, Veitch holds a number of fundraisers such as an annual barn dance, which attracts up to 200 people each spring. The group also hosts holiday hayride events and Christmas caroling, which is offered to the community for free, according to Veitch.

For support, the Red Cross provides helping hands as part of community service.

“Pam is preserving something very special to many people in this community,” Besen said recently. “The Lewis Oliver farm has been in this town for more than 100 years, and I am personally amazed by the work of Pam and her group.”

Councilwoman Glenda Jackson agreed, calling the group’s task “enormous.”

“I’m trying to get Cornell Cooperative Extension to help when we are caretakers,” said Veitch. “Friends is a very passionate group, but we don’t have as much farm experience as other people. We’re always welcoming new members. The more faces, the better.”

Friends of the Farm meets at Lewis Oliver Farm the first Monday of every month at 7 p.m. Meetings are open to everyone. For more information on Friends of the Farm, visit their website at friendsofthefarmnorthport.org.