PRESS RELEASE

STONY BROOK, N.Y., April 1, 2003

In a joint venture with the Long Island Farm Bureau, documentary filmmaker Glenn Gebhard of Loyola Marymount University and Mario Congreve of California State University at Domingues Hills, along with Research Assistant Professor Frank Turano of Stony Brook University have completed “Long Island Farming,” a documentary that examines the history and current status of the region’s family and commercial farms. The film begins in the pre-settlement periods of 1640 and continues up to the present day, and explores the issue of the increasing number of farms vanishing from the Long Island landscape.

Filmmaker Gebhard examines the lives of current day farmers from Nassau and Suffolk counties. They include Liz Grossman of Grossman’s farm in Malverne, Fred Terry of Orient who participates in NYC Greenmarkets program, Dick Hendrickson of Bridgehampton, a retired poultry and dairy farmer, potato farmer Marilee Foster of Sagaponack, Phil Schmidt of Schmidt Farms and Lyle Wells and 11th generation farmer.

Long Island farms are at a critical juncture. Faced with historical development pressures, many families sold their land to real estate developers, while others struggle to preserve their family and occupational heritage. Suffolk County remains New York State’s leading agricultural county in gross sales of products grown. Historically, Suffolk has led the United States in the country’s first preservation program, the Purchase of Development Rights.

For additional information please call the Long Island Farm Bureau at (631)727-3777

© Copyright 2003 by Stony Brook University