You are visiting one of Suffolk's oldest continually working farms. Up until 1870, when purchased by the County of Suffolk for $12,700, a private family farmed this land. The county used this site for the Suffolk County Almshouse…a facility intended to house less fortunate citizens. The residents of that facility provided all the agricultural labor necessary to make the farm self-sufficient, supplying food and other products for the almshouse.
In 1974 Cornell Cooperative Extension began managing the farm…upgrading and increasing the agricultural production, while establishing educational programs that would benefit the public. At that time, Cornell Cooperative Extension employees became the sole farmers and educators responsible for continuing agricultural production, and developing quality educational programs for the youth and adults of Suffolk County.
Cooperative Extension is a nationwide system of educational agencies whose purpose is to extend to communities the benefits of the research-based knowledge developed at the national Land Grant Universities. In the years since the "partnership" of Suffolk County and Cornell Cooperative Extension, this farm has tremendously improved it's appearance, agricultural production is at an time high, and the public education program has expanded to include: classroom experiences, community outreaches, individual adult and youth workshops, children's programs, birthday parties and special events and seasonal festivals.
All of the animals on our farm are involved in either agricultural production or educational programs…or both! Here are some facts about our "residents".
| SHEEP | |
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Provides wool; meat; milk.
The "dirty" appearance of wool-bearers is caused by the lanolin. Without lanolin the wool would be unusable for textiles. |
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| SWINE | |
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Provides meat & by-products.
Sows farrow (give birth to) an average of 12 piglets at a time depending upon breed. Swine are susceptible to sunburn, and due to the lack of sweat glands, they do not perspire! |
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| POULTRY | |
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Provides meat, eggs, feathers and other by-products.
Eggs from our hens vary in size and color…some are white, others brown and even green. Incubation time for chickens is 21 days, for ducks and turkeys, 28 days. |
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| BEEF CATTLE | |
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Provide meat and by-products.
Usually give birth to one calf at a time, but twins are not unusual. An average 1,300lb. animal can provide 600lbs. of beef. |
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| DAIRY CATTLE | |
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Milk & dairy (cheese, cream, butter, yogurt, etc) production. Terminology and reproduction same as BEEF breeds. Cows freshen (produce milk) after calving, generally once per year, and produce an average of 6 gallons of milk per day. A good producer can give 22 gallons per day. Cows give milk 305 days per year, and milk can be consumed fresh from the udder (pasteurized for shelf life). |
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| RABBITS | |
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Raised for fur, wool and meat.
A rabbit's wool is warmer than sheeps wool when loosely woven. Rabbits do not have the ability to burp or pass gas. They should not be fed gas producing foods like lettuce. |
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| HORSES & DONKEYS | |
| Raised for meat in some countries, but once used for "horsepower" on our farm! They can pull equipment, provide transportation, and also furnish natural fertilizers for the crops. |  |
| GOATS | |
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Milk production with limited meat.
Since goat's milk is naturally homogenized (fat not separated), folks who are lactose intolerant have an easier time digesting this milk. Contrary to popular belief…goats DO NOT EAT trash. |
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