From Our Family's Farm

     to your Family's Table

HELP SAVE FRIENDLY FARMS

(LOCATED IN EAST MEADOW, NY/ ESTABLISHED 1930)

COME IN A SIGN THE PETETION

ONE OF ONLY 5 REMAINING FAMILY OWNED FARMS IN NASSAU COUNTY

NASSAU COUNTY LEGISLATOR NORMA L. GONSALVES CLOSED ON THE PURCHASE OF FRIENDLY FARMS WITHOUT NOTICE TO THE OPERATING PARTNERS OF THE FARM

MANY CONCERNED NASSAU COUNTY RESIDENTS HAVE SIGNED A PETITION TO KEEP THE FARM OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY!

East Meadow, NY- Thursday, October 22, 2010- Help save one of the last remaining family run farms in Nassau County. Friendly Farms is owned and operated by 2 women, Bernadette Brennan and Debra Murray. For more that six years- they’ve worked hard to restore what was previously a junk filled lot- into a beautiful organic farm for the community to enjoy. The perfectly plowed sun-soaked rows of vegetables, fruits and corn are now in jeopardy of being pushed out.

Due to legislative promises and unjust legalities, the fix was already in place before the Ms. Brennan and Ms. Murray had the chance to bid. The family never received a fair hearing in order to fight for the land they were already operating on.

For over one year, county legislator Norma L. Gonsalves told the family there would be a “fair and open bid” for the land. However, according to Bernadette Brennan, “We never even had a chance to fairly bid; we were the last people to recieve the bid and the land had  been promised to Cornell University by Norma  for over a year.  Under The Cornell University Cooperative Extension program the county was looking to “enhance the historic integrity of the farm.” The program wants to do what Ms. Brennan and Ms. Murray have been doing successfully for 6 years as well as providing a service to the community. VISIT NORMAS WEBSITE www.normagonslaves.com to see for yourself!

Ms. Brennan adds, “We would have been more than willing to work and teach on the farm with Cornell and its students in order to fulfill the need for the supposed legislative program. Under this program, they’ve now lied to us, wasted our time and will leave my family displaced and unemployed.”