BY JENNA BAGCAL
A new weekly farm stand is
set to open in front of Queens
Borough Hall next month.
On Monday, June 7, Borough
President Donovan Richards
announced the new joint
venture with Queens County
Farm Museum. From July 1
through Nov. 4, residents can
head to 120-55 Queens Blvd. to
pick up hyper locally grown
fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers
and other farm products.
The farm stand is Queens
Farm’s third in the borough,
joining an onsite stand in Floral
Park and a stand at with
Jamaica Hospital Medical
Center’s “Axel” Building.
“We saw food insecurity
hit record highs during the
COVID-19 pandemic, exposing
a true need for access
throughout our borough.
Thanks to this effort with
the Queens County Farm
Museum, we are providing
access in front of Queens Borough
Hall to locally grown,
nutritious food. As we bounce
back from the fallout of this
pandemic, we must continue
to ensure we do all we can
to put fruits and vegetables
on Queens families’ tables,”
Richards said.
Produce for all of the farm
stands are locally grown on
Queens Farm’s 47-acre site,
which features over 200 varieties
of fruits, vegetables, herbs
and flowers. Additionally,
patrons can also drop off food
scraps to Borough Hall, which
will be used for composting
back at the farm.
In 2021, the farm crop plan
included the following 30 new
produce varieties:
• Artichokes
• Mardi Gras (blend of bush
beans)
• Beet greens
• Eastern Magic broccoli
• Merlot Napa cabbage
• Celery
• Collard greens
• Cucamelons
• Ginger
• Coastal Star lettuce
• Mini honeydew
• Mini watermelon
• Carmine Splendor okra
• Poblano peppers
• Sugar Rush Cream hot pepper
• Red potatoes
• Yukon potatoes
• Pumpkin pie
• Strawberry spinach
• Patty pan squash
• Spaghetti squash
• Acorn squash
• Two sweet potato varieties
• Two tomato varieties
• One cherry tomato variety
• Turmeric
• Zaatar
“We thank Queens Borough
President Donovan
Richards for providing access
to farm fresh produce at
Queens Borough Hall,” said
Jennifer Walden Weprin, executive
director of Queens
County Farm Museum. “With
the increased demand for locally
grown produce, this
farm stand expansion supports
Queen Farm’s mission
to help feed New Yorkers.”
The Queens Borough
Hall weekly farm stand will
be open from July 1 through
Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
every Thursday, weather
permitting.
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | JUNE 18-JUNE 24, 2021 3
BY JENNA BAGCAL
A Queens lawmaker recently
announced the passage of
legislation that would continue
to curb airplane noise that
plagues the northeast portion
of the borough.
Known as NY State Senate
Bill S311 and sponsored by Senator
John Liu, the bill codifies
the LaGuardia Perimeter Rule,
an existing restriction that
bars nonstop flights beyond
1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers)
from traveling to or from La-
Guardia Airport. Exceptions
to the rule include Saturday
trips and flights to Denver,
Colorado.
Simple Flying reported that
LaGuardia had implemented a
version of the restriction during
the 1950s, which allowed
flights up to 2,000 miles to operate
in and out of the airport.
But due to concerns of airport
overcrowding and overutilization,
managers at LaGuardia
changed the rule to only allow
travel to cities within 1,500
miles in 1984.
“Significant measures must
be taken to reduce airplane
noise over Queens, often so bad
that you can’t hear yourself
think,” Senator Liu said. “Beyond
Courtesy of LaGuardia Gateway Partners
the disruption to work,
leisure and sleep, studies show
that continued aircraft noise
can cause health problems
such as cardiovascular disease
and anxiety disorders in
the human body. We advance
this legislation to send a strong
message that the LaGuardia
Perimeter Rule is not to be
tinkered with. I will continue
working with Assemblyman
Ed Braunstein to ensure its full
passage into law.”
When LaGuardia began its
recent expansion and development,
residents feared that
the perimeter rule would be
lifted. The codification of the
bill would ensure that northeast
Queens residents would be
free from the noise caused by
heavier planes used for longhaul
flights, which fly closer
to the ground for longer upon
takeoff.
“The New York Community
Aviation Roundtable (NYCAR)
welcomes New York state making
the LGA Airport Perimeter
Rule permanent,” said Warren
Schreiber, co-chair of New
York Community Aviation
Roundtable. “Codifying the perimeter
rule will improve the
quality of life for residents living
under a flight path. Longdistance
flights would require
heavier planes flying at a lower
altitude and would increase
airplane noise over residential
areas. A big thank you to Senator
John Liu and Assemblyman
Ed Braunstein for taking
the lead on this issue.”
The codification of the perimeter
rule is one of many attempts
to reduce airplane noise
over northeast Queens.
In the past, lawmakers have
called on the Federal Aviation
Administration to study the effects
of the Next Generation Air
Transportation System (Next-
Gen), which would create new
flight paths like LaGuardia’s
Tennis Climb route. Residents
reported that the new route,
touted as a “solution to modernize
the nation’s air transportation
system,” actually increased
airplane noise in the area.
“I fully support the perimeter
rule remaining in effect,
and thank Senator Liu and
Assemblyman Braunstein for
their leadership on this issue,”
Jena Lanzetta, president of
Northwest Bayside Civic Association
said.
Assemblyman Edward
Braunstein is sponsoring this
bill in the Assembly and it is
currently in committee.
Photo courtesy of Queens Farm
Queens Farm brings
new farm stand to
Queens Borough Hall
Lawmaker passes bill codifying
the LaGuardia Perimeter Rule
in an effort to reduce airplane
noise throughout NE Queens
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