28 AUGUST 2 0 2 0
FOOD + DRINK
Photo by Sabrina Moscola
QBY SABRINA MOSCOLA ueens Farms, started by
Astoria couple Scott Pidgeon
and David Garland, began
as an impromptu decision
in June 2020, both for them
as founders and for me as a
customer. I received an alert via
the Nextdoor app about a late summer
CSA and my interest was piqued. Never
having belonged to one, I contacted
Garland with many questions — organic?
free of pesticides? logistics of pickups?
My questions were answered with
patience and care. I was sold.
Growing up, Pidgeon worked on
a farm, so he’s always been involved
with plants and gardening; Garland
became interested in plants after meeting
Pidgeon. In addition to their CSA,
both work full time in financial services.
Growing sustainably is important to
them: They don’t till the soil or use machinery
that’s harmful to the earth. Their
efforts quickly got them approved as
Certified Naturally Grown (CNG).
“We started Queens Farms as an
experiment on Scott’s parents’ property
in the Hudson Valley in 2019. We
wanted to see what we could do and
if we could grow on a larger scale than
a roof deck and backyard in Astoria,”
Garland said.
Over the winter, the couple started
thousands of plants inside, which they
planned to plant outside in the spring.
“Then COVID-19 hit New York and
it seemed very irresponsible to do a
food experiment,” Garland said, who
explained that food security has always
been an issue, but it was highlighted
by the pandemic. "In early March, we
had lettuce in the ground and tomatoes,
peppers, eggplants and chard
growing indoors. There was no outlet
for the lettuce, so we donated about
1,000 heads to City Harvest. Not having
an outlet was a problem and we
were concerned about distribution
and food waste, so we quickly started
the CSA for our neighbors in Astoria
and Long Island.”
What’s special about Queens Farms
is the communication with members,
giving updates on how the veggies are
growing, tips for what to cook and what
to expect in each week’s box. Pickup
has been easy and efficient. I’ve gotten
to experience vegetables I typically
wouldn’t buy on my own. Since Queens
Farms provides recipes ahead of time,
I've been able to purchase the other
needed ingredients beforehand — that
way, when my veggies come, I'm ready
to cook. Even the herbs have inspired
new creations; with lavender, I made
calming tea.
They’ve added a special touch by including
homemade treats, like zucchini
bread or cookies (which I eat immediately
upon getting home). The personal
feel to this CSA truly sets them apart.
FARM
FRESH Impromptu CSA Queens
Farms brings organic
veggies to Astoria