The James
Hobbs family came to Long Island from Georgia in 1906 and grew
farm produce in New Village (North Centereach) for Local Long
Islanders for three generations, first as farm workers and later
purchasing the land for Hobbs Farm. James’ son, Alfred Hobbs
took ownership in 1955 and farmed his own property as well as
rental farmland in the surrounding area for many years. He
passed up many opportunities to sell the property, hoping that
it would remain a farm.
Hobbs Farm is the
last farm in Centereach, as well as the last African-American
family farm on Long Island. When Mr. Hobbs passed away in the
late 1990’s, he left the farm property to the Bethel AME Church
in Setauket where he was a member. Legal complications caused
a delay in transfer and led to a time when the farm was
vandalized and fell into disrepair.
To support Bethel
Church, Friends of Hobbs Farm was formed in 2007. The
restoration process began in 2008 with renovating the farmhouse
and barn, starting a two-acre cooperative gardening project
which provides produce to several local food ministries, and
developing some community activities on site.
The vision of Bethel Church
and the Hobbs Restoration is to restore the land to its original
use, create a permanent retreat and education center on site,
and honor the Hobbs Family legacy of feeding and befriending
their neighbors.
Friends of the Farm welcomes
your support as we continue to create “A Farm for All People, a
Farm for All Time”.
