The Last Farm in New York City:
Decker Farm, Staten Island

Sharing New York City's Farming Heritage with All New Yorkers

Take a Farm Journey

Visit the last full time commercial farm in New York City as it was in the 1990s, when Tim Anagnostis, a farmer using old style methods, was working the Decker Farm. Meet Augustine, the new part-time farmer who is working the land today. Get a glimpse of NYC farming history and hear about the transition from family farming to modern urban agriculture. This full length documentary is also available in several short chapters so you can enjoy at your leisure.

See Old Time Farm Photos

See photos of the farms that existed in all five boroughs of NYC.

Get Involved

Want to find a farmers’ market, get involved in urban farming, or need food assistance? Here is a curated directory of local NYC resources that can help you get started:

Documenting The Last Commercial Farm in New York City

In the early 1990s, I video-taped my grand uncle, Tim Anagnostis, working on the Decker Farm in Staten Island, New York. Tim had been able to rent the entire Decker Farm in 1959, and continued farming it until his death in 2000. At that time, Tim, who was already in his late 70s, was the last full-time commercial farmer operating within the boundaries of New York City, but I didn’t know it then. To me, he was simply the last of an era, doing full time farming with low tech methods that had otherwise disappeared from New York City. During those years, when I could, I helped him do basic farm tasks, seeking not only to cement this moment in my memory, but to learn something.

What is the Decker Farm?

The Decker Farm is an eleven acre historic farm located at 435 Richmond Hill Road on Staten Island. It was bequeathed to the Staten Island Historical Society in 1956. In 1967 it was designated a New York City Landmark. In 2003, the Historical Society sold an easement to the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation which now protects it from development in perpetuity. The Trust for Public Land, which facilitated the sale, described it as “NYC’s Last Working Farm.”

Today, the farm is no longer operated as a commercial enterprise. A small section of the farm is operated as a seasonal part-time farm, while another section is used as Historic Richmond Town’s October hay maze and pumpkin picking attraction.

Commercial Farms Replaced by a New Type of Urban Agriculture

Although traditional commercial farming within New York City limits hasn’t been financially viable for decades, a new type of urban farming and appreciation for local produce has taken its place, and the rich knowledge of farming is alive and well in the city.

The new types of non-commercial, urban farming include rooftop gardens, community farms, food justice programs, youth training programs and small food-to-table farms. Many of the farms are run with the assistance of apprentice and volunteer workers.

The current Decker Farm is an example of this. Shortly after Tim’s death, the Decker Farm was used as a venue for a farmer training program run by the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Cooperative Extension Program (CCE).

Augustine, who currently farms a section of the property, attended the Cornell program, and while there, was offered the opportunity of running a section of the Decker Farm. With the help of his wife Agripina, he grows enough vegetables to share with his family and sell at the St. George Greenmarket on Staten Island. For five months a year, he farms during the afternoons and weekends, while maintaining his full time job at Snug Harbor.

The Decker Farm also generates revenue as an October pumpkin picking and hayride attraction for the Richmondtown Historic Society.

Another example of modern urban farming is Harlem Grown, a non-profit which operates small farm sites and works with partner schools in Harlem. Founded in 2011, Harlem Grown’s mission is to provide hands-on education in urban farming, sustainability and nutrition to local youth and residents.