March 13, 2026
RIPA’s Urban Farm Celebrates 20 Years of Growth!
Celebrate 20 Years with Our Exceptional Urban Farm
Since its opening in 2006, our Urban Farm at Randall’s Island Park has become a haven for park patrons, class field trips and so much more, even becoming a popular location for some of our free public programs.
“There have been so many people over the last 20 years that have helped shape what today is one of the most expansive Urban Farms in the Greater New York City area,” said Urban Farm Manager Ciara Sidell. “The farm has become such an important hub for the Park, as the focal point of our edible education program and the site of several events each season. It’s incredible to see how much its grown and become such a special and significant destination for Park visitors of all ages.”
Our Urban Farm has seen growth in so many ways over the last two decades. Since 2019, when Sidell became the Urban Farm Manager, the Farm has doubled the pounds of food its grown and expanded its Community Food Education Program to donate thousands of pounds of food to our East Harlem community while continuing to incorporate fresh produce into cooking classes on and off the farm. The farm has also expanded its Community Seed Distribution Program – a key initiative that supports food access across the South Bronx, East Harlem, and beyond, and distributed nearly 4,000 seedlings to partners last year.
Nick Storrs, RIPA Urban Farm Manager from 2012-2019, saw the early development of the farm and played a hands-on role in helping shape it to the staple of the Park it is today. “It was truly a community project,” remembers Storrs. “There were so many different groups involved in doing whatever it took to advance the farm, from RIPA management to partners like GrowNYC and the many gardeners and kids who cultivated the farm into a central pillar of NYC’s urban agriculture and education.”
The Urban Farm officially opens on March 15 at our Wake Up the Farm Day where from 10:00AM-1:00PM, volunteers can help the farm get ready for the 2026 season and enjoy some hot cocoa and live music! The farm is open every Sunday for volunteering from 10:00AM-1:00PM and is for individuals from the community and not open to groups larger than five people. If you wish to bring more than five people, you must first contact us at [email protected].
See the farm through the years in the photo gallery below!
