Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
Mimi Edelman and Eileen Zidi are two hip ladies just working the land - albeit not their land. Between the two these farmers share 26 years growing experience. Eileen was impulsively weeding through most of the workshop, while Mimi walked a good dozen of us along a tour and shared the story of their joint enterprise I&Me Farm. I&Me Farm is reviving the agricultural past cultivating two acres of diversified vegetables and micro greens at a private estate located in Mount Kisco. Next year they will be increasing to three acres at this site and relinquishing an acre they currently cultivate at another property just ten minutes away.
Mimi and Eileen own only the bare essentials: their strong hands and a few vital gardening implements. With a firm handshake and honest partnership with the landowner and groundskeeper, Eileen and Mimi get what they need to grow their crops without spending too much of a cent.
Beyond continued access to the land, after two years of being on the property the landowner appreciated how these women transformed a patch of his estate into food producing land so much he offered to financially invest. Mimi said they appreciated his gesture of faith and trust in their business, but after last season with the impact of Late Blight on their tomato crop I&ME Farm lost $40,000 of potential revenue. Like smart business owners, they themselves want to ensure long-term success before taking on investors.
To support the full-time work they love, both women work off the farm too. Mimi is a horticulture therapist and farm-based educator. Eileen is a bartender, which has turned out to be quite useful for networking. I&Me Farm has been able to borrow and share tools, machinery, labor or found new consumer markets, available lands, or greenhouse space through networking at the bars. With a response of laughter from the interns, Mimi noted dumpster diving also helps reduce costs. The newly formed Westchester Farm Alliance sponsored by the Westchester Land Trust hosts regular informal convergences of regional farmers, growers, and proponents of local agriculture which has also served as a valuable networking resource for I&Me. Us interns have the Farm Alliance to thank for initiating the first ever Lower Hudson C.R.A.F.T. - thanks Farmers!
Eileen Hochberg also spoke on behalf of the Westchester Land Trust and their fastest growing program ever - a Match Program connecting experienced farmers without land to Westchester landowners. To date there have been five matches made. Thus far, no landowners have asked for payment from the farmers. Landowners have been hesitant to sign five-year agreements, however, wanting to see good results and progress one season at a time. Landowners and farmers wishing to be matched fill out a survey form describing how they envision their land be used or what type of farming operation they wish to practice, respectively. 
Linsay Cochran from Kitchawan Farm made sure to point out that Ag credits will not be what entice landowners to open their properties to farmers; it will be their interest in supporting local agriculture. That is because small scale farmers are not eligible for Ag Credits. For a farm operation to be eligible it must cultivate a minimum of 7 acres or gross more than $50,000 in the first year amongst other out of reach requirements for small farmers. Impressively, Mimi and Eileen have their experience and hard work to offer, running a successful I&Me less than 3 acre Farm operation. They have been fortunate to share in the generosity of Westchester’s wealthy who are now playing a key role in supporting an alternative local food infrastructure in the county.
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