Long Island home's front yard transformed into farm
NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - A Long Island couple wants to make it easier for families to eat locally. They're trying to bring small farms to neighborhoods across the New York area.
Drive down Hyman Avenue in Bay Shore and everything, for the most part, looks uniform with the exception of Cassandra Trimarco's property, which has been transformed into a produce farm.
Lawn Island Farms owners Rosette and Jim Adams do all of the dirty work. They hope to inspire others to grow locally.
"It's just bringing fresh, local food to the community," said Rosette, originally from Uganda. She uses her green thumb and lifelong experience of farming. Her husband Jim was looking for a career change and wanted to introduce edible landscaping and urban farming to Long Island.
"A lot of lettuces, we've got spinach, we've got arugula," Jim said. "Stuff we're going to be able to mix together and sell as a mixed salad."
Cassandra lets Lawn Island Farms use her land in exchange for $30 worth of produce each week. The rest of the food is sold at local farmers markets.
But some residents we spoke to want to nip it in the bud.
"I just think that should be in their backyard and not on the front lawn," said one neighbor.
The Town of Islip said there are no zoning issues.
Cassandra just moved to the neighborhood last month. She said she is excited to use her land, which she pays taxes on, for something other than a lawn.
"Skepticism exists but so does freedom to do what you want with your land," Cassandra said.