Results tagged “queenscountyfarmmuseum”

City Kids Lack Critical Farm Knowledge For State Tests

While the NY Times' story on a Harlem charter school's kindergarten visit to the Queens County Farm Museum might just seem like a human interest story, there's actually a serious reason behind it: The state's English and math tests seem biased towards kids with knowledge of farms. There are "several questions each year about livestock, crops and the other staples of the rural experience that some educators say flummox city children, whose knowledge of nature might begin and end at Central Park. On the state English test this year, for instance, third graders were asked questions relating to chickens and eggs. In math, they had to count sheep and horses." Oh no!!!

October 22-28: Lance Armstrong Week at Hill Country

Did you ever hear the one about the vineyard in Queens, just minutes away from the Little Neck Parkway Q46 bus stop? Even if you haven’t, it’s true. First reported three years ago, the borough is finally set to prove it has terroir in spades with the imminent production of its namesake wine. The epicenter for this oenophile revolution is the Queens County Farm Museum, described on its website as “New York City's largest remaining tract of undisturbed farmland,” and “the only working historical farm in the City.” It’s also one of the oldest farms in the entire state of New York, celebrating its 310th birthday this year. It’s about time for Queens to have its own wine. Gothamist visited the farm yesterday, and got the full story from vintner Gary Mitchell.

We're so glad you asked this question, because we are getting ready to kick it into gear for Autumn of Fun 05, which involves getting large-ish groups of people together for autumnal excursions such as apple picking. We found a few orchards that offer apple picking and directions by mass transit:

The Queens County Farm Museum, the only working farm in the city, is planning on starting a vineyard. The Post reports that the Farm would be "bottling Chardonnays, Cabernets and Merlots as early as 2007." It seems that the climate in Queens is better suited for wine production than Long Island. Joshua Wesson, CEO of Best Cellars, gives this optimistic yet guarded quote, "It will be interesting to see if Queens wine can capture the taste of the old world, or if it will taste like something from a world no one has ever been to." Bob Ransom of Vintage New York says, "Believe it or not you can grow grapes and make wine in far less hospitable places than Queens." The vineyard needs a name; Gothamist thinks some Queens neighborhoods might be great starting points for one: Shea; Jackson Heights; Forest Hills; Fresh Meadows; Sunnyside.

The Queens Country Farm Museum sells fresh milk and honey daily from its shops, plus sells vegetables during the summer (tomatoes, corn, and eggplant). And, starting in April, on the weekends, they'll start the hayrides again - field trip!

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