North Brooklyn Farms
Domino Sugar Refinery Complex -
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
(2012 - 2019)
North Brooklyn Farms was the public urban farm & green space at the Domino Sugar Refinery along the East River in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. As a “temporary” seven-year community project on part of the Domino redevelopment, the farm served as public green space for the neighborhood, sporting a bike track, green lawn space and dynamic organic vegetable program. Public programming included weekly volunteer farm hours, farmstand, public yoga classes, a Sunday Supper dinner series with vegetables grown on-site & garden education visits from local schools.
In 2015, the opening of its 2nd location opened up a stretch of land along the East River the a piece of land previously inaccessible to the public, for the first time in over 150 years. With views of the Manhattan skyline set under the Williamsburg Bridge, it also served as a private event space, hosting private dinners, corporate volunteer events, film & photoshoots from all over the world and dozens of weddings. North Brooklyn Farms exhibited the potential that could be achieved when combining agriculture and public green space as a community amenity.
North Brooklyn Farms Event Highlights:
Philip Lim 10th Year Anniversary Dinner (September 2015)
National Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
“Farm to Table” Fundraiser Dinner (June 2019)The Dan Barber Row 7 & Sweet Greens Commercial:
“The Future is Flavor”Califia Farms x Supper Women Dinner:
“Women with Supper Powers”Squarespace Super Bowl Commercial: “You Should”
Spotify Fan First Live Music Series: “St. Lucia” (September 2018)
Shake Shack Williamsburg Grand Opening Launch Party (October 2017)
“Ye” Official Brooklyn Album Launch Party (June 2018)
Claus Meyer Dinner with Visit Denmark
Key Accomplishments:
Opening a historic landmarked property to the public for the first time in over 150 years
Operation for 7 seasons as a self-funded parkspace open to the public 6 days per week, hosting tens of thousands of visitors
A public volunteer program allowing thousands of New Yorkers to directly participate in organic agriculture & green ecology
A true farm-to-table dining service for thousands of guests at our “Sunday Supper” & Guest Chefs Dinner Series
Two Crowdfunding Campaigns (Kickstarter & Kiva Zip) raising over $40,000 in funds
Origination of Smallhold Mushroom Farm
Site of Artist Tom Fruin’s “Kolonihavehus”
Timeout New York’s #1 Thing to Do” in Summer 2013 (As Part of Havemeyer Park)
Featured in: Vice News, Timeout, NY Post, The NY Times, Heaps Magazine (Japan), Gear Patrol, Brooklyn Paper, Gardenista, Gourmadela
Community Testimony:
“What a truely beautiful, colourful and thriving urban farm in Williamsburg. At ground level this farm is accessible to all. After a chat with one of the founding farmers, came away feeling truly inspired at how possible it is to create such a biodiverse green space in an otherwise concrete jungle.” - @nottsroosevelt
“North Brooklyn Farms has been an important part of my family's daily life since it opened in 2013. The farm is a world unto itself with a strong sense of community due in large part to the friendly spirit of Ryan, Henry, and their team. The farm has brought joy into our lives and marked important milestones. Our five-year old daughter Beatrix has been going to NBF since in utero and we have watched her grow up there. Compared with other playgrounds and parks, it is more intimate and bounded, providing a non-stressful place for me to watch Beatrix and allow her to run freely. Because there isn't a playground, the children find other creative ways of playing with each other and friendships form between children of different ages. It's also one of the few places that we can relax with both our dog and our daughter. Our dog pulls us to the front gate of the farm on all his walks - even during the winter when it's closed….
My daughter helped Ryan plant sunflower seeds in the glass house and she helped watered them over many weeks until they were in full bloom. It was her first intimate connection to nature in the city. Last year I arranged a class field trip for my daughter's JIC Williamsburg pre-k class. Ryan did a wonderful interactive program with the kids that taught them about plants.
- Corinne Botz, Nate Green and Beatrix