Elija Farm To Be Farmland Forever

The Town and County have acquired development rights Elija Farm in South Huntington guaranteeing it will remain undeveloped in perpetuity.

By Peter Sloggatt
psloggatt@longislandergroup.com

Elijah Farm will be farmland in perpetuity.

Owners of the 6-1/2 acre farm in South Huntington are closing a deal for the town and county to jointly future purchase development rights for the property. The transaction will guarantee the farm will remain just that and not be sold for housing or otherwise developed.

The property was part of a 10-plus acre farm  owned by Larry Foglia and Heather Forest  who still live and farm on the remaining acreage. “Leftover hippies,” according to Foglia, the husband-wife team sold the larger portion to Elija Farm which leased another two acres and operates a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project. The CSA provides employment to autistic adults.

Foglia’s father originally bought the farm in 1963 after moving from Nassau County. in addition to raising vegetables, the family specialized in growing perennial day lilies, and hostas for the floral industry. Foglia acquired the additional acreage more recently and switched from nursery to CSA.

Foglia consults on agriculture and environmental issues and his search for stewards to continue farming the land led him the Elija CSA which operates a larger farm in Levittown.

The Huntington town board last week approved a lot line change to separate the two properties. Funding for the purchase comes from the county’s 1/4-cent sales tax surcharge and Huntington’s environmental preservation fund.

“The goal was to preserve the property,”Foglia said. “Now it is farmland in perpetuity. M9IyI=