Photo via Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens.
By COLE SINANIAN
LONG ISLAND CITY — On April 23 the Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens (VBGCQ) officially launched its new and improved Sky Farm LIC, a rooftop urban farm that provides thousands of pounds of fresh produce to the LIC and Astoria communities.
Situated atop the Standard Motors building at 21-12 30th Road, Sky Farm LIC is a one-acre rooftop farm and educational space where local students use organic farming techniques to grow vegetables, herbs and flowers in the summer and fall. About 75% of the produce goes to VBGCQ itself, while the rest gets donated to LaGuardia Community College and Astoria Food Pantry and shared with volunteers.
More than 4,000 pounds of food have been distributed and 1,200 community members have been served yearly since the Sky Farm’s opening in the summer of 2023. In addition to food, Sky Farm LIC offers after school programming, farm tours, and hosts field trips for schools from Queens and throughout New York.
Now, thanks to funding from the New York Power Authority (NYPA), Sky Farm LIC is getting major infrastructure upgrades like a greenhouse, a temperature controlled high-tunnel, a new enclosed wash and pack station, expanded electrical access, new irrigation systems, new walkway pavers, and a fully-equipped indoor classroom for cooking classes, energy education, and an expansion of art-based activities.
To celebrate the upgrades, community partners, elected officials, sponsors, supporters, and students gathered on the rooftop of the Standard Motors building Thursday.
Elected officials and community members present included Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung, Assemblymember Diana Moreno, Assemblymember Catalina Cruz, State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, New York Power Authority CEO/President Justin Driscoll, Brooklyn/Queens Electrical Operations General Manager Zeffrey Frazier, Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens CEO Costa Constantinides, Assemblymember Claire Valdez, Chief Operating Officer Hydro Quebec Energy Services Serge Abergel, and NYSERDA President/CEO Doreen Harris.
“New York’s clean energy transition is not just about infrastructure,” said Harris, “it’s also about making sure the benefits of a cleaner, healthier future are felt in every community – which is at the very heart of Sky Farm LIC’s mission.”
“As the farm blooms once again, we are grateful for The New York Power Authority’s critical investment in helping us build a new greenhouse, new high tunnel, improved pathways, reimagined learning space beneath the water tower, new plumbing and our newly christened Educational Center,” Constantinides added. “These investments will help SFLIC grow our reach to exceed the fantastic more than 4,500 pounds of food in 2025 and 1200 visitors served.”
