50 Years of Growth – March ’26

A vintage moment at Queens Farm

This year marks 50 years since community advocates came together to save Queens County Farm Museum from development, preserving a rare piece of New York City’s agricultural heritage and securing its future as a place of learning, discovery, and connection. Milestones like this invite reflection.

Consider the spring of 2008. A New York Daily News reporter arrived to cover what seemed an unlikely experiment for a historic farm museum: a small vineyard planted just four years earlier on our 47 acres. The vines, established in 2004, were already producing promising results.

Former Operations Manager Gary Mitchell shared the news with pride. The inaugural vintage, drawn from the 2006 harvest, was expected to yield roughly 700 cases. Half would be Merlot. The remainder would become a distinctive red blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc, aptly named the Adriance Blend in honor of the Dutch family who built the Farm’s 1772 farmhouse.

Alas, the vineyard is no longer part of the Farm’s landscape, but the moment endures as a perfect reflection of Queens Farm itself: innovation rooted in history and the enduring belief that even centuries-old ground can support new ideas.

That spirit continues to define the Farm Museum today.