On Friday, June 21, 2024, Walden visited Crossroads Farm in Malverne, NY for our annual day of community service (“Walden Day”).
We started the day bright and early, arriving at the farm around 7:30 a.m. and beginning work at 8. The day was incredibly hot and humid but we were able to accomplish a lot! In the morning, we worked on clearing an area that was overgrown with mugwort so that it could be turned into an educational space for kids. Some of us also helped out with picking vegetables. In the afternoon, we made puppets for use in additional educational programs. Throughout the day, we also cleaned gourds, which are going to be turned into birdhouses.
The other volunteers and workers at Crossroads Farm were incredibly kind and welcoming, and their passion for what they do was evident. It was a pleasure to work in a place that is clearly very important to the community, and we enjoyed helping to accomplish some big tasks!
About Crossroads Farm
Crossroads Farm belonged to the Grossman family for over a century, and when it was put up for sale, Nassau County purchased the property in order to keep it from being developed. Since then, the farm has been operated by the Nassau Land Trust, which works to protect and conserve land.
The farm is supported by volunteers and community members, and it has come a long way since purchase! It has been a certified organic farm for over a decade and sells the produce it grows through its farm store, along with food and other products from dozens of local businesses. Volunteers are always welcome, and only have to bring a willingness to learn. The farm also offers a huge range of educational programs for all ages, including a partnership with the Girl Scouts of Nassau County. The focus is on allowing people to learn through various experiences on the farm.
About Walden Day
Giving back to the communities where we operate is extremely important to us at Walden. Walden Day was started over two decades ago, and has been going strong ever since. Each year, we find an organization near one of our office locations (that can accommodate a group of our size) where we can spend a day helping out in whatever ways are most useful. Walden Day is usually held on a Friday around Walden’s anniversary to celebrate our founding on May 19, 1995.
Past volunteer day activities have included helping out at a soup kitchen, stripping paint off of fences, planting native species, and building desks. We strive to find a different organization to help every year, and we also try to vary the location from year to year so that we can spread our efforts to the different places that Walden is based.
If you are a nonprofit organization that would benefit from hosting a group of around 20 volunteers for a day, please contact Walden at 516-271-1948 at any time. We would be happy to discuss future volunteer opportunities with you. To read more about several of our past volunteer days, click here. Be sure to also visit the Crossroads Farm website if you are interested in learning more about their work!