New Farm Equipment Co-Op for Local Farmers Named in Memory of Lyle Wells

With the help of a generous donation from the LSW Foundation, the Peconic Land Trust developed the Lyle Wells Farm Equipment Co-op in order to meet some of the challenges faced by many of the startup farmers in our incubator program at the Agricultural Center at Charnews Farm, and part of our Farms for the Future Initiative.

The new program is named in memory of local Riverhead farmer Lyle Wells. Mr. Wells, who passed away in 2018, was passionate about Long Island agriculture. We are pleased to honor his legacy through this program.

New farmers often start off with a limited amount of capital. This can prevent them from purchasing the equipment they need to start their farm. Or, they might buy equipment based on the beginning size of their farm (1 acre), which can preclude saving for larger or more versatile pieces of equipment as they grow in scale and graduate from the program.

To help reduce these issues, we will provide a variety of professional quality tools to be shared among the participants of our incubator program for the small fee of $250 per year. This will give these farmers access to equipment that is right for the initial size of their business while enabling them to save for larger equipment as they grow in scale.

For more information about The Lyle Wells Farm Equipment Co-op, contact Dan Heston at 631.734.5630 or Jessie Marcus at 631.283.3195.