Neighbors, local officials rally to save Bushwick City Farm from closure
For more than 10 years, the volunteer‑run farm has grown produce, cared for animals and offered a rare patch of open green space in a dense part of Brooklyn.
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Community members are pushing to save Bushwick City Farm after the longtime green space was suddenly locked by its property owners, leaving residents and volunteers cut off from a place many say has shaped the neighborhood for nearly two decades.
For more than 10 years, the volunteer‑run farm has grown produce, cared for animals and offered a rare patch of open green space in a dense part of Brooklyn. Supporters say it has become a vital community hub.
“This has been something really good for the neighborhood for almost the last 20 years,” said farm member David Marcano.
He says the site hosted school trips for kids, picnics and served as a gathering place for those looking to learn how to care for plants.
The gates were locked several weeks ago by TOXO and Arrow Property LLC, which owns the lot.
The Department of Buildings confirmed the site also received a violation in January after beds were found inside sheds on the property. Since then, residents say they have been left standing outside the fence, unable to tend to the trees and plants they have nurtured for years.
“If this were to go away, it would be horrible because where else are the kids going to be able to come to hang out?” Marcano said, adding that the flock of hens that called the park home had been removed by volunteers, who hope they can return soon.
Neighbors who grew up visiting the farm say watching it sit unused has been painful.
Chris, who has been coming to the farm since he was 8, said, “I was a child when this farm started, and it’s like seeing your child starve, and you cannot help them.”
Local elected officials have begun weighing in. Councilmember Chi Osse and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso have publicly supported the community’s push to preserve the space, sharing posts urging the city to work toward a solution. Residents hope the city can negotiate with the property owners, though it remains unclear which agency would take the lead.
News 12 has reached out to TOXO Arrow Property and City Hall for comment and will update this story when they respond.
A community board hearing on the farm is scheduled for Monday evening.
