The Hudson Valley Farm Hub is a nonprofit agricultural center dedicated to resiliency in the regional food system.
Since the Farm Hub’s founding, we have converted the approximately 1600-acre farm operation to a multi-year rotation of organically grown grains, cover crops, and vegetables with an intensive focus on soil health. Along with machine-scale crop production and improved on-farm infrastructure, we have developed a suite of programs and practices to align with our mission of fostering an equitable and ecologically resilient food system – one that meets the economic and social needs of our communities while working in partnership with natural systems.
To this end, we host and support research, provide farmer training, demonstrate on-farm practices, and support food distribution channels that prioritize people and planet. The land, previously Gill Farms, was purchased in 2013 with funding from NoVo Foundation as part of a broader commitment to sustainable agriculture, natural resource conservation, and thriving local communities. Now a subsidiary of NoVo, the Farm Hub collaborates with an ever-growing number of partners working in food and agriculture across the region, in nearby Kingston, and in our neighboring communities.
Partnerships
Learn more about the organizations that we work alongside in the Hudson Valley and beyond.
Challenges & Opportunities
The challenges facing our food system are significant. Climate change has brought extreme weather and with it flooding, soil loss, pests, and diseases. A nationalized food distribution system is squeezing small and mid-sized farms out of wholesale markets. Steep land prices and equipment costs are making farm ownership challenging, if not prohibitive. Many of these factors have contributed to what has been a dramatic loss of farmland in the Hudson Valley over the course of a generation.
The strengths and opportunities we have available to address these challenges are also impressive. With strengths like deeply rooted farming traditions, excellent soils, young growers eager to explore farming careers, and proximity to New York City markets, the Hudson Valley region is well poised to capture the momentum of the burgeoning local food movement.
The Farm Hub began working with Hudson Valley farmers and partner organizations to identify barriers to and opportunities for building a resilient food system. Farmers and agricultural experts agreed on the need for regionally focused field research and training for the next generation of farmers. The vision emerged for a non-profit Farm Hub to serve as a center to meet these needs. A search for land led to the Gill Farm, whose central location, large number of acres, superior soil quality and extensive on-farm infrastructure made it the ideal place to turn the Farm Hub vision into a reality.
The Farm Hub was founded in 2013 and began the transition from private farm operation to a non-profit organization. Many of the original collaborators continue to be involved, even as the Farm Hub expands its circle of advisors and partner organizations. By bringing resources, people and institutions together, the Farm Hub is building programming to harness the region’s strengths for a more resilient future.
Organic certification
In 2021 the Farm Hub formally became a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) certified organic operation through NOFA-NY. All farm products carry the USDA Certified Organic label. The Farm Hub has been managing its 1500 acres organically since 2014.
