Past Garden Programs
Lenape Blue Corn Project
As part of an ongoing planting project, artist Christina Kelly planted a blue corn called Sehsapsing on the Wyckoff Farm. It’s a Lenape heritage blue flour corn. She first planted this corn in 2010 as part of her public garden project: Maize Field. The Maize Field project consisted of two corn gardens planted in two areas of Brooklyn that were designated “Indian Planting Land” according to 17th Century Dutch land grants. Since her original Maize Field project, Kelly donated Sehsapsing seeds to be planted in other parts of the Brooklyn and New Jersey, including Prospect Park, East New York, and Short Hills. In the summer of 2013, Kelly continued the tradition at Wyckoff House where the corn is planted as part of a three sisters garden along with Lenape cutshort beans, and squash. After the harvest a portion of the seeds were saved for future planting and the rest were ground up into a corn flour for baking. Kelly’s corn and final baked products were featured at the 2013 Breukelen Country Fair.
Check out more about the artist at her artist website: www.discobikini.com
The Maize Field website: http://www.brooklynmaize.org/
Solar-Powered Hydroponic Grow System
The Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum was proud to host Sustainable Flatbush‘s Solar-Powered Hydroponic Farm. Partnering with hydroponic specialists Boswyck Farms and using funds from Citizens Committee of New York City‘s New Yorkers for Better Neighborhoods grant program, Sustainable Flatbush created an innovative project that demonstrating off-grid renewable energy to power pumps for a 3-bed deep water culture hydroponic system. Utilizing the Wyckoff Farm’s abundant sunlight and open space, the Solar-Powered Hydroponic Farm grew purslane, tomatoes, bok choy, basil, lavender, lettuce, and green sorrel. Other collaborations with Sustainable Flatbush have allowed us to share the farm’s bounty of food and environmental education opportunities with the East Flatbush community at our Farm Camp, Summer Stoop and Breukelen Country Fair events.
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USTAINABLE FLATBUSH is a Brooklyn based community organization that brings neighbors together to mobilize, educate and advocate for sustainable living in our Brooklyn Neighborhood and beyond.