Elija Farm

About ELIJA Farm

The ELIJA Farm is a sustainable, non-profit farm in South Huntington, NY committed to using environmentally responsible practices to raise high quality produce. The ELIJA Farm CSA (community supported agriculture) is dedicated to enriching the health and wellness of our community through dynamic learning opportunities to its diverse membership. ELIJA Farm welcomes differently-abled students and adults to play a role in the productivity of the farm; learning vocational skills in agriculture, inventory control and distribution. These experiences help adults develop competencies to lead successful and fulfilling lives, creating a new future – for themselves, their families, the community and the economy. 

Our Story

Special education experts Debora Thivierge and Randy Horowitz of ELIJA School founded ELIJA Farm as a non-profit project in 2016. The land, in South Huntington, NY, had been owned and farmed by the Foglia family for more than 50 fruitful years. Farmers and educators Larry Foglia and Heather Forest were in search of new stewards of their fields. With a shared passion for sustainable agriculture and experiential learning, Deb and Randy collaborated with Larry and Heather to evolve the vision of the farm’s CSA program. Larry and Heather serve as the farm’s primary agricultural consultants.

Our Future

Our mission is driven by responsible agricultural practices, environmental conservation, and serving as a caring community for adolescents and adults with complex language, learning, and cognitive disabilities. Our farm is unique in offering vocational programming and life-skills training to these individuals who play a daily role in the production of the farm. With public support, we have worked with Suffolk County and the Town of Huntington to preserve 3.6 acres of our land for conservation. This agreement has provided ELIJA Farm with the valuable opportunity to purchase the remaining 2.5 acres of land from Heather and Larry. 

By acquiring this remaining parcel, ELIJA Farm will move closer to fulfilling its vision of creating a state-of-the-art greenhouse and conversion of the existing barn into a classroom and workspace. This will allow for enhanced programming opportunities in a safe and supported environment for children and adults with disabilities.

For more information, visit www.ELIJAFarm.org