BE ‘YA’ Farms

Building Eden Farms believes the next generation of growers must also be healers of the land. Through our Young Adults Program — run in partnership with the Peekskill Youth Bureau — we teach young people not just how to grow food, but how to farm in ways that restore ecosystems and strengthen community resilience.

Building Eden Young adults
(Ages 15-25)

Two women gardening in a community garden with houses in the background, soil in the foreground, and sunlight.
A young man with glasses wearing a black t-shirt and shorts standing in a garden holding a large freshly harvested carrot.

This collaboration allows us to employ local youth while training them in the foundations of regenerative agriculture: soil health, composting, no-till methods, seed starting, crop planning, and harvesting. Working alongside experienced farmers, and through weekly lessons and workshops with guest growers and land stewards, participants build a deep understanding of biodiversity and closed-loop farming systems.

Beyond stewarding the land, Young Adults in this program gain paid work experience and grow into leaders in their community.

Group of people painting a raised garden bed outdoors on a sunny day.
Stylized brown leaf with multiple elongated oval shapes on a transparent background.

BE ‘THE SALAD PROJECT’

Building Eden salad project
youth and elders (AGES 7-13) 🌿

BE the Salad Project is a five week summer program that brings local youth onto the land and into relationship with their elders. Each week, young growers harvest fresh produce from Building Eden Farms and prepare it into a farm-to-table salad, delivered fresh for lunch to seniors at the City of Peekskill Senior Center.

More than a meal, it's a bridge between generations. Youth learn what it means to be of service — to work with their hands, care for what they grow, and carry that care all the way to someone else's table. Seniors get a fresh, homegrown lunch and the chance to connect with the young people feeding them. It's a space where harvesting becomes an act of care, and where two generations meet in the middle of a freshly grown SALAD!

Stylized brown leaf with multiple elongated oval shapes on a transparent background.
Stylized brown leaf with multiple elongated oval shapes on a transparent background.

Peekskill Regeneration Farm

Peekskill Regeneration Farm is our cornerstone initiative and the living heart of Building Eden Farms. What was once a ¼-acre parcel of city-owned land has been transformed into a thriving, regenerative food space rooted in access, education, and collective care. Here, fresh food is grown and shared freely with the community through workshops, youth programming, weekly farm stands, and public gatherings that honor both nourishment and culture. The farm is more than a growing space—it is a model of what is possible when land is stewarded with intention and community at the center. As our first project, it serves as the inspiration and blueprint for our broader vision: cultivating a network of local food gardens across Peekskill and building a truly food-sovereign community.

Learn more
A woman standing in a vegetable garden, reaching upward with her arm extended, surrounded by tomato plants and leafy greens, with a blue sky overhead.

Once a year, the Peekskill community comes alive on the farm for Praise in the Garden, a celebration of food, art, and connection. Neighbors gather for a free farm-to-table meal while enjoying live performances from local artists, as well as talent from NYC, Upper Westchester, and beyond. From dance to open mic, the farm becomes a stage where creativity and community meet, creating unforgettable shared moments on the land. Serving over 100 people, this beloved event has become a cornerstone of both the farm and the Peekskill community.

Praise in the Garden

Beige and black stylized illustration of a leaf with a curved stem and elongated pods.
Group of musicians playing instruments outdoors in a garden, with a brick building and trees in the background.
A woman performs a yoga pose in a garden with a woman in the background talking on a phone.
Group of children dancing outdoors during daytime, some with braided hair, wearing white t-shirts with black star logos and blue skirts or pants, with trees in the background.
Three women in matching pink dresses dance outdoors with their arms raised during daytime.
Women in red tops and black bottoms performing a dance outdoors on a grassy area with trees and an audience seated in the background.
Two people dancing outdoors, one holding a lit LED poi with a blue and green fabric attached, surrounded by green trees and garden beds.
Three women bowing during an outdoor performance, wearing purple skirts and white tops, with a crowd watching in the background under trees.
A man wearing sunglasses and a patterned traditional African shirt playing drums, with another man in a similar attire sitting next to him, and a group of children in colorful clothing standing behind them, outdoors in a park with a fence and trees i
A woman dancing outdoors in a garden, holding fabric in each hand, with music instruments and people seated nearby, surrounded by trees and plants.

Explore the Praise:

HElp us create a sustainable, replicable model for regenerative urban agriculture.

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