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West
Haven Farm was started by John and Jen Bokaer-Smith in 1992. Our 10
acre farm is Certified Organic by NOFA-NY Certified Organic, LLC, and is located on a
beautiful hill two miles from downtown Ithaca, NY at EcoVillage.
The land we farm is protected by a permanent conservation easement so
we can continue producing food here indefinitely without pressure from
development (through the Finger
Lakes Land Trust).
We
market all of our produce directly to consumers through our Community Supported
Agriculture program and the Ithaca Farmers' Market.
We have never been interested in putting our produce in a box and
shipping it to unknown people in far-away places—we value the
relationships we cultivate with those who eat the food we grow, and
feel good about knowing the people for whom we grow food.
Being
so close to Ithaca allows us to provide a multitude of educational
experiences on the farm, and we regularly host tours of school
children, college students, and local, regional, and international
farmers. (See our education page.)
The
farm could not run without the contributions of the people who work
here and volunteer on the farm, and we truly appreciate the hundreds of
hands who have helped make West Haven Farm a reality.

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Jen
and John met at college at U.C. Berkeley, in Urban Gardening
class. It was clear from the beginning that agriculture was in our
future! We returned to Jen's hometown of Ithaca after college, and we
got married and started the farm. Many of our wedding gifts came from
the farming supply company where we registered. (Perplexed guests wrote
things like, "I hope you like this dirt squincher," on wedding
cards...) After a few years of running the farm while managing the
produce section at our local cooperative market, John quit the juggling
act and began farming full time in 1995. Jen works off the farm
full-time but still helps out at market, with the CSA, and the
big-picture farm planning.
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Nathaniel spent his
early summers in a backpack while we were hoeing weeds or washing
produce, and now helps out a few days a week—especially with harvesting
berries, tending his chickens, and working at the market stall.
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Todd (right), West Haven's manager, has been living in Ithaca since the Fall of 2004. He received a
Bachelor's Degree from SUNY Albany in 2001. He was born and raised in
New Jersey. Live music, hiking and reading are some of the activities
that he gets the most joy out of. He's also the head coach of the
Tompkins County Special Olympics swim team. |
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Darceyhas the official title of Farm Office Goddess. She handles not only the business side of things, but also the communications, and if you call or email the farm she's the person you'll be getting in touch with. Darcey’s other life is as a Unitarian Universalist Minister in Athens Pennsylvania. She is proud to serve a congregation which raises herbs and veggies in recycled industrial barrels to donate to the local food pantry, advocates Ethical Eating, and sponsors the Community Shale Network for their rural community. Darcey, her son Nick, husband Eric and 2 dogs moved to Ithaca 4 years ago to be closer to family. She is still impressed by the cold winters in the Southern Tier, and is still getting to know her new eco-system.
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Seth began working at West Haven Farm in April of 2010. Life's vicissitudes brought him home to Ithaca from Austin, TX where he wrote for an online music and high-end audio publication. Some of Seth's fondest childhood memories are of visiting his grandparents' farm in western Ohio. He hopes to have inherited his grandfather's green thumb.
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Taryn came to the area as an Environmental Studies major at Ithaca College, where she co-founded the IC Community Garden. She graduated in 2010 and decided to remain in Ithaca to explore all that is has to offer. In her spare time, Taryn loves to cook, bake, and preserve food, tend to her community garden plot, and play with her cat. |
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