Syracuse, NY (NCC News) – On a chilly Saturday morning, Brady Farm welcomes locals into its barn market to a table and fridge filled with produce: kale, carrots, squash, and the last greens of the season. Customers come in one by one, picking up fresh vegetables grown just a few yards away in the fields surrounding the barn.
Behind the table, market manager Ethan Tyo explains what the barn has become for the neighborhood.
“We’re really just an access point to gather,” Tyo said.
“Our place is really meant to help heal a community by growing food, providing food, and really changing that relationship to food.”
Rooted in the Neighborhood
Brady Farm, located in the valley section of the city, sits on six acres of land hidden behind a row of homes and a school. Even though the farm is within city limits, it feels far removed from the busy street traffic.
“Our main goal is really food access. So it’s getting food into the community, it’s getting people engaged in our food culture… and making sure that everyone in the community has access to these resources,” Tyo said.
Luckily, the land itself is well-suited for agriculture.
According to farm manager Kayo Green, Brady Farm’s soil is remarkably clean for an urban site.
“Brady Farm has really clean soil, considering we are in the center of the urban area. This is a rare location where we don’t have to worry about heavy metal residues,” Green said.
Growing Sustainably
Sustainability guides almost every decision the farm makes.
Green explained that the farm uses regenerative farming practices by relying on organic materials and minimizing artificial inputs.
“We minimize the use of chemicals and use physical methods like hand-picking insects to protecting the crops with physical barriers like fabric or insect netting,” Green said.
“This is friendly to workers, friendly to people who eat produce, and friendly to the land itself.”
Throughout the year, the team at Brady Farm collects leaves to compost, uses drip irrigation to conserve water, and recycles water through a rain garden beside the washing station.
“Everything that we use is organic. We don’t use any chemical pesticides or herbicides,” Tyo said.
“We really try to kind of experiment how we can best take care of our soil and land.”
The farm has also been expanding its infrastructure. Four high tunnels now allow them to grow throughout the colder months and continue offering fresh produce as temperatures drop.
“Scarcity in the winter is real. And so if we can help provide some fresh greens and some fresh roots to our community, that’s important,” Tyo said.
Adapting to a Colder Climate
Even with the tunnels, farming in upstate New York has become more challenging.
“[We’ve had] very long periods of rain and more erratic weather patterns that really have impacted the way that we grow and how we have to grow,” Tyo said.
The high tunnels help with these shifting conditions, but the farm is constantly adapting.
“It’s really how do we keep food affordable and how do we make sure that we are able to grow abundantly?” Tyo said.
A Farm Shaped by Community
Although its footprint is small, Brady Farm’s influence extends throughout Syracuse. Over the years, volunteers have helped shape the space, and kids from the school next door often stop by to pick strawberries on their way home.
Tyo said that openness is intentional; the farm wants people to feel welcome to walk through the barn and shop for produce, ask questions, or simply take in the view of the fields.
“Our commitment is to produce healthy and delicious vegetables, beautiful flowers, and at the same time become a hub for people to come in and experience and learn where food comes from,” Green said.
Many visitors come not just to shop but to slow down, chat with staff, or enjoy the calm of the barn, which offers a brief break from the city outside.
“We’re food producers, and then a space for education,” Green said.
“People stop by at this beautiful barn and feel a bit rejuvenated.”