Welcome to Corbin Hill Farm! As its name implies, the farm sits atop some many steep inclines (which we found out about the hard way) above the Schoharie Valley amongst vast amounts of rolling green hills. Aside from the rural landscape, Corbin Hill is not a traditional farm in any sense. First off, when pulling up to the farm, the two of us immediately noticed that there were not rows of plowed fields, or any sort of farm animals roaming around the site. This is because Corbin Hill is a food project, as they describe it. Specifically, they will source and aggregate fruits and vegetables from local farms in the upstate New York region to distribute as a farm share to low income families in the Bronx and Harlem. Essentially providing a link between the urban communities of New York City and the rural farm community of upstate New York.
When we arrived on Day 1, we were welcomed by Corbin Hill’s director of farm & produce, Haider. In this role Haider is responsible for filling orders with all the farmers in the region, and based on what produce are available on any given week, he must then create a well rounded farm share basket to deliver to the shareholders. Once we were changed, and had taken a tour of the Corbin Hill property, Haider took us to a few of the local farmers from who they purchases fruits and vegetables. These farms range in both size and offerings. Some of the larger farms are able to provide an array of produce while smaller farms focus on maybe or two items such as garlic.
On Day 2 we got to working! Our assistance with various jobs was fantastic means for us to get a glimpse into the different aspects of the Corbin Hill operation. In the morning the two of us worked to fix a trellis so that new wire could be laid for assisting the growth of some raspberry bushes. Corbin Hill works to go beyond just providing the NYC community with fresh fruits and vegetables, and looks for opportunities to give CSA members and other community groups experiences that help them connect with their food source. This summer, once the raspberries have ripened, Corbin Hill will be hosting a visit for a group of CSA members to visit the farm and pick the berries.
That afternoon we over to the Carrot Barn, a sister farm of Corbin Hill that provides the facilities for packing the farm shares each week in addition to contributing to the produce included in the shares. At the Carrot Barn we were introduced to Corbin Hill’s Supply Chain Manager, Francis, who we assisted in implementing the new labeling system he developed for tracking and transporting the fruits and vegetables. The CSA works with dozens of farms throughout the area and to further connect its shareholders with their food sources, each crate will now be labeled with the farm which its contents 
came from. So far this season, shareholders have really enjoyed this new labeling system as it provides even more transparency to their produce. As an added bonus, the participating farms will be able to further their brand in the NYC community.
We wrapped up our day with sandwiches, a massive cookie and lots of chocolate milk (we’re kind of adults) at the Carrot Barn’s restaurant. In addition to remembering how great farm fresh chocolate milk is, we also saw the links between Corbin Hill Farm and Fresh Truck. Creating the bridge between communities and healthy foods permeated throughout our experience at the farm. Its this sort of positive action and energy that we are excited to see more of along our ride and tell you all about! Now off to Niagara Falls!