The Randall's Island Urban Farm grows more than 200 varieties of produce, and this is the program where you get to eat some of it. A Community Food Educator cooks in the farm kitchen with whatever is in season, handing out samples, recipe cards and the kind of kitchen advice that never survives a written recipe. If you have kids who refuse vegetables, watching one get pulled from a bed and cooked ten feet away is a decent argument.
What to expect
Walk to the Urban Farm and follow the smell to the outdoor kitchen. The educator demonstrates a dish or two with seasonal produce, talks through technique and substitutions, and passes out tastes and printed recipe cards. It runs as an open window rather than a class with a start bell, so you can wander the growing beds between rounds and come back.
Good to know
- M35 bus from 125th Street, or walk the Wards Island Bridge from East 103rd Street.
- The farm is outdoors with little shade — sun protection is worth having.
- Bring a bag if you want to carry recipe cards and any giveaways home cleanly.
- Good for kids; the growing beds are the real attraction for the under-tens.
- Email publicprograms@randallsisland.org with accessibility questions.
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Common questions
Do I need to register?
No. The food demonstrations are free and drop-in at the Urban Farm Kitchen on Randall's Island.
Do you actually get to eat?
Yes. Visitors sample the produce and the dishes being demonstrated, and take recipe cards away with them.
Is it kid-friendly?
Very. The farm is set up for school and family groups, and the demos are pitched at a general audience.
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