BOSWYCK FARMS is a hydroponic farm in Bushwick Brooklyn. It was founded in 2008 by Lee Mandell. Boswyck Farms was started with the idea of growing fresh food for the surrounding community. Located in Lee’s 1,000 square foot loft, it has grown into a research and development space where we build and test hydroponic systems. 
We are dedicated to bringing sustainable methods of growing into the hands of people.
We use these systems in our botany programs for NYC schools as well as after-school and summer programs. We also run hydroponic workshops for adults and offer consulting and installation services for private residences, community organizations and businesses.
Hydroponics has a very long history, dating back to the Hanging Gardens of ancient Babylon. We choose hydroponics because this method of growing plants is sustainable, economical and practical. Small and compact, our systems are the perfect choice for people living in urban areas where space is at a premium. Our hydroponic and aeroponic systems are designed to be space-efficient, easy to assemble and a breeze to maintain. They use a minimal amount of room while producing a sizable amount of food. Fruits and vegetables can be grown year-round indoors and in greenhouses. Our hydroponic systems can be used for seasonal growing on rooftops or other outdoor spaces. As sustainability is Boswyck Farms’ motto, we build our systems using as many recycled and repurposed materials as possible.
“More Grows in the Garden than the Gardener sows.”
—Spanish proverb
Just as important as having a hand in food production is the process of growing itself. Plants bring with them an inherent pleasure. Whether it is a tomato plant ripe with fruit, Green Verde basil ready for harvest or an orchid in bloom, plants, in their simplicity and complexity, bring a certain type of happiness and fulfillment. That’s why we think it’s so important to grow plants for the sake of growing plants. Bring beauty into the world and you will get beauty out of the world.
Lee Mandell, founder and Chief Hydroponicist Lee Mandell is an urban farmer, specializing in hydroponics. He brings to this enterprise over 20 years experience in developing systems matched to programmatic goals and available resources, applied across the fields of computer programming, visual arts, theater production, community organizing, and urban gardening. He is also a practicing visual artist, working within various media to create sculptures, public installations and theater. |
Joanna Burgess, Curriculum Specialist Joanna received a Masters of Science degree from Bank Street College of Education in 2001. She taught in public schools for 7 years before joining Boswyck Farms as Curriculum Specialist. Joanna believes all children deserve a meaningful science education, enabling them to understand the process of becoming a scientist through research, experiments and hands-on projects. The curriculum she designs combines botany with the experience of growing plants hydroponically. One of her many goals is to encourage kids to think about nutrition, sustainability and the impact they can make on the world through science. When she isn’t researching and writing curriculum, she likes to spend time learning how to design hydroponic systems, attending classes at the New York Botanical Garden and knitting. |
Chloe Bass, Communications and Outreach Specialist Chloë likes food. She likes to eat food, which encouraged her to learn how to cook food, which in turn prompted an interest in growing food. Chloë is an artist and community organizer based in Bushwick, Brooklyn. She produces festivals with Arts in Bushwick, and has worked as a teaching artist with local residents of all ages. Chloë is an MFA candidate in Performance and Interactive Media at Brooklyn College. She studies all things creative, computer-related, and community-oriented, but she’s finding ways to work in the culinary, too. |
Amy Lucker, Adviser Amy Lucker, librarian and consultant to the farm stars. Amy is widely published in the field of art librarianship and will lend her expertise to various wordsmithing and grant writing tasks. |
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Noah Sussman is a senior software engineer, with a background in literature and graphic design. For the last decade, he has focused upon building user interfaces that support Tim Berners-Lee’s vision of a platform-independent, “read-write Web.” Noah has invested a great deal of time in learning to build interactive Web interfaces that are accessible and useable. He is dedicated to building a truly World-Wide Web, which is accessible to people of all cultures, economic strata and levels of physical or mental ability. |
V Van Sant, Print and Web Design V Van Sant is originally from Pennsylvania Farm Country, then living in New England, it took moving to a city to entice her to grow her own vegetables (on my back porch and still done in soil). When not out on the porch getting some fresh air, or doing her own artwork, she sits in front of a Macintosh doing print, logo, and web design. |
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Campbell Pryde, Financial Advisor Campbell Pryde is currently the Chief Standards Officer at XBRL US, Inc. He leads the development and maintenance of taxonomies for XML-based business reporting applications in the US. He is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants. |
Noah Sussman, Adviser
We’re always happy to have people visit Boswyck Farms. To schedule a time, please email info@boswyckfarms.org. To learn more about the work we do and for a complete listing of upcoming workshops and events, please explore the rest of the site.
