Written by A Wild Dove | Photographed by Lynn Levoy
It takes a strong person to build a life around the earth. Planting and harvesting from sunrise to sunset, with little more than the sound of birds humming or wind blowing to keep you company. It takes an even stronger person to give up the comforts and spoils of the big city to build this new life, but that’s exactly what Frank Trentacoste did when he set out to create Bhumi Farms in Amagansett on Long Island’s South Fork. A former Wall Street trader living the noisy, colorful New York dream, Trentacoste realized there was more to life than riding the subway and staring at screens all day, prompting a personal reinvention sparked in part by reading some enlightening material about the food industry in America.
“I don’t think all the reasons I left have become apparent to me yet, though I hope they will one day,” said “Farmer Frank.” “One of the biggest drivers is that I was looking for a career with a steep learning curve and a social benefit, and at the time I was pretty disenchanted with some policy in the US, like what people can say food is, what’s allowed in food, and so on. Those two things came together on the farm for me.”
“There’s probably a better chance for us to have a say in our food if we can teach kids earlier about how important it is.”
In a few short years, Trentacoste has created a completely organic farm offering a gorgeous array of produce and has built a community where he hopes locals will gather to sit amidst the sunflowers and savor the farm fresh fare. You’ll find locally produced small-batch almond milks with aromatics, grown on the farm and hyperfresh farm-to-family vegetarian dishes. There’s a fruit share and Bhumi Farms coffee by Java Nation, as well as wellness events like yoga and vegetable-forward brunch. The Bhumi Farms CSA farm share has both a delivery and pick-up option and a pick-your-own feature, where shareholders can experience the farm with their families and hand pick their own produce. You can sign up for an Autumn share here.
“I think every farm has their own thing that drives them,” said Trentacoste. “There are farms that farm conventionally and some that just farm for volume and wholesale. I’m not either. I’m aiming for a community feel full of people who appreciate the way I farm in terms of philosophy and a focus on soil. I’m a pretty committed earth-centric farmer. I don’t use sprays, even if they’re organically approved. I use organic paper instead of plastic mulch. It’s the idea that we’re not growing food, but an opportunity for people to be more healthy and have more complete nourishment.”
One of the most integral parts of life on Bhumi Farms is the involvement of children in nearly every aspect of farm maintenance, whether as part of a summer camp program, or planting and harvesting their own crops. Kids are encouraged to come to the farm as a group or with their families. Families can have their own plot on the field, which Trentacoste will help care for when they’re not around. There is a wealth of camping activities and farming activities, as well as dedicated planting days with kids and cooking days with chefs. “There’s probably a better chance for us to have a say in our food if we can teach kids earlier about how important it is,” he said. “I don't have kids so I don't know how hard it is to raise kids, but that’s why I did a delivery service. I know there’s a battle between convenience and health and sometimes convenience wins. I want health to win more frequently.”
