The East Meadow farm served as a valuable community asset after Hurricane Sandy struck last October. Following the storm, the center tested residents’ soil for salt and advised them about how to repair their damaged yards. “We visited Long Beach and many other towns to do the salt tests,” said Klein, adding that numerous families stopped by the farm to ask questions about how to salvage their gardens.

The farm also has a master gardener program, a semester-long internship that requires 150 hours of volunteer work and exams to learn the ins and outs of the trade. Master gardeners share their knowledge to help people with their own gardens. While more than 200 people apply to the program each year, only 40 are chosen.

Jess Rosen contributed to this story