New fund will support farm activities and capital projects on the historic property.

MONTGOMERY, N.Y. (December 13, 2022) – The Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan (CFOS) recently added the Donahue Farm Fund to its family of funds. The fund will support farm activities and capital projects on the Cornwall-on-Hudson historic property.

In 2021, the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson purchased Donahue Farm. A committee was appointed by the Village Board to develop a plan for the maintenance and utilization of the farm that reflects the community’s needs and aligns with the property’s governing documents. The committee’s mission is to enable future generations of village residents and visitors to enjoy Donahue Farm as a site for education, recreation, and appreciation of natural beauty.

The committee chose to establish a project pass through fund at the Community Foundation in order to have a separate financial entity with 501(c)(3) status to process monetary contributions and avoid burdening the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson with additional administrative responsibilities.

The long-term goal for Donahue Farm is to renovate the building structures to enable use of the property for events, community gardening, and educational programming, while preserving the majority of the property as open green space with hiking trails and trailhead amenities.

In the short term, the Village has begun replacing the roof on the barn and has also approved the formation of a Community Garden on the southeastern border of the property. Establishing a Community Garden was the community’s top priority in a survey conducted about potential uses of Donahue Farm after it was acquired by the Village. The first phase of the layout has been staked and surveyed. Deer fencing has been ordered, and the well onsite is being surveyed. This is in anticipation of being ready to plant in Spring, 2023.

It is expected that as interest in the Community Garden grows, there will be opportunities for educational programming around garden activities for residents, especially school age children and seniors. The Committee has also hosted movie screening events at Donahue Farm with great success, and requests have already been made for hosting wedding receptions on the Farm.

Residents of the village and neighboring communities who enjoy outdoor amenities and want to benefit from events and activities at Donahue Farm may consider donating to the Donahue Farm Fund. To learn more or make a gift, please visit cfosny.org/donahue-farm-fund/.