Pitney Meadows Community Farm Announces New Interpretive Signage Across Campus

Pitney Meadows Community Farm is proud to unveil a new collection of comprehensive interpretive signs across its campus, marking a major milestone in community stewardship, education, and cultural connection. The community is invited to visit the farm and experience “Cultivating Connections: Sustaining Heritage through Interpretive Signage,” a campus-wide initiative developed in partnership with the Land Trust Alliance.

This thoughtfully curated collection of interpretive signs features 19 permanent signs strategically placed throughout the farm's acreage, each designed to foster visitation, enrich understanding, and celebrate the rich heritage of the land.

Visitors will now be able to engage with ADA-compliant signage that highlights regenerative farming practices, native plant and animal identification, wayfinding across the farm, and the land’s cultural and historical significance, especially its ties to the Abenaki and Mahican peoples.

"The interpretative signage program will significantly enhance the visitor experience at Pitney Meadows Community Farm, fostering a deeper connection to the land, promoting sustainable practices, and honoring the cultural heritage of the original caretakers of this land," said McConnell.

Key Objectives of the Signage Program Include:

• Bringing Our Stewardship Plan to Life: Communicating our community-developed land management and conservation practices in an accessible, engaging way.

• Enhancing Educational Opportunities: Offering informative content on sustainable agriculture and land management, as well as the farm's ecological and historical context.

• Promoting Biodiversity Awareness: Showcasing native flora and fauna to deepen public appreciation for local ecosystems.

• Facilitating Wayfinding: Providing clear and inviting directional signage to guide visitors through our campus.

• Celebrating Cultural Heritage: Honoring the Eastern Algonquian and Iroquoian families of our region through signage that features Abenaki and Mohawk translations, with historical context provided by the Ndakinna Education Center. We extend our deepest gratitude to the Land Trust Alliance for their fiscal support, Eva Fadden, Mohawk, Wolf Clan from Akwesasne, and the Ndakinna Education Center for their contributions of Abenaki and Mohawk translations, sign designer Rachael DeWeerdt, and producers, Adirondack Sign Company. Pitney Meadows also acknowledges Beige Berryman, the late Director of City Planning and Economic Development in Saratoga Springs, whose partnership helped bring this project to life.

This is more than signage—it’s an open-air classroom, a celebration of heritage, and a call to connection.

Pitney Meadows warmly invites the community to walk the paths, read the stories, and experience the land through a new lens. The interpretive signage is now open for exploration at Pitney Meadows Community Farm, 223 West Ave, Saratoga Springs, NY. Whether you're a longtime supporter or a first-time visitor, we welcome you to be part of this meaningful chapter in our shared journey of stewardship, education, and cultural respect.

This initiative is supported with funding from the New York State Conservation Partnership Program (NYSCPP) and New York's Environmental Protection Fund. The NYSCPP is administered by the Land Trust Alliance, in coordination with the state Department of Environmental Conservation.