Queens’ Urban Farm Pops Up in Astoria

Astoria’s gone green with a pop-up urban farm sprouting in Queens last night. Farmer Jay Patel tilled a vacant lot on 30th Avenue, planting kale and beets for NYC’s table. It’s a borough patch—free tours, $5 veggie bags sold out fast. Kids dug dirt; a grandma nabbed carrots. ‘Queens grows—this is it,’ Patel says, hoeing rows. The lot’s alive again.

The farm’s a test—month-long, gauging if Astoria bites. Patel’s a Sunnyside grower; last night’s harvest hit 50 pounds—locals swarmed. A teen yanked a radish, grinning; rain held off—luck held. A co-op chipped in seeds—community’s the root. #QueensFarm trended; Brooklyn’s eyeing dirt.

Some shrugged—’Weeds,’ snorted a passerby, dodging mud. Space is tight—lot’s leased, not owned; clock’s ticking. A rival’s pitching a Long Island City plot, splitting green thumbs. Still, 200 toured—farm’s a hit. Astoria’s never tasted so fresh.

Patel’s pushing for a permanent patch, maybe a rooftop if cash flows. ‘NYC’s hungry—this feeds it,’ he says, bagging greens. The farm’s a Queens win—grit meets growth. Astoria’s sprouting now; grab a carrot. Dig in—soil’s gold.