Beach Street Garden Brings Together Students, Community for Planting

Spring planting season is officially underway at the Beach Street Community Garden in Port Jefferson, where local residents and Stony Brook University students gathered April 30 to begin cultivating vegetables and herbs for the 2026 growing season.

Now entering its sixth year, the organic community garden has become a collaborative green space dedicated to sustainability and volunteerism. Located near Port Jefferson Harbor, the garden includes 20 plots tended by residents, community groups and students, with harvests later donated to local food pantries.

"The purpose and mission of the garden is to provide recreation to the Village of Port Jefferson residents and the greater community while offering volunteer opportunities," said volunteer garden manager Isobel Breheny-Schafer, assistant director of student media at Stony Brook and general manager for WUSB-FM. "Each gardener contributes volunteer work to help maintain, grow and sustain the garden."

The garden was first envisioned in 2021 by then-Port Jefferson Village Trustee, now New York State Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay, who brought together volunteers with backgrounds in sustainability, farming, architecture and community planning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the initiative has expanded through support from village leadership, including Mayor Lauren M. Sheprow and the Port Jefferson Parks and Recreation Advisory Council.

"Season after season, residents exchange advice, stories and harvests, building friendships and community," said Sheprow. "The garden continues to reflect the very best of Port Jefferson - neighbors working side by side to cultivate accessible green space and create opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to participate."

A growing partnership with Stony Brook Southampton's FoodLab has further strengthened the garden's mission. The collaboration began when Breheny-Schafer connected with FoodLab Executive Director Judianne Carmack-Fayyaz while preparing public service announcements for WUSB. What started as a single donation of excess seedlings has evolved into a three-year partnership supporting the garden with herbs and vegetables, including tomatoes, peppers, basil and oregano.

The garden also serves as a hands-on learning opportunity for Stony Brook students through a partnership with Student Community Development within the Division of Student Affairs. One dedicated plot is managed by graduate students and open to student volunteers interested in gardening, sustainability and community engagement.

"We wanted to find a way to give opportunities to our Stony Brook students," said Breheny-Schafer, who is also a member of the Port Jefferson Parks and Recreation Advisory Council. "Students can help with gardening, sustainable practices, collecting food for pantries, maintenance projects and much more."

Among the student leaders involved is Rachel Deahl, a PhD candidate in marine biology who manages the graduate student plot.

"Even though the garden is still growing, it's already become a meaningful community space," said Deahl. "It's been nice to see students, volunteers and residents come together around a shared project. For me, as a graduate student, it's a reminder that the University can have a positive connection with the surrounding community in ways that go beyond the classroom."

In addition to organic growing practices, the garden emphasizes sustainability through timed drip irrigation systems, composting initiatives and native pollinator plantings. Volunteers also repurpose materials such as cardboard egg cartons for seed starting and participate in educational workshops focused on sustainable agriculture.

Looking ahead, organizers hope to expand the number of plots, introduce bucket and vertical gardening projects and create additional opportunities for student involvement, including potential internship partnerships through the Stony Brook Career Center.

"The garden is about education, sustainability and community building," Breheny-Schafer said. "It's exciting to see students and residents learning from one another while growing something meaningful together."

- Lily Miller