Viewsday

The phrase "open space preservation" conjures up images of vast vistas of farmland on the East End. But the Town of Brookhaven has acted to preserve a tiny farm in highly developed Centereach, an area well known for its array of strip malls.That may sound odd at first, but the special circumstances make it a wise move.

The town has voted to buy the development rights to most of the 11-acre Hobbs Farm, which is owned by Bethel AME Church in Setauket. Alfred Hobbs died in 1996 and left his farm to his church. But Bethel, a small church with very limited resources, couldn't really afford to keep it running. So, in recent years, the land was an overgrown eyesore. More recently, though, volunteers have been farming part of the land and growing vegetables that they donate to food pantries.

Those volunteers deserve immense credit for refusing to allow this farm to die. And the town -- including Councilwoman Kathleen Walsh, who represents the area -- has earned a round of applause for noticing the work of the volunteers and making it possible to keep this land a farm forever.