From vacant lot to verdant plot
Mendies Farm thrives because of community
BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP Staff Writer

JEFF GRANIT staff Lawrence Mendies and his family raise crops and native plants and store native stone at their farming and landscaping business on 30 acres of preserved property along Route 571 in Roosevelt.

Mendies Farm in Roosevelt continues to grow each year, with new produce and native plant and stone offerings, but the land's history will never be plowed under.

 

Today, the 30-acre farm along Route 571 not only serves as one of the first signs of home to Rooseveltians traveling from near and far, it's also where many locals and commuters stop to purchase Jersey Fresh fruits and veggies for their dinner tables and plants and flowers for their yards.

It's hard to believe that just four years ago the land sat abandoned and overgrown to the point where passers-by could no longer see the house on the property, because now the site is always bustling with busy members of the Mendies family. If it's not Heidi mowing the lawn or Lawrence Jr., 15, Niyasia, 17, and cousin David Atchley Jr., 12, vending at the farm stand, it's Lawrence Sr. locals see taking families out in the fields to view the rows of bushes and trees.

Top: Sreenivas Gade, who owns the 151-acre preserved property off Nurko Road in Roosevelt, supports farming in his community by purchasing produce from the Mendies farm stand along Route 571. Below: A butterfly sits atop a butterfly bush, which is for sale.

But beyond being a landmark and a flourishing working farm, the plot also serves as a reminder of what people can do when they come together as a community.

Prior to Mendies' purchasing the farm three years ago, the site sat idle for 10 years after a former owner passed away. The Fund for Roosevelt, a nonprofit organization developed by community members in pursuit of preserving the history and natural environment of the community, became aware that many of the farms in the small town were actively attracting developers who were capable of large-scale development.

The Fund for Roosevelt worked to purchase the development rights of the remaining large properties in town with the help of the county and the state. The fund's purchase of the Hoffman Estate Farm, which is now Mendies Farm, was not only a major contributing factor to ending a U.S. Home lawsuit against Roosevelt, but also the first step in making a borough family's dream come true.

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At that time in 2002, Lawrence Mendies, who lived on Schoolhouse Lane, was operating a small but growing landscaping business from his family's home. He had been looking to purchase acreage for expanding his business, but when Rodham Tulloss, who was the director of the Fund for Roosevelt at that time, came knocking on his door about purchasing the Hoffman Estate Farm, he said thank you, but that he couldn't afford 30 acres.

Tulloss continued to encourage his neighbor to submit a bid to the fund for the land. Mendies could only submit the minimum bid but included a list of ideas he had for the use of the property.

"I didn't think I could afford it, so I made the minimum offer and I attached a sheet of paper that specified what I would do with the land," he said. "I stated that I would always farm it and would never divide it and sell it off in sections. I said I would plant and grow native plant material."

Although the Fund for Roosevelt had other higher bids, its board unanimously voted to sell him the property, according to Mendies.

"This town showed me that it can't be bought," Mendies said. "These people have ethics and actually looked at what I was planning to do as opposed to listening to money talk."

He continued, "I really am grateful to and thankful for the Fund for Roosevelt and especially Rod Tulloss," Mendies said.

Mendies continues to abide by his list of ideas for the land and strives to set his agribusiness apart from the rest in the area by selling native materials.

"A lot of other nurseries in the area don't have native plant material and don't care about it," Mendies said. "What's happening is backyards are filling up with ornamental plants that don't support our environment and ecosystem in New Jersey. I'm trying to help people support the natural habitat with plants that help our birds, bees and other insects."

Mendies helps people draw nature into their yards with landscaping focused on three elements — food, shelter and water. He plants native plants such as northern bayberries, native witch hazels, eastern redbuds, common lilacs, chokeberries, native dogwoods and butterfly bushes, which feed and protect pollinators and other wildlife.

"When you have butterflies and hummingbirds swarming around, that's living proof of what I do," he said.

His business further creates natural settings with pools and water features made with native stone such as lilac bluestone from the Adirondacks and local fieldstone.

"We use natural fieldstone around pools and create vanishing edges," he said. "We create natural stone fountains and also use natural boulders."

He recently worked with the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection to create a 7-acre lake on a farm in Pennington for farm irrigation, beautification and wildlife support.

"Being that I'm a preserved farm owner, I know how to go out to large parcels and design them in a way that keeps the estates beautiful in a natural setting, yet separate from the farm," Mendies said.

Although his landscaping and pool business tends to customers far beyond the borders of Roosevelt, Mendies is still most proud of the work he does within his community. Last week, he spoke enthusiastically about putting a pool in at the estate the 151-acre preserved farm off Nurko Road, as well as how happy he was seeing some of his native bushes find new homes about town this summer.

"I like selling to the locals, promoting the circle of community," he said.

Mendies said now more than ever, with the state of the economy and Gov. Jon Corzine's recent threat to eliminate the Department of Agriculture, New Jerseyans need to support their local farmers.

"A lot of New Jersey farmers are packing up, and we're seeing large parcels go up for sale," Mendies said. "People buying from the local supermarkets are really supporting California and Canadian production. They should be supporting the local industry to keep farming alive in New Jersey."

As for his part in preserving the history, environment and agriculture that his community holds so dear, Mendies said, "I plan to stay here and farm here as long as I'm alive. I love this place. It's a blessing."