QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, November 2, 2023 Page 22
C M SQ page 22 Y K
Queens Farm crumbling under Walden Weprin’s tenure, staff say continued from page 21 tion. Nicholas’ statement did not address the board in July — that Walden Weprin the matter when asked. feed, according to Former Employee No. 4, who said the execu- “doesn’t get” the farm, meaning she does Others did not ask for cost-of-living tive director switched out the hay goats and sheep were fed for a not understand its central purpose: to raises for years, only to be shot down cheaper, lower-nutrient alternative, the same kind the farm sells engage visitors with and educate them on when they did. Even though Employee No. agricultural practices and their history in to visitors to give the animals. 1 had not received a raise since 2017, when “We noticed a big difference, because the animals hated it — the World’s Borough. one was requested earlier this year, a “I don’t think she understands the misit was scratchy, it was hard, it was dry, it was difficult to manage, supervisor initially responded, “We are it cut up your hands — it was horrible to work with, and the ani- sion statement, or if she does, she doesn’t looking for a holistic solution to this.” mals just didn’t like it,” Former Employee No. 4 said. “It was care about it,” said Employee No. 3. Around the same time, employees hard for educators or the public to now interact with the animals, “There’s a definite divide in attitude began comparing notes: They realized because the animals didn’t want to deal with it ... We did notice a between some of us and the rest of the none of them were “even close to what the drop in their weight.” While the goats and sheep eventually took people at the farm. We understand the industry standards are,” Employee No. 1 to the new hay, Former Employee No. 4 said Walden Weprin was mission statement, and we respect it. She said. not receptive to staff members’ concerns; when asked, Nicholas doesn’t — she’s got her eye on something “We had to beg, essentially, for else, and she’s very politically well condid not address the concern in her statement. crumbs,” Employee No. 3 said. Former Employee No. 5’s role was eliminated in spring 2022, nected. It’s all about the surface. That led six employees to strike for the “We’re not cohesive anymore — we but the ex-employee has visited since — and was upset to see the better part of a month this summer, state of the farm and its livestock, especially the pigs. According used to be a family.” demanding cost-of-living wage increases Part of that division exists because to Former Employee No. 5, KuneKune pigs — the breed that lives at the farm — are prone to becoming obese, and therefore, Walden Weprin has at times hired people After employees read their testimony to the and merit raises, in addition to job evaluatheir food intake needs to be monitored carefully, and they who have personal connections to her, board in July, some signs were added next tions. They returned to work when the should be eating mostly grass and some grain with not too many according to employees. One key employ- to overgrown gardens that read in part, QCFM agreed to raise their hourly pay by food scraps. That appears not to have happened; Former Employ- ee is Walden Weprin’s neighbor and close “Pardon our appearance.” SOURCE PHOTO 25 percent, effective July 1, Employees No. 2 said. That brought the lowest of their ee No. 5 saw an Instagram post from the farm in summer 2022 in friend, according to Employee No. 2. The which one of the pigs was so big that she could not see under her same worker said Walden Weprin also hired someone else who is wages to $20 an hour, even though the group had been aiming eyelids; the ex-employee even went so far as to send a message in dating the first person’s son. Meanwhile, staff were not given the for $25, which, according to an analysis by Employee No. 2, is chance to apply for the role before anyone was hired, current still lower than other comparable institutions throughout the five response to the post saying the pigs were becoming too large. boroughs, Nassau and Suffolk counties. Asked why the group When Former Employee No. 5 last visited the farm in April, employees say. Employee No. 2 once applied for the vacant education director settled for less than they wanted, Employee No. 2 said simply, things had not improved. “They were confused — they’re both completely blind,” Former Employee No. 5 said. “They know me position. When asked about the role, Walden Weprin said she’d “We love our jobs.” But after the employees got that raise, as did staff in two other — they couldn’t see me. When they heard me, they knew it was let the employee know. She never did. The education department has been without a director for more than a year, employees say; departments, according to Employee No. 2, those who went on me, but they definitely couldn’t see me.” Asked about that, Morales said the pigs were not obese. “Pigs department staff were told to report to four different people in a strike were told they could no longer work events at the farm, which had allowed them to log a significant number of hours — are pigs, and they eat and they get fat,” he said. He also did not four-month period. In the process, employees say the education department has and therefore earn more money — fairly quickly. Employees No. think they were blind, and suggested that perhaps it looked like become a shell of its former self. New educators previously 1, 2 and 3 all characterized that as being retaliatory. At times, they couldn’t see in certain photos. Walden Weprin also is not letting employees maintain the received several weeks of on-the-ground training before leading however, Employee No. 2 has been asked to work events due to farm’s five gardens, which became overgrown and filled with any tour groups alone; now, they get only a few days. Employee staffing issues. The three also learned that several newer employees in anothpoison ivy as Covid-19 restrictions put a stop to work being done No. 3 was adamant that that’s insufficient. “They’ve also been giving wrong informa- er department were given $500 bonuses for their work this sumwith school groups, who previously got a handstion, the newer people especially, because there’s mer, even as those who went on strike for raises were among the on learning experience — even though employno standard for training,” Employee No. 3 said. very limited number of employees who maintained the grounds ees offered to do so for free, they say. “They could say anything, virtually, and I’ve and crops at the height of the pandemic. hy is she “We can no longer go in the Children’s GarAsked about those wage and bonus concerns and allegations heard some pretty wild claims, as far as factual den, the Herb Garden — there’s no Butterfly still here?” information about [the farm].” of retaliation, Nicholas’ statement only addressed finances for Garden anymore. We can’t take the kids there Walden Weprin has said in emails to staff that one department: agriculture. “With respect to workforce, agriculanymore,” Employee No. 2 told the Chronicle. — Employee No. 2 the education department and its structure will ture is typically a seasonal industry, and the Farm has been “So you’re not only not utilizing those spaces, be “reimagined” as the farm prepares for its new developing its Green Workforce Training program so that the you’re not learning anything anymore as an educator, but you’re taking the kids past these crappy looking areas.” education center — a long proposed project still in the works. team can leverage their work experience to build their careers in After that complaint was made during the July board meeting, Nicholas’ statement did not address the education department at agriculture and the burgeoning green workforce in NYC and beyond,” it reads. “In 2019, QCFM had 10 staff in the agricultursigns have been added to those gardens that read, “Pardon our all. Meanwhile, the Board of Directors has also seen significant al department and 20 in 2023, doubling the size. Total compensaappearance.” The animals have not been rotated around the grounds recent- turnover; seven of its 17 members joined in 2018 or later; Walden tion over that same time period has also increased by nearly 60 percent, and the Farm prides itself on supporting and growing its ly, Employee No. 2 said. Employee No. 1 explained that that’s Weprin was hired in October 2018. diverse and experienced workforce.” Those metrics include fullnecessary both so that they don’t ingest parasites and so the land time, part-time and seasonal workers, Nicholas clarified. Show me the money does not become overgrown. “It also controls the foliage, and “Change is never easy but was necessary to ensure the farm Both past and present employees say they have asked for raisallows foliage that they’ve already grazed on to grow back so that we don’t deplete it, it’s much much healthier for them,” the work- es or have asked for raises on behalf of a division of farm staff, operates to its highest standards and continues to serve the public er said. Morales claimed the animals are rotated “on a certain some as early as 2019, and were denied them. The requests as it has for over 325 years,” Nicholas’ statement concluded. Now, the board must decide whether to renew Walden included both cost-of-living and merit increases. Employee No. 2 basis.” In her statement, Nicholas wrote of the agricultural conditions even recalled being with a co-worker when they walked in on a Weprin’s contract; it held its first meeting since July last Thurson the farm, “The health and welfare of the Farm’s animals are of conversation between the ex-education director, Ali Abate, and day, Oct. 26. The Chronicle contacted several members of the paramount concern and QCFM is proud that as of its latest the key employee who lives by Walden Weprin, during which board for comment for this story; while neither members Neal inspection in June 2023, the animals were found to be healthy, Abate told the person that staff’s hourly rates were too low. In Vichinsky nor John Sandmann responded to the Chronicle’s free of disease and the staff was commended for the quality of rebutting the employees’ July grievances, Walden Weprin wrote inquiry, three of their peers, Paul DiBenedetto, Doris Bodine and care provided. One of several changes the Farm implemented in an email to staff in August that, among other things, Abate Nyisha Howell, said they were unable to comment. Longtime was closing the commercial petting zoo in 2020, which may have had not recommended staff raises. Abate could not be reached board member Christina Wilkinson referred the Chronicle to Trent, the board president, for comment; he did not respond to brought in revenue, but was not optimizing the health and well- for comment. Former Employee No. 3 recalled having asked Walden Weprin the Chronicle’s inquiries, either. An attorney representing the ness of the animals and the agricultural ecosystem. However, revenue has exceeded past years even without the commercial many times for increased compensation in light of an increased board did not respond to the Chronicle’s comment request. Employees say conditions have largely remained the same petting zoo, due to a 58 percent increase in public programming workload. “On every occasion, nothing has come of it,” Former since they spoke at the board’s last meeting. In an email to Trent, and introducing an annual gala which has also expanded support Employee No. 3 wrote in the parting letter. Meanwhile, the nonprofit’s annual 990 filings show Walden Employee No. 2 said, “We have supplied so much information of QCFM.” Nicholas said the farm’s veterinarian does those inspections “regularly,” but did not specify how often when Weprin was compensated $125,000 in fiscal year 2019, and that outlines Jennifer’s many failures ... and yet she remains on $132,308 in fiscal year 2020 — a $7,308 raise. In fiscal year the property, making us uncomfortable, dividing the staff ... Why asked. Q Other times, employees say — both to the Chronicle and to 2021, however, she was compensated $127,500, a $4,808 reduc- is she still here?”
For the latest news visit qchron.com
“W
