Sylvester Manor Dedicates Internship to Memory of Josh Levine

Joshua Levine spent many days, including his last, focused on his passion for farming as the market manager at in Amagansett. 

To honor Levine, a employee who while farming at Quail Hill last November, members of Slow Food East End dedicated a slow food farming internship program to him Wednesday night at Sylvester Manor on Shelter Island.

Interns Nate Kraus-Malett and Bobby Walden were welcomed into the farming community during the dedication ceremony. Hailing from Rochester, Nate Kraus-Malett said that his interest in Sylvester Manor stems from his passion for agriculture and the 400-year agricultural history of the manor itself. Walden grew up just across the water in Greenport. He said he hopes to use his time at the manor refining his vegetable growing skills and fostering those skills for the long haul.  

Sylvester Manor owner Bennett Konesni, a member of the 15th generation of his family to live on the farm, is dedicated to cultivating a culture of farming within the local community. Now in its second year of operation, the farm at the manor produces locally grown fruits, vegetables, culinary herbs, and flowers.

The goal of Slow Food East End, a chapter of the nonprofit organization Slow Food USA, is to encouraging people to think organically about what they eat and drink. Earlier this year, members of the group voted unanimously to establish the Levine farming internship program. This past March, they teamed up with the American Hotel in Sag Harbor for a fundraiser dinner and raised over $8,000 to support the program.

Levine first volunteered his time for crop growing at the Quail Hill Farm in 2008. Eager to learn and teach others, he later became a member of the summer apprentice program in 2009. Following his long days of volunteering, Levine found his niche in his final position as market manager.

That frigid day last November marked the tragedy of loss for local families, friends and the agricultural community, but on Wednesday, the sun was shining, turnips were washed in a basin under the pine overhang, and there was a sense of solace and accomplishment on the farm at Sylvester Manor.

Konesni gratefully accepted the donations check during the dedication and expressed his gratitude for the interns and other supporters of local farming. Gathering in a circle around fresh produce, those in attendance ended the presentation in song, celebrating Levine’s life with the following words:

"Summertime
And the livin’ is easy
Fish are jumpin’
And the cotton is high
Oh your daddy's rich
And your ma is good lookin’
So hush little baby
Don't you cry."

Visit slowfoodeastend.org for more information on the internship program.