David Selig fell in love with the Rockaways the way many do––through surfing. “Tom Sachs invited me to go surf,” he told OC. But Selig’s story is unusual (and not only because his surfing buddy was contemporary artist Tom Sachs). Unlike most, who hop back on the A train and leave the peninsula when the sun sets, Selig decided to plant some roots. “Every time we finished [surfing], we were starved and had to eat bagels from the only bagel shop," he said. "So, I decided to start a food enterprise. To feed myself.” Make that several food enterprises. As Selig’s tan has deepened, he’s also racked up restaurants as owner of much-loved Rockaway Taco, Rice, and ñ.
His latest venture, however, is the source of food itself. Alongside long-time friend Matthew Sheehan (the “doctor of dirt”), Selig has transformed an abandoned concrete lot into an acre of lush, Edenic farmland. At Edgemere Farm, just off the A train in Far Rockaway, the two have found farmers to cultivate plots of land and set them up with local restaurants. Surveying the field, you’ll feel more like you're in Nebraska than New York: Everything from kale, tomatoes, hops (grown for the Rockaway Brewery), and a special strain of Nigerian eggplant to a chicken coop and Selig's prized apiary. Along the farm’s fence, he's planted berries, “so hopefully kids will pick the berries and eat them, instead of grabbing a Now & Later from the bodega,” Selig says.
Why has Selig become the unofficial mayor of the Rockaways? “I know it’s a long way to go mentally and physically... and the Rockaways have become a bit of a brand. But if I think of a plan here, we can execute it. Manhattan has become so compact and hard to get things done,” he said. When the two men first purchased the land, it was essentially a sand bar. They imported dirt to make it fertile enough to produce. “Next year it will be twice as big,” Selig said. He's also a fan of the recent attention Fort Tilden has received through the MoMA show Rockaway! “People were picking up trash. The beach was actually cleaner after the show.”
Now Selig is working on a comprehensive website that will
His latest venture, however, is the source of food itself. Alongside long-time friend Matthew Sheehan (the “doctor of dirt”), Selig has transformed an abandoned concrete lot into an acre of lush, Edenic farmland. At Edgemere Farm, just off the A train in Far Rockaway, the two have found farmers to cultivate plots of land and set them up with local restaurants. Surveying the field, you’ll feel more like you're in Nebraska than New York: Everything from kale, tomatoes, hops (grown for the Rockaway Brewery), and a special strain of Nigerian eggplant to a chicken coop and Selig's prized apiary. Along the farm’s fence, he's planted berries, “so hopefully kids will pick the berries and eat them, instead of grabbing a Now & Later from the bodega,” Selig says.
Selig and Sheehan’s acre of farm is surrounded by weather-worn bungalows. “That guy is a millionaire,” Selig said pointing to one run-down shack. “He’s retired and works part-time in the subway terminal to collect his pension... and that guy over there has been growing marijuana for over 20 years." Selig is filled with neighborhood stories and legendary surf tales: “Back when the Parks Department declared surfing illegal, you wanted to go with two or three people, so when the cops came, you split and they couldn’t catch all of you.”
Every Thursday night, Edgemere holds a dinner on the farm. Last week Deslyn Morris, who lives nearby, cooked traditional West Indian cuisine, with collard greens from the farm, Guyanese fried rice, and ginger BBQ chicken. Everyone was invited, and many from the neighborhood were present. “It’s a balance between serving our community and the Rockaways. If we didn’t step through that divide, we were doing something counterproductive.” Little kids ran around the chicken coop. Sheehan and Selig carried plates of fresh watermelon. You had the sense that David Selig––who also accompanies his girlfriend, former model and Visionaire founder Cecilia Dean, to downtown fashion parties––knew everyone there.Why has Selig become the unofficial mayor of the Rockaways? “I know it’s a long way to go mentally and physically... and the Rockaways have become a bit of a brand. But if I think of a plan here, we can execute it. Manhattan has become so compact and hard to get things done,” he said. When the two men first purchased the land, it was essentially a sand bar. They imported dirt to make it fertile enough to produce. “Next year it will be twice as big,” Selig said. He's also a fan of the recent attention Fort Tilden has received through the MoMA show Rockaway! “People were picking up trash. The beach was actually cleaner after the show.”
Now Selig is working on a comprehensive website that will