Edgemere Farm: A space for performance, experimentation, connection, and joy.

Kanami Kusajima with a site-specific performance for Domingo World at Edgemere Farm June 8th, 2025
All photos by Valery Rizzo, taken at Edgemere Farm

One of the best things about working in the arts is crossing paths with people who inspire you, not just through their work, but through the communities they build and the values they live by. My friends Vanessa Seis and Michael Repasch-Nieves are two of those people.

Together, they’ve transformed Edgemere Farm, a half-acre urban farm tucked into the Rockaways, into something much more than a place to grow food. Through their creative series Domingo World, they’ve cultivated a space for performance, experimentation, connection, and joy. I’m so excited to feature them on the blog and spotlight the upcoming final Domingo World event of the 2025 season, taking place on Sunday, August 10th from 12–5pm.

What began as backyard shows during the pandemic has grown into a beloved fixture of the Rockaway arts scene. In this final event of the season, Domingo World brings together Latin rhythms, curated ambient soundscapes, photography rich in global perspective, and a site-specific, textile-driven dance performance, all within the living, growing landscape of Edgemere Farm.

There are no white walls, no stage, no “sound guy” just dirt, chickens, and community. Just blocks from the A train and the Atlantic Ocean.

I had the privilege of speaking with Mike at Edgemere Farm this past week to learn more about how it all started and what inspires their team. I’m so excited to share our conversation with you today.

Domingo World at Edgemere Farm, June 8th, 2025

Mike it’s so great to catch up, can you tell us about the origins of Edgemere Farm?

The farm was founded in the wake of 2012’s Superstorm Sandy, which devastated much of the Rockaway Peninsula. The farm's founders, Matt Sheehan and David Selig, transformed an abandoned city-owned lot into a lush half-acre space where a wide variety of organically-grown vegetables, flowers, and herbs are now cultivated by our volunteer-run collective. Chickens, bees, and many varieties of pollinators call the farm home as well.

In 2019, Vanessa and I moved into the neighborhood and got involved as volunteers, eventually taking on the role of farm management. During the pandemic, the farm served as a vital community hub, not only growing fresh food for those in need, but providing a safe outdoor space to gather and perform music and art in an area that was (and sadly still is) devoid of venues. With my background as a professional musician and Vanessa’s years in the art world, along with many of the farm’s volunteers coming from musical and artistic backgrounds, it felt like a seamless extension of our passions.

Sculpture by Katie Mei

What does a typical day at Edgemere Farm look like during the summer season?

Bustling! Most days start by watering the crops, and welcoming folks who’ve signed up to volunteer. We have a unique program where anyone can volunteer for two hours or more and take home a selection of fresh produce. Volunteer shifts include a variety of tasks, from seeding and transplanting to weeding and harvesting. We also host a summer internship program with partner organization RISE (Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity), where local youth get to work and learn about urban farming with us for two days a week.

You may find us harvesting and packing vegetables for one of the fantastic local restaurants that we supply to, including Brothers, Caracas, Rockaway Beach Bakery, Adrienne’s, Blarney Castle, Tacoway Beach, The Rose Den, and Panino Bozza. On Fridays and Saturdays, we operate our on-site market, where we sell our produce, eggs, honey, and more. And on most summer weekends, we host educational workshops and music / performing arts events, all of which are free and open to the public.

Urban farming is still a radical act in many ways. What have been some of the biggest challenges or misconceptions you’ve faced?

A big misconception is that you need to have a wealth of knowledge and experience to do it, but anyone can dig in — the fun is in the process and learning as you go.

What are some of the unexpected joys that come with running a farm in a place like the Rockaways?

The beauty of having a space like this is how much it brings everyone together. We have an amazing community here in the Rockaways, full of passionate, supportive people. From the folks who volunteer and get involved to the local businesses who support each other, it’s really like an extended family. 

Art by Breeze

On Domingo World - What’s it like to transform a working farm into a performance space? How do you think the farm environment influences the way people experience art here?

It feels kind of punk rock and DIY. It all started during the pandemic. We had these amazing musicians and artists volunteering who weren’t able to tour or perform so we started putting on these small intimate shows outside here at the farm, the Domingo World series eventually came out of that. There’s something magical about experiencing a music or dance performance in a place like this, surrounded by nature. You kind of let your guard down in a way that you don’t if you’re in a typical performance venue, it encourages a sense of community and curiosity. Hearing the clucking of chickens in the background or wind rustling through the leaves of our crops while enjoying a performance becomes part of the experience.

Why is it important to create art programming specifically in the Rockaways and what are you most proud of about the impact Domingo World has had so far? Where we are in Edgemere / Far Rockaway, there really aren’t any venues for music and the arts. I’m proud that we’ve fostered a space that has given a diverse variety of artists a forum to develop and perform their work, and that we’ve provided the local community with access to art and music that they would otherwise have to travel outside of our area to experience.

Dylan Amadeus Davis at Edgemere Farm, June 8th, 2025

You’ve partnered with artists like m i c c a and Giovanni Fernandez-Kincade on Domingo World. What’s special about these types of collaborations and what do they bring to the series?

These collaborations have been born out of years of friendship and working together in various creative capacities, both on and off the farm. Gio and m i c c a are both Rockaway locals who have done so much to nurture a real community of artists and musicians here. The Domingo World series developed sort of organically and has been going strong for three years now.

Looking ahead, what’s your dream for Edgemere Farm and Domingo World?

I’m proud of how we’ve been able to grow this little DIY project into something that now has the support of so many amazing organizations, like the NY State Council on the Arts, NY Foundation for the Arts, Flushing Town Hall, and the City Parks Foundation, among others. I’d love to be able to continue to expand what we’re doing, bringing even more artists and even bigger audiences to our little corner of the world.

What Vanessa and Mike have built with Domingo World and Edgemere Farm is a reminder that the most meaningful art spaces don’t always start in studios or galleries, sometimes, they begin in soil. This project is a love letter to community, collaboration, and the belief that everyone deserves access to creativity. I’m so proud to call them friends, and even prouder to share their story here.

Make sure to stop by this weekend - Sunday’s program is outlined below along with more details about the event and ways to support the farm! Event Details here:

Sunday, August 10, 2025
12–5pm
Edgemere Farm – 385 Beach 45th St., Far Rockaway, NY 11691
FREE with RSVP (Donations directly support continued arts and educational programming)
Food by Amped Panadas + refreshments for purchase
Portable toilet on site | Seating is limited – bring a blanket, a hat, sunscreen, and your own cup if you can.

Russell Ellington Langston Butler
A Bermudian-born, NYC-based artist known for experimental music, vinyl releases, and archival work. Russell will weave together a DJ/live hybrid set full of ambient textures and summer rhythm explorations.

(VACA) Valentina Baché Rodríguez
A NYC-based dance artist from Playa del Carmen, Mexico whose movement practice explores ancestral memory, transformation, and emotional truth. Performing in hand-made, repurposed textiles, their performance will offer site-specific storytelling rooted in resilience.

BATACA
A Bogotá-born illustrator, drummer, and music selector known for his collaborations with Tame Impala, Khruangbin, and SummerStage. His DJ set journeys through rhythms and traditions across continents and time zones.

Magera Moon Holton
A photographer, designer, and longtime Rockaway local, Magera presents Mundo y Maravilla, a photography installation nestled among the farm’s vegetation. Spanning decades and continents, her work offers viewers a sense of presence and wonder—capturing glimpses of the divine in everyday life.

About Edgemere Farm:

Founded after 2012’s Superstorm Sandy, Edgemere Farm is a volunteer-run space providing fresh produce and a safe, welcoming environment in Far Rockaway. Its nonprofit extension, Edgemere Farm Works, supports free educational and cultural programming throughout the summer months—offering residents access to food, art, and community in a neighborhood long underserved.

About Domingo World:

Made possible by the generous support of NYC Parks, GreenThumb, the City Parks Foundation, NYFA, the Fund for the City of New York, and many others, Domingo World is a grassroots celebration of creativity, culture, and connection. It’s not just a series—it’s a living, growing reminder of what happens when you make space, literally and figuratively, for artists and community to thrive.