FARM / NATURE PRESERVE

Hilltop Hannover Farm and Environmental Center

Hilltop Hannover Farm was first established in the 1780s as a family homestead focused on raising cattle and horses. In 2003, 187 acres of the original farm were purchased by Westchester County to be used as a conservation and environmental center devoted to the preservation and protection of water quality, open space, farmland and the environment. Since 2010 the Friends of Hilltop Hannover Farm has helped manage the farm and sustain public programs.

Seeking to address current and future needs of the County, its residents, and the wider communities of agriculture, sustainable living practices, environmental protection, and ecological restoration, Westchester County engaged the landscape architects Reed Hildebrand to lead a Master Plan for Hilltop Hannover Farm.

AK Cultural Planning joined this multidisciplinary design team, leading the market analysis to understand audience demand and identify public programming opportunities. The work included an in-depth scan of competitive visitor experiences in the region, evaluation of HHF’s market position, and analysis of programming gaps. These analyses provided a solid foundation for recommend target audiences and a scalable programming framework with financial implications.