Fall Equinox Welcomes New Energy at Peconic Land Trust’s Quail Hill Farm: Scott Bluedorn’s “Solar Scallop Sundial”
October 5, 2026
At Quail Hill Farm’s end of season gathering of farm members and friends on October 1, a special reveal took place as local artist Scott Bluedorn’s sculpture, “Solar Scallop Sundial,” was viewed for the first time!
Quail Hill Farm, a stewardship project of the Peconic Land Trust, is a unique harvest in the fields Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm serving over 250 members in Amagansett, New York. Quail Hill Farm is located on 35 acres generously donated to the Trust by Deborah Ann Light in 1995.
The sculpture, commissioned by Deborah Ann Light’s son Michael Light, adorns the front of the new post and beam barn located in the valley of Quail Hill Farm. The sculpture looks west over the beautiful farm fields across Deep Lane – across the valley of Quail Hill Farm Preserve and onto the Birch Lane fields of the farm that are part of the Deborah Ann Light Preserve.
Born in Southampton, NY, Scott Bluedorn is a Sag Harbor-based artist, illustrator, and designer who works across media, including drawing, painting, printmaking, installation, collage and assemblage. He is inspired by ecology, cultural anthropology, science, myth, and supernatural themes, seeking to distill a unique vision of the human versus non-human world. Scott’s work has been featured in exhibitions locally and around the world, including the Parrish Art Museum and Guild Hall.
In his artist’s statement, Scott Bluedorn writes:
The ‘Solar Scallop Sundial’ is a sculptural piece that represents integral themes of the Quail Hill Farm story. The scallop form represents our native species Argopecten irradians, important to the bioregion as a wild food and emblematic as a symbol of the East End. It is particular to Quail Hill as a familiar item worn as a necklace by Deborah Ann Light, as well as being the logo of the Peconic Land Trust.
The labyrinth from within the scallop is an ancient pictorial device that represents the journey of life, spiritual development, and meditative practice. I relate these themes to the act of farming in many ways, as labyrinths are commonly linked to a communion with the earth, and the winding “vine” forms of the design are a reference to the cycle of growth and decay present in agricultural practice. The labyrinth here also serves a practical design function in marking a segment of hours of a sundial. This solar clock displays the relative time in the afternoon, from approximately noon until sunset (depending on the time of year) with the shadow from the gnomon tracking across the face of the sculpture, ultimately shortening until the sun goes down. At this point the reflection from the setting sun in the west illuminates the polished surface of the labyrinth in a display of brilliant light before darkening. This effect will be especially apparent during the equinoxes, twice a year. "
“Having grown up at Quail Hill it was an astounding, amazing, and wondrous place. But sometimes lonely and I always fantasized about it being populated by people – an artist’s residency, or a cider mill because of all the apple trees. And then my mother took a giant leap in 1990 working with the land trust and Quail Hill Farm was born. And today’s gathering at the farm is not only a testament to my mother’s commitment to community supported agriculture, but to all of you – to the Quail Hill community that made it happen,” said Michael Light.
“When we had the first equinox gathering at the farm when the new barn was completed two years ago, I turned to Scott Bluedorn who was next to me and said, ‘don’t you think something can fill up that blank space and I think you’re the guy to dream up something big.’ And here we are today, with that vision realized in a scallop shell and labyrinth that represents my mother, the farm, and the Trust. Thank you, Scott, for bringing that vision to life,” added Michael.
“We are grateful to Mike for this generous gift to the farm and celebration of Deborah. Scott’s sculpture truly captures the spirit of both the farm and the Trust and its connection to Deborah and her extraordinary support of agriculture and land conservation, said John v.H. Halsey, President, Peconic Land Trust.”
"It's been great to work with Mike, the land trust and the farm crew on this project. I've been working with the imagery of labyrinths and sundials in my work in different ways, and to be able to combine these concepts together for this sculpture, while experimental, felt like a natural fit. For me it weaves together the farmers, the crops and the seasons in a way that feels organic to Quail Hill," added Scott.
About Quail Hill Farm
Established in 1990, Quail Hill Farm is on 35 acres generously donated to the Peconic Land Trust by Deborah Ann Light in Amagansett, NY. Over the farm’s history, more than 100 farm apprentices have been trained – with many of those still engaged in farming today. Training apprentices and providing share members with informational resources on the issues of soil health, our seed supply, food security and sustainable farming practices is a central part of the farm’s mission. For more information visit www.quailhillfarm.org.
About Peconic Land Trust
Founded in 1983, Peconic Land Trust conserves Long Island’s working farms, natural lands, and heritage. Since its inception, the nonprofit Trust has worked conscientiously with landowners, communities, municipalities, partner organizations, and donors, to conserve over 14,000 acres of land on Long Island. The Trust’s professional staff carries out the necessary research and planning to identify and implement alternatives to outright development. While working to conserve the productive farms, watersheds, woodlands, and beachfront of Long Island, the Trust is also protecting the unique rural heritage and natural resources of the region. For more information about the Peconic Land Trust, visit www.PeconicLandTrust.org.