Neighbor News
Stop & Shop Hosts 4H Members at Riverhead Farm to Learn How a Farm Works
Youngsters learn why it Is Important That Products Grown on Long Island Are Sold in Long Island Supermarkets and End Up on Our Kitchen Table
Arlene Putterman, Manager, Public and Community Relations, Stop & Shop and Vicky Fleming, 4H Program Director joins 4H youngsters at the Schmitt Family Farm in Riverhead, NY in a corn field to learn more about how locally grown produce is beneficial to the community. (L-R, Lexington Carerra (Mastic, NY)), Samantha Ford (Ridge, NY), Casey Kriss (Shirley, NY).
Youngsters from 4H, the youth development component of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, were hosted by Stop & Shop on a tour of the Schmitt Family Farm in Riverhead. The children learned how an active farm operates and how it’s produces ends up in the supermarket and eventually on their family’s kitchen table.
Stop & Shop produce manager Michael Kahnis explained the importance of working with local farms and carrying their products. “Local produce is fresher, tastes and looks better, because the crops are picked at their peak.” It doesn’t need to travel long distances to get to the Supermarket which keeps the food fresh and rich in nutrients.”
Find out what's happening in Kings Parkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
While receiving a hands-on feel for the farm, the youngsters had a chance to ask Farmer, Phil Schmitt questions about his 200 acre farm which includes over 30 types of produce including: tomatoes, lettuce, herbs, cucumbers, beans, squash, cabbage, corn, peppers and soft fruit berries.
Lexington Carerra, 12 of Mastic, NY really enjoyed his time at the farm and even pulled off an ear of corn, husked it and proceeded to eat it during the tour. “I picked farming because it’s a lot of fun to do and I like the work,” said Carerra.
Find out what's happening in Kings Parkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
After hearing that Phil Schmitt does all of the farming with just 20 workers, Casey Kriss, 13 of Shirley, NY added, “It’s so much work to grow things it’s good that people are willing to work that hard in order to make it happen.”
“We are glad to be able to support local farmers and help ensure that there will be farms on Long Island in the future,” says Arlene Putterman, Stop & Shop’s Manager of Public & Community Relations for Stop & Shop’s New York Metro Division. “Being able to teach children and show them first-hand the valuable lesson of supporting local business is priceless.”
