'North Fork Farmers' Stories' Presented By Hallockville Museum Farm

RIVERHEAD, NY — The Hallockville Museum Farm is celebrating an afternoon of firsthand farming memories and heritage.

The public is invited to a presentation, "North Fork Farmers' Stories" on Saturday, February 28, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. p.m., at the historic Naugles Barn at Hallockville Museum Farm, located 6038 Sound Avenue, Riverhead. The event is free but registration is required.

"This engaging program brings together North Fork farmers from multiple generations to share personal stories of growing up on the land, carrying on family traditions, and adapting to a changing agricultural landscape," organizers said.

Some speakers represent third- and fourth-generation farm families who continued the work of their ancestors, "while others chose different paths, together offering a rich and compelling portrait of the region’s agricultural heritage," Hallockville Museum Farm said.

Featured speakers include:

• The Sidor family, who have farmed potatoes on Oregon Road in Mattituck since 1910. Third-generation farmers Martin and Carol Sidor moved to the homestead in 1973 and, in 2003, found an innovative way to reinvigorate the family farm — by turning their potatoes into chips, expanding from growing to processing their own product.
• The Schmitt Family, with over 170 years of farming history on Long Island. Today, they operate a 175-acre wholesale farm along with three retail farm stands, growing sweet corn, root vegetables, leafy greens, and cut and potted flowers. In recent years, they’ve expanded into prepared foods, including fresh, homemade horseradish and other specialty goods.
• Joann Zilnicki, a proud third-generation North Fork farmer, born and raised in Riverhead. She knew from a young age she would marry a farmer and raise her family on a farm, she said. “Farming is hard work, but it’s in my genes, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
• Farrm Wine, founded by Rex and Connie Farr, pioneers of organic and biodynamic farming on Long Island. With no chemicals used on the farm since 1985, they became the first certified organic and biodynamically farmed vineyard on Long Island in 1990. Their vineyard, planted in 2005, includes Bordeaux varieties that reflect the unique terroir of the North Fork.

Light refreshments will be served.

For additional information and to register, click here or call 631-298-5292.