The farm-to-table movement—characterized by edible schoolyard classrooms, community-supported agriculture products, and family-run artisanal businesses—has gained momentum everywhere, but especially on the East End of Long Island where a rich agricultural history abounds.
Farmland is plentiful here, and a handful of young people are turning out impressive products despite horticultural hurdles. As a result, old-time farmers markets are exploding.
"When we started, there was only one farmers market, and now a few years laters we have eight farmers markets, and that's the core of our business," said Dave Falkowski, a Bridgehampton grower.
Falkowski started with mushrooms eight years ago and has since diversified. "We now have 200 chickens," he said "and we grow 80 varieties of vegetables, flowers and herbs."
Most of the vendors at the Thursday-morning Montauk Farmers Market also sell at other markets, juggling what has become a busy schedule of setting up shop in nearly every Hamptons hamlet in season.
"We provide a variety of products that are fresh from our garden, and the goal is to make entertaining easy," said Colin Ambrose, the restaurateur behind Estia's Little Kitchen in Bridgehampton. Ambrose started A Sisters a few years ago to teach his teenage daughters how to run a business and to satisfy his own creative tendencies.
It takes 15 minutes to boil his fresh pasta and glaze it with his homemade pesto. "You buy a salad from Dave [Falkowski], bread from Carissa [Waechter], pick up a little wine from the Wolffer girls, and you have a farmers market experience at your table."
Here's where to meet up with these vendors and others this summer:
Ashawagh Hall Farmer Market 780 Springs Fireplace Rd., East Hampton
Saturdays, 9am-1pm
East Hampton Farmers Market 136 N. Main St. (at Nick & Toni's), East Hampton
Fridays, 9am-1pm
Hayground School Farmers Market 151 Mitchell Ln., Bridgehampton
Fridays, 3-6:30pm
Montauk Farmers Market On the Green in downtown Montauk
Thursdays, 9am-1pm
Route 27 Farmers Market American Legion Post 419 (Montauk Hwy. and Abrahams Path), Amagansett
Wednesdays, 9am-1pm
Sag Harbor Farmers Market Bay and Burke sts. (in front of Breakwater Yacht Club), Sag Harbor
Saturdays, 9am-1pm
Shelter Island Farmers Market 16 S. Ferry Rd. (in the barn), Shelter Island
Saturdays, 10:30am-1:30pm
Southampton Farmers Market Behind Parrish Art Musem on Jobs Ln., Southampton
Sundays, 9am-1pm
Westhampton Beach Farmers Market Mill Rd. and Glovers Ln. (in the municipal parking lot) Saturdays, 9am-1pm
