The Season Of The Farm

We’ve waited all year for this — and it’s finally here. The time of year where the produce is ripe again is before us. But one lingering question remains: Where to buy this year’s fruits and vegetables? The South Fork has numerous incredible options. Here are a few of our favorites. 

In Sag Harbor, Serene Green, not even a mile past Long Beach, sells everything from farm-grown produce to fresh seafood. Their herbs and some of their veggies are grown right behind the stand itself. You can find fresh flowers, too, as well as most of the pantry items you need. Serene Green also produces its own line of prepared foods, including a macaroni and cheese that should definitely be a weeknight dinner staple. 

Not too far down the road, in Water Mill, the Halsey family has run Green Thumb Organic Farm since the 1970s. Their produce — helpfully identified by a sign signifying its provenance — is all certified organic. In summer, look out for the coveted white raspberries, which sell out early. Green Thumb sells all kinds of fruit and vegetable plants, too, including hard-to-find heirloom varieties. Their herb selection is staggering, and a must-see for anyone interested in planting an East End herb garden. A second Green Thumb stand, to help curb overload and to service people on the opposite side of the highway, is a little further east, and is known as the Hayground stand. 

A little off the beaten path, you’ll find Babinksi’s Farm Stand, also in Water Mill. While you’re there, you can pick up their fresh produce, of course, but you can also get one of their superlative pies (like the triple-berry, a perennial crowd-pleaser). 

Amagansett is home to two of the Hamptons’ more popular farms: Balsam Farms and Amber Waves Farm. At Alex Balsam’s farm stand, produce is grown using organic practices. The farm also bottles much of their supply in the off-season, meaning you can find chutneys, ketchups, various types of pickles, sauces, and more, all produced using local ingredients. Although all of their produce is spectacular, the farm is known in particular for their corn, which has enjoyed a long season of late. Last summer, they opened a second outpost, in Montauk, a storefront that sells most of what is available at the main stand. 

Katie Baldwin and Amanda Merrow, owners of Amber Waves Farm, have expanded their footprint into a full storefront, in the space that used to be Eli Zabar’s Amagansett Farmers Market. The two women have also spearheaded an ambitious wheat project, producing strains of wheat that are used by local bakers, the most notable of whom is Carissa Waechter of Carissa’s The Bakery. 

No matter which area you visit on the South Fork, there is a farm stand with your name on it. If you’re feeling pulled in too many directions, there’s one easy solution: Just visit them all!