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Edible East End: Last Farm Standing

Posted by Brian Halweil, December 27, 2007 at 10:30 AM

Editor's note: This entry marks the debut of our partnership with the good folks of Edible Communities, the publishers of the various Edible magazines available in select U.S. locations. They'll be checking in from time to time with updates from around the Edible world. Today, Brian Halweil of Edible East End, based on the eastern reaches of Long Island, New York.

With just a few days left in the year, an important deadline looms for locavores on the South Fork of Long Island. On December 31, the Halsey Farm Stand on Deerfield Road in Water Mill, New York, the last source of fresh produce as the mercury drops, shuts its doors and stops offering self-serve veggies. Shoppers in search of geographically correct provisions must resort to other means.

Of course, the fishers haven’t stopped working. Neither have the farms that raise poultry. The Milk Pail on Highway 27 has a barn full of apples—not to mention cider and addictive cider donuts. But unless you planted turnips and spinach in October or nestled your cheese pumpkins and potatoes in the root cellar, the pickings are slim.

Which is what made my shopping trip to the Halsey Stand last week—in anticipation of some pre-holiday family visitors—so enjoyable.

Without the bustle and hum of other customers and the attention of the proprietor, visiting the stand becomes more like a trip to an art gallery than a grocery. (And not just because of the four shades of cauliflower—white, purple, green, and orange—arranged like pastels.)

With the door shut behind you, the silence and shelter from the wind invite a meditative assessment of the offerings. No rush. No distractions. Just the goods and the shopper, planning meals for the next few nights, and perhaps the next few weeks.

To the left, green and red cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and onions. To the right, Russets, Yukon Golds, and Green Mountain potatoes in five- and ten-pound bags. (The 50-pound bags are wisely stacked close to the entrance.)

Down the center, the tables hold giant parsnips, humongous turnips, outsized radishes, and monster rutabagas swollen by a few extra weeks in the ground. The squash selection includes yellow and white kernels, sweet dumplings, and spaghettis. Crisp carrots and leeks line two large plastic bins. Loose kale and head lettuce glisten as if they were just picked. (In fact, a farmworker briefly disturbed the solitude when he replenished the bin with a few dozen lettuce heads that still showed ice on their severed ends.)

“Self service,” declares a sign. “Produce is priced. Please add up your purchase and put money in green locked box on this table.” The solemn “thank you” at the bottom of the sign discourages thievery. As do the honorable prices—lower, for all items, than at the nearby chain grocer.

The setting lends itself to overbuying. Maybe the dearth of other options, or the prospect of plain Idaho potatoes, encourages hording in sheds and pantries. Each return trip reveals less selection and slightly shabbier produce that has been out of the ground longer. Through the farmstand’s windows, the snow on the fields, frost on the road, and sinking noontime sun hint at the mortal nature of this pleasure.

On my last trip, I spent about $27 and filled six bags, in addition to a five-pound bag of potatoes. Something didn’t feel right. So I put a few extra bucks in the box and got a ten-pound bag instead.

Halsey Farm Stand

Address: 513 Deerfield Road, Water Mill NY 11976 (map)
Phone: 631-726-4843

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Tags: farms, Long Island, New York