Who Bought the Farm? Why Whine!

By Danny McCarthy

- YOU KNOW WHAT EVERYONE - {?} - I AM dm'ing YOU ALL. YOU "SEA" I KNOW WHAT dm SIGNIFIES IT REPRESENTS TEXTING. MY INITIALS ARE " DM " -&- I AM "WRITE"-HERE YET AGAIN TO FURTHER UPDATE THIS MY OWN PERSONAL "TAKE" AS I DID NOT "Buy The Farm" - I myself am not gone yet. I am here to represent quite a lengthy discussion of how North Fork farms have become wineries/vineyards. -

By Danny McCarthy

- YOU KNOW WHAT EVERYONE - {?} - I AM dm'ing YOU ALL. YOU "SEA" I KNOW WHAT dm SIGNIFIES IT REPRESENTS TEXTING. MY INITIALS ARE " DM " -&- I AM "WRITE"-HERE YET AGAIN TO FURTHER UPDATE THIS MY OWN PERSONAL "TAKE" AS I DID NOT "Buy The Farm" - I myself am not gone yet. I am here to represent quite a lengthy discussion of how North Fork farms have become wineries/vineyards. -

The 17th Annual North Fork Foodie Tour Presented by the North Fork Reform Synagogue (northforkreformsynagogue.org) WAS Sunday, September 10, 2023 10 am - 4 pm. You could chart your own course for a day of self-guided tours of local farms, vineyards -{ & }- food artisans. The 17th Annual North Fork Foodie Tour was dedicated to the memory of KAY FREEMAN who served as co-chair of the Foodie Tour from its beginning in 2007. The tour headquarters is at Charnews Farm on Youngs Avenue in Southold adjacent and-yes next to Founders Village condos. Charnews Farm is truly A LOT ~ of 23 acres acquired from the Charnews family by the Peconic Land Trust in 2008. This Agricultural Center has grown to nearly 100 acres of productive farmland along Youngs Avenue north -{ & }- south of Route 48 (or North Road). This Ag Center provides farms w/ affordable access to productive land. It is also the setting for Peconic Land Trust's Learning Garden as well as the Community Garden which offers local residents the chance to lease raised beds -{ & }- cultivated plots to grow their own food. At this Foodie Tour Headquarters there is a Foodie Tour Lecture Series held every hour on the half-hoeur. Tickets at $30/person were sold in advance -{ & }- Children under 12 were Free via downloading the website northforkfoodietour.com ~ Tickets on the day of the tour (Sunday, September 10, 2023) were sold at Charnews Farm 3005 Youngs Avenue, Southold, or any of the tour locations. There is a map as well as schedules at all tour locations. Who spoke at Charnews Farm? DEB KIMMELMAN exchange exchanging the importance of pollinators at 10:30 am ~ Peconic Bay Scallops was discussed by HARRISON TOBI at 11:30 am ~ ERIN LATHAM STANTON was be there at 12:30 pm sharing the history of a farming family. ~ At 1:30 pm, APRIL ALEXANDER talked about Herbs -{ & }- their many uses. ~ A Chef talk and demonstration w/ ALLISON KATZ was the closing talk at Charnews Farm at 2:30 pm. It’s flower time in Long Island fields in October. Cauliflower farmers race against winter to gather the ivory heads before iron frosts take their toll. Riverhead and Southold streets are jammed with out-of-town drivers and truck drivers. The two sister towns saw the cauliflower crop of the island passing along the auction block in 1942. Back then, Suffolk County was America’s cradle of the cauliflower industry. A million and a quarter cases would be harvested before the season ended.

Cauliflower (flower) buyers are reported to arrive from Cincinnati, Tampa, Omaha, Chicago, and Boston. It’s 10 o’clock in the morning and farmers are grinding down “gray ribbon roads” toward the town and it’s a race for front position in line. At midday, when the first manifest of the load is called, trucks form two lines at either side of the auctioneer’s platform and they stretch as far as the eye can see. Bumper nudges bumper. The trucks reach from the auction shed back to the acres of uncut flower. Each truck is a mountain of crates. A young Polish farmer remarks that 240 flowers are in a crate. It is an art, too, to build up a truckload of crates and top it off by withstanding the jolts of travel.

Flowers are packed face down with the stalks to the inside. Buyers may judge at a glance the quality of the white curd. Buyers age 50 to 70 are there in the shed waiting to bid as some smoke, wisecrack, but they keep a sharp eye on the flower with their overcoat collars turned up against a chill autumn day.

That fine flower you choose for dinner stood in the field yesterday and was incased in its own rich foliage. The flower’s leaves are tied high overhead to keep the flower blanched. It was cut before the dew dried. It was sold in the afternoon auction. It traveled to town in early evening.

Long Island fields saw night still lingering as men and women move in and begin their day’s work. There is flashing of cutting knives that twinkle in the obscure light. There is one thrust of a shining blade of the knife and the stump is cut close to the head and breaks in a shower of dew. The leaves are cut close to the curd.

“Cauliflower is cabbage with a college education,” said Mark Twain. Every possible care is given to the dainty flower … Seed is grown in beds and then transplanted. Each plant demands a pint of water at its roots. Otherwise, the flower gives right up and dies. The water was dropped by a mechanical device that is part of a planting machine. Cauliflower takes at least three cultivations; it is subject to worms and requires endless spraying. Soil ingredients are necessary to make cauliflower as flour and yeast to bread. So the farmer feeds it fertilizers.

Southold Town Suffolk County Long Island New York 1636-1939 The Oldest English Town in the State of New York was compiled during the time S. Wentworth Horton was Town of Southold Supervisor. {S. Wentworth Horton served as Southold Town Supervisor from 1933-1946.} In that volume, there is an entry about Cauliflower of Southold Town:

“In former years, the railroad maintained special freight trains to handle the cauliflower shipments; but today over 85 per cent {stet} of the crop is hauled to the city by truck. … Figures available locally indicate a great variation in the number of acres planted to this crop. In 1929, about 40 per cent {stet} more land was planted to the crop than in 1919. 1934 showed a 3 percent gain over 1929. Prices received from the growers {varied} widely, from as low as 60 cents per crate to as high as $2.75. A price of $1.20 permits farmers to make a good profit. Estimated income from this crop in 1935 was $277,127, when the price for the season ranged in the neighborhood of $1.00 for the season average. The market for Suffolk County Cauliflower has been materially widened of late by the practice of shipping in iced cars. These have carried Southold cauliflower to cities of the West and Middle West, and each year sees an expansion of this market. The cauliflower grown locally is of sufficiently fine grade to dominate the market during its season.”

Henry Talmage was a leader in Long Island farm industry. He was best known as a farmer, a leader in farm organizations, and the head of a major produce and farm supply company. He prepared for his chosen calling after having attended the Riverhead Academy and the Mystic Valley Institute in Mystic, Connecticut, and then he took short courses at Cornell University’s state college of agriculture. He studied marketing and in 1901 he and several fellow growers organized the Long Island Cauliflower Association, which was among the largest produce marketing agencies in the United States by 1951.

A request for disease-free seed potatoes led indirectly to the formation of the Long Island Produce & Fertilizer Company, Inc. in 1922. Mr. Talmage and his good friend and neighbor, Chauncey H. Young, were the co-founders.

Mr. Talmage was a founder of the Suffolk County Farm Bureau. He was instrumental in the formation of the State Farm Bureau Federation and the American Farm Bureau.

Land and climate combine to make Long Island land ideal for farming. This is the oldest land in America. Cutchogue farmer John Wickham said, “It’s still the best land in America” and “second to none” in the world in 1979. He and his son Thomas worked together as partners in the Wickham’s Cutchogue farm. Central to saving farmland believed John Wickham is to “separate the development rights from the agricultural interests.” He remarked, “I feel very strongly (his property) should remain producing food for people. I’m a farmer. My roots run deep.”

The Suffolk County farmland plan was initiated by outgoing County Executive John V. N. Klein and is now being utilized in Connecticut and other areas. The Suffolk County Agricultural Advisory Committee consisted of 14 members who were appointed by County Executive John V. N. Klein in the spring of 1972 and were appointed by the Cooperative Extension Service of Suffolk County as well as local public officials. The Committee was initially charged with the task of identifying problems most seriously threatening agriculture on the East End and with developing methods of combating them.

Phil Schmitt Jr. of Riverhead said in April of 1998 that in spite of the heavy rains that he was at the beginning of the growing cycle for spinach and mixed greens. Mr. Schmitt first planted on March 7 and then did a second planting. He expected to do a third planting if the predicted showers were not too heavy. He remarked that “So much rain means soil compaction, run-offs and wash-outs.” Jimmy McBride grows potatoes and “a little corn” in Cutchogue. A late frost wouldn’t set his potato crop but it would wreak havoc on fruit trees according to Mr. McBride because the “sap is up on the trees.” Dan Latham of Orient grows strawberries, peas and potatoes. He was taking a “so far so good” attitude with his crops.

The year 1955 will be written down in the century-old annals of commercial potato production on Long Island as one of distress and disturbance as well as headache and heartache. Production “outstripped” consumption. There are some growers that stood to take a loss of between $7,500,000 and $10,000,000 on one of the finest quality crops they have ever raised. Developments that year included a largely successful attempt to unionize the potato warehouses. There was an increased use of combines to cut potato harvest costs. There was also more extensive use of belt conveyors and other labor-saving machinery.

Long Island has no starch factories. No substantial dairying. No livestock industries. Size B and off-grade potatoes were virtually at a total loss in 1955. There were such agencies as the Farm Bureau and the L. I. Agricultural Marketing Association and they were to be thanked for their efforts. There had been less grower-dealer friction than in many past seasons (when everybody was making money).

According to the Potatoes of Southold Town entry on page 93 in Southold Town Suffolk County Long Island New York 1636-1939 The Oldest English Town in the State of New York, “Figures for potato production in Suffolk County {were] kept annually by the Suffolk County Farm Bureau; but there {were} no separate statistics for Southold Town. That Bureau estimates that Southold Town {grew} approximately 9,500 acres of potatoes annually. Conservative estimates {placed} the average crop at 250 bushels per acre, which {gave} Southold Town an average annual crop of about 2,375,000 bushels {of potatoes}.” {!!!}

The horseradish is a root essentially. It can grow as deep as two feet into the ground. In Tony Malinauskas’ private garden in Greenport, diggers make a circle around the plant while another drops to his knees and pulls away the loose soil. A big one was lifted. The smaller horseradish root has been dubbed the “hotter” root but others argue that the large roots are the hottest, especially the ones that reach as far as two feet into the soil. Baskets full of the spicy root start making their way to a power washer as they start to come out of the of ground. Once the root has been cleaned thoroughly, it moves to the cutting block where it is skinned much like a carrot and then chopped by a group of 10 people. The official dicer receives the chopped pieces and chops the root into little pieces using a food processor. Then it’s time for mixing. The finished root is mixed with a small amount of water and run through a blender. And then it is run through a second blender where vinegar is added and the end result is nothing short of a spicy delicacy.

Also from Southold Town Suffolk County Long Island New York 1636-1939 The Oldest English Town in the State of New York….

“In the year 1888, Daniel Y. Hallock of Hog Neck devised a crude potato digger. … It passing it is worthy of note that the old Hallock digger is still used by local farmers to harvest sweet potatoes.”

The Irish Cobbler “is an early potato and finds favor in the fact that a second crop may often be raised after the potatoes have been marketed in early July. The Green Mountain is a later type and has a wide use as a winter potato. The Chippewa, a new type which has been cultivated experimentally on Long Island … It promises to combine all of the benefits of the Cobbler with a wide range of new virtues, and will doubtless be an important factor within a few seasons.”

“Toward the middle of the 19th century, we note that more attention is paid to the shipment of farm fruits and vegetables to the Connecticut ports and to the New York market. Before the Long Island Rail Road accepted freight for carriage, there was, in season, a strawberry boat which carried fruit daily to the markets across the Sound. Fresh garden produce then began to assume importance as a source of farm income. … Many of our farmers contract with seed houses for cabbage seed and other seed crops which demand favorable conditions.”

“One of the most important minor crops is {Brussels} Sprouts. These are frequently planted as a second crop and have the advantage of furnishing employment through the late Fall and Winter to many skilled packers. A number of our farmers have specialized in sprouts to the extent of selecting especially fine sprouts, taking extreme care in growing them, and packing them under brand names to meet fancy market requirements.”

KARL GROSSMAN had an article in The Suffolk Times titled "Is Temik Problem Just the Tip of the Iceberg?" I've re-formatted that article.

The tenth paragraph had it that "... In the 1960s, then Suffolk County Executive H. Lee Dennison said farming should be abandoned on the East End because the farmers were poisoning the underground water supply with chemicals. He fancied the East End developing residentially instead." The sixth paragraph includes: "... the chemical industry bombards us with messages like Monsanto's 'Without chemicals, life itself is impossible.' Yeah, but there's a difference in what chemicals people can ingest and survive. Because some chemicals are OK doesn't mean all are, or that some aren't out-and-out poison." The ninth paragraph includes: "The {Suffolk County} Department of Health Services {picked-up} traces of a{similar} pesticide, carbofuran, in well water. Many, many chemicals are used in agriculture here, including paraquat on potato vines. And Suffolk is a quick litmus of America's trip, from farming to waste disposal. Whatever poisons are put in or on the ground will get to the water supply and come up with our water. There's no washing it away. We here sow the chemical wind in every cup of coffee and glass of water." The fourth paragraph had a subhead: "Profits Ahead of Human Costs" atop this: "Union Carbide spent $10 million developing Temik, figuring on an annual market of $800 million nationally. The company began selling Temik for the first time in 1970, for cotton." {Aha!} The second paragraph reads and I quote: "Since 1975{,} Temik - which is Union Carbide's name for the super-toxic poison aldicarb - has been used here to curb the Colorado potato beetle and golden nematode. {Aha! again} Yields of potatoes have increased substantially with Temik. Meanwhile, Temik didn't decompose in Long Island's sandy soils and ended up leaching into its water supply, causing wells all over the East End to be ordered closed by the {Suffolk County} Department of Health Services as health risks. Widespread infiltration by the pesticide of the underground table - on which all of eastern Suffolk depends for its potable water - {was} suspected." Within the eleventh {hour - just kidding -} then Suffolk Health Commissioner was quoted within the article that what's needed in "public water" as "potable water just {as a} matter of distribution, like electricity. - Whether it's from some place on the Island where the water remains unpolluted or piped in from elsewhere, like the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens {had} ended up after they contaminated their water, {that Suffolk Health Commissioner believed was via} a public water distribution system." I CAUGHT THIS ONLINE: "Bayer Agrees to Terminate All Uses of Temik insecticide (Aldicarb) By Thomas Kuhar The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Bayer CropScience, the manufacturer, have reached an agreement to end use of the pesticide aldicarb in the United States."

... About Wineries/Vineyards …

By Danny McCarthy

I was able to get a distinguishing clarification for a Winery, Vineyards, and a Cellar from the September 27, 2012 WINE NEWS column that is online in the winesisterhood website:

“Winery: a bonded winery is a licensed building or property that produces wine. Some have permits for tasting rooms; others do not. Use permits also regulate how many visitors or events a winery can have per year, what time events need to end, whether or not weddings can be held at the winery.

Vineyards: A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines grown for winemaking. You can have a vineyard without having a winery—grapegrowers may sell their grapes to other wineries to be used in wine under a different label, or they may produce their own label by taking their grapes to a bonded/licensed winery and use their equipment and facilities to produce the finished wine.

Cellar: A wine cellar by definition is a place to store and age wine. These can be as basic as a temperature controlled warehouse or as elaborate as a cave dug deep into the hill and naturally cooled by the earth.”

The August 1984 L.I. Heritage carried an article titled Bacchus Smiles on the East End: An Essay on the L.I. Wine Scene by Joseph Calandrino discussing viticulture.

“Viticulture has grown steadily out east since Alex and Louisa Hargrave grew their grapes and pressed their wine from the fertile soil and climate of Cutchogue, proving to many a skeptic that this little miracle {of having grapes and wine on the North Fork} could be worked.”

President of the Long Island Grape Growers Association (LIGGA) in 1984 was David L. Mudd. “In May{of 1984} LIGGA released a position paper whose purpose was to inform law-makers of the potential for a major industry to flourish. The paper states that the ‘unique microclimate which is foundation on the East End – is almost perfect for growing of fine grapes.’”

“The document also asserts that a genuine agri-business is in the making, and estimates that $300 million will be invested over the next 10 years. Eventually, fine Long Island wine will bring in new revenues of $280 million minimum per year [assuming that the yield will be 1000 bottles of wine per ton, five tons per acre, 7000 acres producing wine averaging $8 per bottle.”

The September 6, 1984 Traveler-Watchman article by Bill O’Hara which is titled New Grape Harvester Is Unveiled clarified about the harvester. “The $80,000 unit, which was built by the Chisolm Ryder company of Niagara Falls, New York, was delivered to Mudd’s Vineyard last Thursday. … Mudd is expected to try his new machine next week. He said other vineyard owners will have the opportunity to contract out for the use of the machine of their farms. Approximately 1,000 acres of grapes are currently being cultivated on Long Island.”

In a September 30, 1984 Newsday article titled LI Grapes Command a Noble Prize, it reads: “Long Island grape growers continue to demand and, it seems, get respectable prices for their grapes. Meanwhile, their upstate colleagues are struggling for success.”

In an October 4, 1984 Suffolk Times article titled Where Do Our Grapes Go? it is reported that “… Mudd is also currently the largest grape contracting/consulting business in the area.” –

The August 1984 L.I. Heritage item titled Bacchus Smiles on the East by Joseph Calandrino shared that: Alex Hargrave “planted his first {grape} vines in 1973 and chose Cutchogue. Mr. Hargrave remarked that “the North Fork is a unique place in the world: its soil and climate allow the winegrower ‘to ripen an excellent quality grape’ balanced in sugar and acidity, an attribute that is always a precursor to a fine wine.”

“By adjusting the length and mechanism of each step in the winemaking process, the Hargraves {Alex and Louisa} attempt to impart a personality to each of their wines.” “Their four major varietals include: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sauvignon Blanc.”

It was also reported in that August 1984 L.I. Heritage article that Pindar Vineyard is located in Peconic and was owned by Stony Brook physician Herodotus Damianos. According to spokesman Judi Betts, the 120-acre Pindar Vineyard estate “is currently the largest single winery on Long Island.”

The Lenz Winery is located “in Peconic on north side of Route 25. The owners of the winery, Patricia and Peter Lenz, are former restaurateurs. {They} have planted 30 of their 30 acres with Gewürztraminer Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. The Lenz’s planted their first vines in 1978, the acreage being divided roughly in half between red and white grape varieties.

Just for the sake of it: Pugliese Vineyards was established in 1980 and is located in “The Hollow” on the Main Road in Cutchogue. Pugliese Vineyards’ owner Pat Pugliese’s son Ralph Pugliese Jr. is a renowned photographer. Don’t forget: The Southold Historical Museum has some of the items available by Ralph Pugliese Jr. in the Museum Gift Shop!

OSPREY’S DOMINION VINEYARD

1983 was when planting had begun on 24 acres on the Main Road in Peconic. In the 1990s, additional acres were added and then brands of OSPREY DOMINION VINEYARD began.

ENJOY YOURSELVES EVERYONE!

1983 was when planting had begun on 24 acres on the Main Road in Peconic. In the 1990s, additional acres were added and then brands of OSPREY DOMINION VINEYARD began.

I have been there and thought to share some of MY impressions ...

?????Of course, there’s the Raphael Vineyard and Winery located at 39390 Main Road (Route 25) in Peconic.

ENJOY YOURSELVES EVERYONE!