After years of planning, fundraising and construction, East End Food will begin welcoming the public back inside the East End Food Hub in Riverhead this month — a milestone the nonprofit says marks “phase one” of its long-envisioned regional food hub at the former Homeside Florist site on Main Road.
The organization will open the building’s event and gathering space for workshops, farmer meet-ups and seasonal markets this spring, even as construction continues on the commercial kitchen that is central to the hub’s full mission: processing and distributing locally grown food, supporting food entrepreneurs and connecting East End farms with schools and other institutions.
The March reopening is a significant step in a multi-year effort to transform a site where it operated a winter farmers market into a permanent “campus-style” food hub.
East End Food took over operation of Riverhead’s indoor winter farmers market in 2019, which was then on East Main Street. The group moved it in 2021 to the four-acre former Homeside Florist property at the intersection of Route 25 and County Road 105, citing the location’s size, parking and access to both forks. In 2022, the organization publicly unveiled its broader food hub plan — a $15 million to $20 million vision that included a refined year-round market, a shared commercial kitchen and additional facilities for processing, cold storage, aggregation and distribution.
Construction on phase one began in 2023, requiring the market to move outdoors seasonally and, later, to relocate temporarily while work continued inside the building. In early 2024, East End Food said it was in the final stretch of fundraising needed to reopen the indoor market portion of the project, including infrastructure work required for a certificate of occupancy.
In 2025, the project received a major boost when East End Food was awarded a $5 million state grant to help complete construction of the year-round market and shared commercial kitchen. State and local officials toured the facility in October, highlighting the hub’s potential role in strengthening farm-to-school connections and local food supply chains.
Now, East End Food says it is ready to begin “activating the building” again by hosting community programming while the kitchen build-out continues.
“This is a pivotal moment,” East End Food’s Interim Executive Director Kayla Barthelme said in a press release. “We’ve reopened the doors. Now we need to finish building what’s inside.”
East End Food says completing and activating the commercial kitchen is the next major milestone. Once operational, it is expected to support local food entrepreneurs, value-added farm production, institutional purchasing and expanded revenue streams for farmers.
The organization has a $25,000 matching grant pledge from “a generous community member,” she said. Every dollar donated will be doubled — up to $25,000, she said. Funds raised will help East End Food complete kitchen infrastructure, purchase critical equipment, support operational stabilization during the launch phase, and ensure the Hub becomes a long-term asset for the region, according to the press release. Donate online.
March & April events at the East End Food Hub
CSA fair with NOFA-NY & East End Food
March 7, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Meet local farmers and learn about Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. Free to attend; attendees can purchase CSA shares directly from farms.
More information: ttomao@nofany.org
30-day tax sprint for farmers
March 18, 5–7 p.m.
A session for farmers and farm employees preparing for the April 15 deadline, led by accountant Tahsin Korur of Climb Accounting. Topics include bookkeeping, Schedule F steps, New York farm tax credits, filing/extension strategies and Q&A. Free to attend.
More information: ttomao@nofany.org
Pop-up farmers market
March 21, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
A reopening celebration featuring local farm, food, beverage and craft vendors. East End Food said it plans to host the pop-up market the third Saturday of each month from March through May. Free to attend; products available for purchase.
More information: info@eastendfood.org or (631) 204-3292
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