Business
Juan Micieli-Martinez, Riverhead winemaker, elected Long island Farm Bureau president
Juan Micieli Martinez, a Riverhead winemaker, was elected the new president of the Long Island Farm Bureau during the organization's annual meeting and dinner on Oct. 24.
Business
North Fork vineyard workers make history as first farm laborers union in the state
Workers at Pindar Vineyards in Peconic this fall became the first farm workers to organize and form a union under the 2019 Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act. Workers, the Long Island Farm Bureau and the union weigh in on what this will mean for farm workers and farm owners in the local region.
Business
Coping with the pandemic and new ag worker labor standards, local farmers worry state may now lower threshold for overtime pay
Lowering the threshold for time-and-a-half overtime pay below 60 hours a week could devastate local farms already reeling from the effects of the COVID pandemic, local farmers told state lawmakers yesterday.
Business
Historic Aquebogue farm stand reopened by young brothers with roots in local agriculture
Emil and Kyle Breitenbach, who come from a longtime farming family on the North Fork, have started their own farm and reopened the stand known to generations of locals as "Skelly's"
News
Local farmers sound alarm to congressman: We don’t have enough workers
Local farmers, whose operations rely heavily on an immigrant workforce, told Rep. Lee Zeldin they are worried they won't have the labor they need to sustain their farms, vineyards and greenhouses. They want federal immigration reform to move forward.
News
Hydroponics and new technology make winter vegetable production feasible for Long Island growers
One North Fork farmer has grown lettuce hydroponically all winter, supplying restaurants and supermarkets with much-in-demand fresh Long Island greens.