Support local journalism.

Now more than ever, local news matters.

Topic

Agriculture

Suffolk tables agricultural district bid for Calverton cannabis site

by Jul 16, 2026
Suffolk lawmakers tabled a bid to add a proposed Calverton cannabis greenhouse site to an agricultural district after local objections.

If this is a farm, what isn’t?

by Jun 11, 2026
A proposed Calverton cannabis facility raises a larger question: How far can government stretch the meaning of “farm”? Guest column.

Revised plans for Calverton cannabis greenhouse return to Riverhead Planning Board

by May 22, 2026
Revised plans for the proposed Brother Bear cannabis greenhouse returned to the Planning Board Thursday amid continued public opposition.

Riverhead farmers brace for higher fertilizer, fuel costs as Middle East conflict rattles markets

by Mar 18, 2026
Rising fertilizer and fuel costs tied to Middle East conflict are adding pressure to Riverhead-area farmers heading into the growing season.

A factory by any other name: Why what we call things matters

by Dec 24, 2025
We should look closely. We should name things honestly. And we should remember that once land is lost in practice, no label can save it later. Guest column by Robert Gass

East End Food shows off Riverhead food hub, as NYS Ag & Markets official announces new round of funding for school...

by Oct 21, 2025
Officials gathered at the East End Food Institute Food Hub in Riverhead Tuesday to celebrate progress on the facility, supported with a $5 million state grant. The secretary of agriculture & markets announced a new round of infrastructure funding at the event.

‘Bird flu’ outbreak shutters Long Island’s last duck farm, as culling of 99,000 birds is underway

by Jan 22, 2025
An outbreak of avian influenza at Crescent Duck Farm in Aquebogue has forced the farm to cease operations and begin to euthanize its entire flock, jeopardizing the future of Long Island’s last remaining duck farm. Co-owner Doug Corwin discusses what it will take to restart operations at the 117-year-old family farm, now under quarantine.

If you spot this bug, take action: It’s an invasive species that could devastate local vineyards

by Aug 3, 2024
Keep an eye out for the spotted lanternfly. And if you see it, take pictures, kill it, collect it and report it. An infestation of this invasive species can do serious damage to vineyards — and the local economy.

Riverhead’s first ‘u-pick’ flower farm blooms off the beaten path — and that’s part of its charm

by Jul 22, 2024
Horton’s Flower Farm, a small plot of land tucked away on a desolate stretch of Horton Avenue in Riverhead, surrounded by farmland, offers many ways to connect not only with nature but with the area’s agricultural heritage, too.

County Executive Romaine signs $15 million farmland preservation bill at Riverhead farm

by Apr 25, 2024
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine visited a working farm in Riverhead Wednesday to sign legislation appropriating $15 million of new funding this year for farmland preservation.