Farmers to the Rescue! You Can Help, Too!

Bridgehampton farmer David Falkowski is a very hard working man. He raises mushrooms, vegetables, herbs and eggs organically and sells them at area farmers markets. This has been a lean year for him as the tomato blight destroyed his tomato crop. And Hurricane Irene didn’t help at all. Yet Falkowski has been moved to action to help his fellow farmers in upstate New York, many of whome were wiped out by Irene.

When I spoke to Falkowski this morning, he was running from one trailer to another on his Butter Lane property, loading in supplies. He shouted at me, “TWO HUNDRED homes have just been condemned in Schoharie County!”

The race is on to help clothe, feed and house our fellow Americans. Many Hamptonites have come out to help. Local contractor Stephen Mezynieski has volunteered to truck the supplies up state. The Sag Harbor Fire Department is accepting monetary donations for the relief effort. Make checks out to “Sag Harbor Volunteer Fire Department,” and send to: David Falkowski, 7 Fordham Road, Sag Harbor, NY 11963.

You can donate medical supplies, cleaning supplies (especially bleach), non-perishable food items and furniture to the open storage container now next to Falkowski’s Open Minded Organics farmstand at 720 Butter Lane in Bridgehampton. Everyone is invited to volunteer to sort, label and move donations. You can call Falkowski directly at 631-255-0990.