Long Island Grown

Peconic Land Trust will host its 6th annual Long Island Grown lecture series held in the Trust’s Bridge Gardens in Bridgehampton. The four conversations will take place on Sundays from March 17 through April 28.

The series is the brainchild of Yvette DeBow Salsedo, vice president of the land trust, who conducted a radio interview with local winemaker, Juan Micieli-Martinez. During their conversation, DeBow Salsedo realized the multitude of stories surrounding local food artisans, farmers, and wine and spirit makers. She then pitched the idea to senior outreach manager Kathy Kennedy, along with Long Island Grown. As the series grew, they added local chefs to the lineup.

“Everyone loves food, and everyone loves to hear a good story. The conversations are fun, engaging, and often include audience participation. Most people who attend one year want to be a part of it every year,” Kennedy explained of the sold-out event.

“Our moderator, Laura Donnelly, does a great job managing the conversation, and I think that meeting many of these individuals is fun. The series gives people the chance to get to know local farmers, chefs, winemakers, and producers and feel connected to the people who help put food on the table,” added Kennedy.

The theme this year, “Food and Beverage Artisans at Work,” focuses on the innovative stories of growers, producers, and chefs. Kicking off the series will be Abra Morawiec of Feisty Acres Farm in Southold, Kareem Massoud of Paumanok in Aquebogue and Palmer Vineyards in Riverhead, and Jack Formica of Amber Waves Farm Market in Amagansett. The following week features Peter Haskell of Haskell’s Seafood in Quogue, Cori Anne Kopke of North Fork company Backyard Brine, and Carolyn Iannone of Love Lane Kitchen in Mattituck.

On April 7 will be Richie Pisacano of Roanoke Vineyards in Mattituck, Allissa Goodale of Borghese Vineyards in Cutchogue, and Jennilee Morris of Grace and Grit in Southold. Concluding the series is Meg Strecker of Tilth and Smoke in Southold, Aki Goldberg Terwilliger of Aki’s Kitchen, and Sandra Sadowski of Hamptons Farms in East Quogue.

When deciding who to choose for the lecture series, Kennedy first reaches out to individuals from PLT’s “Farms for the Future” initiative, a program that explores the challenges local farmers face, identifies problem solving approaches, and allows those to partake in a Farmland Leasing Program. She then contacts other culinary professionals and researches various publications for news on food artisan influencers.

PLT was founded as a nonprofit in 1983 to conserve working farms, natural lands, and heritage. Together with the community, the Trust helps to conserve over 12,000 acres of land. Kennedy creates and oversees around 60 annual events connecting the public to “local farms, natural places, and Bridge Gardens,” all of which are designed to encourage outdoor experiences to understand value of nature in everyday life.

While the Long Island Grown lecture series is sold out, Kennedy noted, “We offer a wide variety of programming at the Gardens as well as around the East End, so I hope that people will join us for another activity this year.”

For more information, call 631-283-3195 or visit www.PeconicLandTrust.org.

nicole@indyeastend.com