Happy New Year!   The fresh blanket of snow this week was the icing on another amazing year on the East End.  These short days and frosty nights are when we spend time reflecting upon our annual blessings. As the eldest of twelve this season is when i am grateful for the extra time to gather with my extended family around communal tables sharing memories, traditions and yet another chance to enjoy the many favorite holiday recipes we’ve enjoyed for years.  

I am particularly wistful this year.  It’s been six years since I was elected to the board of Slow Food East End. I was drafted to produce events and then suddenly we couldn’t be in the same spaces with Covid.  We pivoted to find new ways to communicate and be relevant to our community.  The last two years I’ve had the honor to serve as chair and work with my passionate fellow volunteer board members to bring attention and support to our local food network.  We prioritized Snail of Approval awards and community events. Our efforts made a lot of news this year but we also spent a lot of time behind the scenes improving our SFEE infrastructure systems with the aim to make it easier for our local chapter to flourish.

Once again Slow Food East End starts the year with a new mix of board members, many returning to serve again.  It is our passionate belief that our local food systems are worth protecting and that good, clean and fair food should be available to all.  2026 is off to a great start as our chapter will be chaired again by Dr. Pennie Schwartz, welcome back!  Following earlier leaders I’ll continue to be an advisor and supporter of SFEE efforts, so I’ll be seeing you at future Slow Food events. 

Every day is a gift,  I truly hope your new year is slow minded and joyful,

Maria McBride

Retiring Chapter Chair, Slow Food East End

A Year of Accomplishments

2025 Highlights

Legacy and current board members turn out to support our efforts.  We all are Slow Food!    L to R, Sunita Narma, Becky Chidester, Anne Howard, Pennie Schwartz, Maria McBride, Stacey Isaacs, Ralph Reinersten, Marissa Drago Peter Berley and Miranda Capriotti. 

Photos, Eduardo Amorim

⁠EARTH DAY

AT GOLDEN ACRES

We kicked off spring with dozens of participating vendors including growers, activists, artists and educators. The day was festive with live music, good eats, hundreds of guests and so many happy children who enjoyed an egg hunt, crafts and more fun in the meadow surrounding the farm’s historic dairy barn. ⁠Networking and community engagement is our super power.

POLICY MATTERS

Keeping up to date on food policy and farming challenges is an essential part of our mission.  This year it included turning out for seminars with SOA panelists to learn more about the challenges for the East End, Suffolk County is NY’s largest for aquaculture production and we’re fourth in overall agriculture production.  We need to be aware to best support our local growers and fishers..⁠

L to R:  Amanda Merrow – Amber Waves Farm, Layton Guenther – Quail Hill Farm, Claudine Nayan and Maria McBride – SFEE, Jason Weiner – Almond Restaurant

KNOW YOUR FARMERS

We encourage followers to get to know our local growers.  The best way to understand and appreciate each farm’s special ecosystem is to visit. 

We invited guests to join us at 8 Hands Farm for an extremely informative tour by owner Tom Geppel who founded the farm with his family after watching the documentary Food Inc.   The core mission was to raise livestock naturally and create a biodiverse farm with organic produce too.  They are open all year, the farmstand sells their farm produce and their own provisions, pastured meats and gifts,  The farm is also home to Fyr & Salt, exceptional caterers known for their seasonal grilled menus. 

The evening was balmy, the fare was delicious accompanied by Doublespeak cocktails and donated Bedell Cellars wines.  

8 Hands photos:  Fyr & Salt warming the grills, North Fork Flower Farm blossoms, succulent grilled oysters and Tom Geppel, farmer and lamb cuddler.

WE ARE

WHAT WE EAT

The East End is known for its  fertile fields.  The annual North Fork Foodie Tour is a great introduction to our many amazing growers and foodie destinations.   

For the tour we turned Golden Acres barn into a food demo studio with Chef Gail Watson. 

Gail is host of A Healthy Hunger, a nutritionist, recipe developer and  food photographer.  She shared many amazing tips to enhance flavor and preserve seasonal bounty with easy recipes to enjoy any day or dress up for special occasions.

LOOK FOR OUR SNAIL OF APPROVAL AWARDEE SIGNS

This year we honored fourteen  businesses with Snail of Approval awards. Congratulations to all winners 

Thanks to our friends at Relic      who designed the eye catching sign to alert passing cars to slow down, stop and shop at our these Slow minded locations. 

It will now be easier to spot our local awardees on your East End travels.  

2025 AWARDEES

The Boathouse

Cutchogue Diner

Disset Chocolate 

Eddie’s 

Minnow at the Galley Ho

Little Ram Oysters

Lombardi’s Love Lane

Main Road Biscuit

Mattituck Mushrooms

Nookies

Peconic Gold Oysters

Sagaponack Farm & Distillery

South Fork Bakery

Stony Brook Southampton Hospital

Foodie Tour Photos.  Above, L to R, Ralph Reinertsen, Nancy de Pas, Gail Watson, Becky Chidester, Susan Wachter and Maria McBride.

Our Awardee road sign at Share the Harvest Farm.

FOOD FOR ALL

Sadly food insecurity is a stark reality in this fertile farm community.  This year Flour Power home bakers and professionals including 1610 Sourdough and Lombardi’s Love Lane Market stepped up to provide baked goods for Shinnecock Nation’s  Padoquohan Medicine Lodge, an essential food pantry on the Reservation and  C.A.S.T on the North Fork.  ⁠

You’ll hear more about our new team in our next newsletter.  Please consider helping to support our efforts as we move into 2026.  We are a registered non-profit, every donation is appreciated and will be invested in Slow Food programming initiatives.   

Get to know us by watching We Are Slow Food East End

Any questions or news to share, email us Slow Food Email

Let’s nourish our connections and connect our food ways together. 

#Slowtheforksdown – #FeedtheForks

Slow Food East End

PO Box 295, Peconic, NY 11958