About Sep's Farm
My father, "Tony" Sep, was from Southold and farmed potatoes with his father and his brother on the home farm. Setting off on his own one day, he worked on fishing boats and farmed hemp for the shipyard, which in those days hadn't yet been outlawed. He ended up in the stud service working with local farms to help breed their bovines. Those were practical times. It was at a visit to a farm in Orient that he met his future wife, my mother. Together they moved to Orient and started selling vegetables on wooden wire-spools on the roadside. The farm grew and diversified. They housed men from Puerto Rico who worked the farm the full growing and harvest seasons. Sometimes it was shallots, other times cucumbers. They grew what the city wanted, shipped produce by the truckload.
My wife and I moved onto the East Marion farm when our boys were young and raised them to know farming, it's ups and downs. Things changed and we started to focus more on the local farm stands. We diversified the crops to have more of what people wanted and built a stronger connection here in the community. Now my own sons are here, working the farm and raising their families. It's not the same as its always been, but we adapt and keep on growing, doing what we love. There used to be so much land we farmed North-South. Now we work every corner of our land and the land we rent to produce our crops.
-Pete Sep
Mission
For us the practice of agriculture means growing great food sustainably and locally. We believe family farms like ours play a vital role on the North Fork. Each seed we sow amounts to a commitment to maintain the integrity of our open spaces, and each season marks the renewal of deep ties to community. Our farm stands are where we come together to share news, trade recipes, and offer our collective appreciation for the food the land produces. We also believe fresh food should be made available to all, which is why we donate fresh produce to a number of charities and organizations.