Our favorite annual North Fork food event is back, and yes, it’s kid-friendly!
Scenes from the 2024 North Fork Foodie Tour (Photo Credit: Petite North Fork)
I’ve never been shy about my love for the North Fork Foodie Tour. There’s no closer inside look into our local North Fork farms, vineyards, breweries, and food artisans. And while my husband and I have taken and adored the Foodie Tour every year for a decade, our love for this annual event has only grown since bringing our petite crew along with us, allowing us to appreciate the making and growing of the bounty of the North Fork together as a family.
On Sunday, September 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the North Fork Foodie Tour presented by the North Fork Reform Synagogue will allow tour-goers access to 19 locations in the agriculture, farming, wine, beverage, and specialty food industries, in addition to guest speakers and conversations at Charnews Farm by industry professionals; however, you may want to skip the speakers if you have younger kids.
“The tour is meant to give visitors an appreciation for how food happens; give them the opportunity to meet the local artisans who devote their lives to producing distinctive foods and beverages, and learn how it is done,” said Ellen Zimmerman, Chairman of the North Fork Foodie Tour. “Children and adults can learn first-hand where their food comes from before it ends up wrapped in plastic at the grocery store. The tour might even inspire some young visitors to an agricultural-based career, either as farmers or researchers focused on earth-friendly, regenerative farming practices.”
This family-friendly tour, with stops from Baiting Hollow to Greenport, is self-guided, meaning you can choose the stops you and your family are most interested in. This style of tour also takes the pressure off needing to stick to an exact schedule.
In past years, our family has enjoyed Foodie Tour stops at Breeze Hill Farm, 8 Hands Farm, Catapano Dairy Farm, Sweet Woodland Farm, and Disset Chocolate, all of which are again offered this year on the tour.
This year, Ellen recommends the following tour spots for families: “Golden Acres [Organic Farm] has a wide range of activities for kids, including play equipment and art projects. Kids love meeting alpacas at Red Barn Farm, and the goats at Goodale Farm and Catapano Farm. They'll be astonished to see the amazing mushrooms growing at Mattituck Mushroom, and they'll love the trolley ride through the fields and orchards of Breeze Hill Farm,” she shared.
There are also three new additions to the Foodie Tour.
“Pendleton's Harvest Moon Farm is a small-scale family farm that raises vegetables, small fruit, cut flowers, and sheep using regenerative agricultural practices. Little Ram Oyster Co. is an entirely women-owned and operated 10-acre oyster farm that produces about 1.5 million oysters a year. Golden Acres Organic Farm raises top-notch produce. Their farm shop features honey, flowers, local meats, and dairy products,” added Ellen.
View the complete schedule of tour times set for each location and plan out your day in advance, leaving room to explore, adventure, and eat.
Tickets to the North Fork Foodie Tour cost $30/adult and are free for children 12 and under. Tickets can be purchased in advance here or day of at any of the tour locations.