Photo gallery: Riverhead smashes pumpkins, farmers market opens at Hallockville
Riverhead residents traded carving knives for a chance to smash their Halloween pumpkins Saturday, as the town held its first pumpkin smash to promote composting and reduce the amount of waste sent out for disposal.
The event took place at the town’s Yard Waste Facility on Youngs Avenue in Baiting Hollow.
“The idea came from the DEC,” said Joe Rutt, a civil engineer for Riverhead Town. “Obviously, pumpkins weigh a lot, and when you throw them away, it just adds more weight that the town has to deal with. We ship off all of our solid waste, either through trucking or rail, and anything we can do to reduce the weight in the waste stream is a benefit for everyone.”
The town also has a food-scrap program that mixes the material with yard waste for composting, Mr. Rutt said. Residents can compost at home as well, he added.
Councilwoman Denise Merrifield credited Mr. Rutt with planning and organizing the event, one of several recycling initiatives they have been working on together.
“We’re trying to find creative ways for people to engage and realize that they can do something positive,” Supervisor Jerry Halpin told the Riverhead News-Review. “This will be composted and used in a great way.”
Elsewhere in town, shoppers filled a historic barn at Hallockville Museum Farm on Saturday for the opening of the Riverhead Winter Farmers Market.
The market, which will run through April 24, brings together local farmers, artisans and other small businesses in the museum farm’s renovated Naugles Barn. Market hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Renovations include heating, a kitchenette and updated restrooms, said Rachel Stephens, owner of Sweet Woodland Farm, which has farmland in Southold and Cutchogue.
The Riverhead Winter Farmers Market has been looking for a permanent home for several years, according to Ms. Stephens. The market previously operated in three different buildings in downtown Riverhead before spending three years at a temporary location, she added.
The opportunity to move to Hallockville came through a conversation with a board member of the museum farm who also works on Ms. Stephens’ farm.
“The farmers market pays rent to use the space, while Hallockville also has a table at the market,” she said.
Day one of the new season had the barn filled to the brim.
“The turnout was much better than I could’ve ever expected,” Ms. Stephens said. “I knew that people were excited about it. I heard people chattering, but, this is overwhelming.”
Photos by Nick Mongiovi
