An 11th-Generation Steward Of The Land

Stooping onto his knees to grab a fistful of dirt and demonstrate the granularity of the topsoil on the South Fork, John Halsey may consider himself retired from farming, but it is clear that the land is never far from his mind.

“From my perspective, it is a huge responsibility and commitment that goes beyond just the dollar value,” said Mr. Halsey, who sees himself and his family as stewards of their property. “I take that very seriously.”

A septuagenarian, Mr. Halsey established the Milk Pail in Water Mill with his wife, Evelyn, in 1969. The farm stand, which now sells apples, pears, pumpkins, flowers, peaches and blueberries, first began as a wholesale dairy farm, a legacy evident today only through its name.

“The wholesale potato industry was shrinking up because land values were going up and houses were being built,” said Mr. Halsey, adding that a wholesale crop needs many acres to turn a profit.

Following in the footsteps of the Green Thumb—the first farm on the East End to make the switch from wholesale to retail crops—the Milk Pail was the first in the region to re-introduce fruit trees and sell apples.

The family farm south of the highway is now owned and operated by the Halseys' two daughters, Jennifer and Amy. “We made it pretty plain quite a number of times that they were welcome to come back and it would be exciting for us if that happened, but it had to be on their own terms,” Mr. Halsey said. “You have to want to come and do this. And if you don’t, that’s great too.”

Although the Milk Pail is not an organic farm—Mr. Halsey claims that would be too difficult given their fruit trees—the family is supportive of non-chemical farming practices like growing marigolds to reduce the amount of pests in the soil.

“We do need to use chemicals to protect our crops. And whether they are organic chemicals, we do use some of them, or synthetic, they still can pollute the groundwater,” said Mr. Halsey, who planted a buffer of trees between his orchards and the adjacent wetlands.

An avid kayaker and canoer, he spends many hours out on Mecox Bay. The farm is also host to an osprey family—a mother, father and small chick—and Mr. Halsey’s telescope is frequently trained to their nest.

“My favorite apple is the one I have the most of,” said Mr. Halsey, who upon further questioning admitted that he likes sweeter apples like Jonagold and considers Honey Crisp to be overrated. “Some of the new varieties that we have going on—both Ruby Frost and Snap Dragon—are superior,” he said.

Growing more than 30 varieties, the farm produces about 12,000 bushels of apples a year, selling most through the farm stand and the U-Pick orchard, which is open from Labor Day through October. The Halseys also sell apples to other farmers and some schools through what Mr. Halsey described as a “high-end wholesale program.”

Once his daughters showed an interest in the farm, Mr. Halsey and his wife began planning the process of transferring their land to the next generation. An ardent believer that the good soil and mild climate make the East End ideal for food production, Mr. Halsey said that transferring a farm between generations “is the major story of land on the South Fork.”

“There are more legal instruments to use today than were available in my father’s generation,” said Mr. Halsey, whose father began giving him land in 2-acre segments when he was 18. “The difference is that now, we are talking about millions of dollars of land.”

“We were riding around on land that probably has no concrete value, because you could put a sign up and the bidders would start,” said Mr. Halsey after giving a tour of the 65-acre farm.

Although he sees the higher land values as a consequence of the summer population, he also believes it enables his farm stand to sell high-quality produce.

“We would cease and desist if we couldn’t sell our crop here,” said Mr. Halsey. He sees, at statewide agricultural conferences, that other growers see the East End as a mecca for selling crops. That is why, despite the high costs of land and complications of estate planning, he considers the future of agriculture to be very bright” here.

Which may also be why Will, Mr. Halsey's grandson, is learning the ropes at the young age of 6. “I’ve said it many times: When I take my last breath, I hope that I’ve done everything I can to give him the opportunity if he wants to farm,” the grandfather said.

But he added, “If he wants to be a ballet dancer, that is fine, too.”