Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone took a whirlwind tour of the North Fork today, visiting with local businesses, public officials, and seniors to get an up-close-and-personal view of the unique needs of the area.
Bellone made stops at the Southold senior center in Mattituck, East End Mushroom Company in Cutchogue, the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Suffolk County marine environmental learning center at Cedar Beach, Greenport Harbor Brewing Company in Peconic, and both STIDD Systems and Little Creek Oysters in Greenport.
Bellone also planned to meet with Greenport Village Mayor George Hubbard today.
It’s not the county executive’s first visit — he made a similar visit last year, making stops at a wide array of local businesses.
Bellone was accompanied by Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski, and both Jane Maguiare and John Quigley, owners of the East End Mushroom Company, thanked Krupski for his invaluable help and unwavering support in getting their business started.
As Bellone toured the East End Mushroom Company’s facility, checking out the different varieties grown in a hydroponic, computerized environment, Krupski said it’s beneficial to have the county executive come out and meet the business owners and others on the North Fork canvas.
“It’s so important to the culture and the economy,” Krupski said. “There’s so much to see here. If you don’t go out and look, you won’t know.”
A Riverhead tour is also planned in the coming weeks, Krupski said.
Bellone spent time talking to both Maguire and Quigley, learning about their business; the partners explained that the future of farming, especially for mushrooms, lies in the hydroponic approach, where factors such as last week’s recent storm had no impact on their crop; others farming in traditional ways were affected, they said. Farming indoors allows them to produce 365 days a year, they added.
Bellone said he welcomed the chance to meet local business owners, asking them about their challenges, as well as discussing issues they might have for him, points they felt that he needed to know.
“I want the focus to be on how we can support local efforts, to create greater prospects and quality of life,” Bellone said.
