Half a mile North of Montauk Highway in East Hampton you’ll find Spring Close Farm, a home to “local produce and good vibes.”
As you pull into the farm you’ll be greeted by furry-footed chickens, the smell of fresh flowers and the proud, spirited owner Harry Pinkerton, who acquired the local farmstand during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
At a young age, Pinkerton was dubbed the “nature boy” of the family, since he couldn’t seem to stay away from the outdoors. It was that enchanting feeling that Pinkerton wanted to recreate in his space when he first took over the stand, with vibrant colors of the free range eggs, organic produce ranging from juicy heirloom tomatoes to perfectly sweet raspberries straight from the branch.
We visited the farm to learn more.
Tell us a little about your background. What inspired you to bring Spring Close Farm to life?
I grew up on Long Island in a small beach town 30 miles outside the city called Bayville. Nature grounds me and growing up I found comfort in my mom’s garden. I would crawl around and collect flowers, insects…. whatever I could catch. Butterflies were always my favorite. I learned to cook using the vegetables in our garden and established a love for growing my own food. I continued to have green thumb into adulthood.
About eight years ago I first stumbled upon the farm during my search for farmland in East Hampton. I wanted something small and manageable and this property was perfect. I started showing interest with the previous owner and bringing all my friends by, but I was very young and just wasn’t ready to take that step. Being hit with the pandemic really made me question life and what I wanted, which led me back to the farm.
You worked in the fashion industry prior to the farm. Can you talk a little about that and what inspired the shift to becoming a farmer?
My career in fashion actually started in the Hamptons working for Blue & Cream after finishing my degree in Fashion Merchandising in the city. From there I moved west, worked with celebrity stylist Simone Harouche, working closely with Miley Cyrus for the “Bangerz” album. I continued in styling for years working in LA and New York City on movies, photoshoots, and so much more. I eventually ended up as a creative director for a model, and worked closely with her on creating content for her brands while simultaneously managing her residences. As Covid hit I realized I wanted to disconnect from the material and get back to my roots. The farm was for sale for eight years and I looked at it every summer I was visiting my family in Montauk. It was just a matter of time before it felt right. I saw a business opportunity and jumped on it. I immediately threw myself into it, learned as much as I could about farming and sustainable living, and here we are in our second season and I sort of feel like I have the hang of it now.
Tell us about how you found security and community on the East End during the pandemic.
I love living out East and I relied a lot on local farmers to help me get started. I had no idea what I was doing at first. I reached out to people, connected with so many local vendors and artisans, and I’m meeting new people everyday through the stand. After being cooped up for a year in Covid, it was great to get back to life with a new business centered around the community. I know all my neighbors at the farm and I’ve made countless friends through the store.
What kind of food items can visitors find at your farmstand?
To me, farmstands are like the summer bodega on the East End. I wanted to create a one-stop-shop where customers can get everything they need without having to going into town. It’s like a gourmet chef’s kitchen with the freshest local produce and everything you need to stock your pantry. I carry many of my local friends products like Hampton Grocer Granola, Newlight Bread, and Monte’s sauce as well as Mecox dairy cheese, local wines, and pickles, baked goods, rainbow eggs from my chickens and honey from my bees. I also do most of the baking for my store and have become quite popular for my fruit pies.
Can you tell us about the fresh seafood you have each Thursday and Monday?
For forever, I wanted to encapsulate the protein aspect into my shop without having to actually carry meat or fish. Slow Down Seafood, formerly Montauk Scallop, reached out to me via Instagram and asked to collaborate. I loved the idea knowing Chris and Sarah have the best scallops and seafood around. Fisherman are farmers too and working with them has been so much fun and very popular among customers. Every Thursday and Monday they set up at the shop with the catches of the day from 10 AM to 6 PM. We open and close together and it’s been so great for the neighborhood to have this amazing addition at their convenience.
Talk a little about the property’s design and some of the updates you have made.
I’m an artist and this property is just another one of my projects. I have a vision for it with an esthetic to mimic a true homestead. The property is very unique. It runs 1200 ft x 50 ft wide and has a magical vortex of energy over it. Restoring the land was my first priority, conditioning the soil with rich nutrients it needed. I added multiple gardens and pollination areas for bees and butterflies. A small peach orchard, a perennial garden, will continue to add to the property over the years. I completely gutted and redid the store painting it and adding shelves to my liking. The farm feels alive again. Those who have visited this farm in the past can see the level of work I put in. I really care about the farm and preserving the land is very important to me. I hope it remains an iconic farm for many years to come.
At a young age you were dubbed the “nature boy” of your family. How did your love for the outdoors start at a young age?
Growing up I was obsessed with animals and nature. I had every pet imaginable. And I remember flipping through my dad’s National Geographic collection in awe over all the beautiful pictures. My mother taught me how to garden when I was very young. She’s a great gardener. We had a big vegetable garden and perennial garden where I would harvest veggies and make flower arrangements. I grew up barefoot and I was always on the beach or getting dirty in the woods. My brothers started calling me nature boy because I chose the dirt over salt life like them. Nature has always been my passion. Finding the most comfort in nature I would come home covered in mud with a huge smile on my face. I love being outdoors, it’s always played a huge role in my mental health. Being able to completely disconnect from society and get lost in nature has always been the best medicine for me. Being gay, I retreated into the wild to be, when I didn’t want to play sports with my brothers. It was always something that brought me peace. Still, to this day, I head back to the farm and totally disconnect from the world. My hands too dirty to text. Half the time I can’t even find my phone. It’s nice being able to shut off, especially in times like this. I’ve always been nature boy and always will be.
You serve coffee at the farmstand. Can you tell us about your brand of coffee?
I live for a good, strong cold brew, so making my own blend was a no brainer. I linked up with a family friend who has a small roasting company and he invited me in to make my own blend. Tasting different roasts from around the world, blending them together to come up with the unique brew that I sell both ground and in cold brew. It’s strong, earthy, chocolatey, and the perfect way to start the day.
You produce your own honey. Can you talk a little about that process?
I started beekeeping during Covid around the same time I got my first chickens. A friend of mine who’s been keeping hives for years kind of mentored me and showed me the ropes. It was something I always wanted to do but never had the chance. I started small with one hive to improve pollination in my garden and expanded to more hives once I got the farm. Bees play such an important role in the ecosystem, especially when it comes to pollination for yielding a bigger harvest. They are fascinating to watch and have been one of my favorite hobbies thus far. We also sell our harvest each year through the store allowing customers see and taste the local honey from our farm.
What’s next for you and Spring Close Farm?
There is so much in store for Spring Close Farm. So much opportunity has already come my way from the store. I have cooked private dinners, installed gardens and landscaping, and met so many amazing people. I want to expand on my bakery options and other private label goods. I’m also starting a small kids camp with a local pod where I teach kids how to grow things from seed, maintain a garden, and care for a farm. I would also like to start a CSA eventually as I have had a lot of customers ask for it and think it would be a great addition. I’m kind of open to it all and the options are endless. I don’t like to future trip too hard, this farm is just the beginning for me as a tastemaker on the East End. I have so much love for this farm and the future of it. I will continue to make it beautiful and grow over the years to come.
