The best long-form stories of the past year

This award-winning piece by Carrie Miller tackles the state of immigration reform and how it affects North Fork farmers. Ms. Miller — who was named the 2013 Rookie Reporter of the Year by the New York Press Association — reveals issues faced by both farmers and migrant workers, and the associated implications on an affordable local food supply and a region dependent on growing agricultural tourism.

 More than 75 years after it struck the East End, the “Long Island Express” is still remembered as the worst hurricane in Long Island history. This package of stories that debuted on the anniversary of the monster 1938 storm won a first place award for In-Depth Reporting from the New York Press Association.

It takes a Long Island Railroad train two hours and 50 minutes to travel from the Greenport station to New York City. This article examines the stories of those who make the longest commute on the North Fork, and why they continue to take on the grueling journey.