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Get to know this year’s Riverhead Farmers Market vendors

The indoor Riverhead Farmers Market returned for a fourth year Saturday, opening for the season with vendors familiar and new.

Longtime favorites like organic poultry farm Browder’s Birds were there, along with newcomers like The Bearded Baker and its gluten-free baked goods.

The weekly market, located at 117 E. Main Street in downtown Riverhead, is open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through late April. Here are some of our favorites from week one.

Greenport Jerky

Greenport Jerky.
Greenport Jerky. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

A new vendor this season, owners Vincent and Carolyn Macchirole have been making their own jerky for years but began selling their product last summer. They offer 11 different flavors, including teriyaki, sweet ‘n spicy and black pepper sea salt. On Saturday, the couple distributed samples of their original and IPA beer-flavored jerky.

The Bearded Baker

Scott Krevat, owner of The Bearded Baker
Scott Krevat, owner of The Bearded Baker. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

Scott Krevat of Westbury debuted his baked goods, sold under the name The Bearded Baker, at the market last year. Krevat offers homemade gluten and dairy-free macaroons and introduced rainbow cookie macaroons this season. “I love the market. I love the people out here,” he said. “It’s a great area and I’m glad to be back.”

Tainos Sofrito & Mojo

Tainos Sofrito & Mojo
Tainos Sofrito & Mojo. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

Owner Vivian Jarrett creates gluten-free and vegan marinades at the Stony Brook University Business Incubator in Calverton. At the market, Jarrett showed off her sofrito, a seasoned cooking base she said is great to add to rice, stews and beans. She said her mojo sauce is good for marinating raw and grilled vegetables. “This is a nice time for people to try something different,” Jarrett said of the market.

Rosie’s Country Bakeshop

Rosie's Country Bakeshop
Whoopie pies from Rosie’s Country Bakeshop. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

This is owner Rosemary Scheiber’s fourth year offering her baked goods — including her standout whoopie pies — at the market. She also sells seasonal products, like pumpkin streusel coffee cakes and apple pie. “It’s been growing,” she said. “We have been increasing the variety of vendors and it’s just a nice local market.”

Peck’s Maine Jam

Peck’s of Maine jam.
Peck’s of Maine jam. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

Although the word “Maine” is featured in his product’s name, owner Brian Jeran said almost all the fruit used for his jams comes from East End farms. The company’s name is actually derived from Jeran’s wife, Lisa, a Maine native whose maiden name is Peck. Jeran offers a variety of jams, from sweet to spicy. During the holidays, he offers a “Mainers Christmas Jam” consisting of strawberries, cranberries, cane sugar, fruit pectin and cinnamon.

Chaga Island

Chaga Island
Chaga Island’s Super Brew. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

Saturday marked the first time owners Bridget LeRoy and Debbie Falborn’s sold this brand-new product at a farmers market. Technically a fungus, chaga is brewed like tea. LeRoy said chaga, which grows on the sides of white birch trees in cold regions, has natural healing powers and helps ease her rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. Falborn and LeRoy are selling chaga by the bottle and in its natural chunk form at the market. “I hope everyone comes down [to the market],” LeRoy said. “It’s one of the best experiences on the East End.”

Other vendors Saturday included Goodale Farms, Sang Lee Farms, Tend Coffee, A Taste of the North Fork, Arlotta Food Studio, Alice’s Fish Market, Mecox Bay Dairy, Kalypso Greek Yogurt, Lulu Knits, Nuna Knits and Talk Treats to Me.

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