Sag Harbor’s John Jermain Memorial Library scored a victory on Tuesday night in front of the Sag Harbor Village Planning Board and was granted permission for a waiver to undergo site plan approval for a temporary library space on West Water Street, effectively giving the library permission to relocate to another site this fall without review.

The decision will allow the library board of trustees to sign a lease on the 3625 square-foot West Water Street location, which most recently housed Personal Best Fitness. JJML Director Catherine Creedon said moving into the space this fall will allow the library the ability to forgo repairs to the historic library’s furnace, which they plan to replace with a geothermal heating system if they are approved for a sizable expansion to their Main Street facility.

It will also enable the library to apply for a permit through the Sag Harbor Historic Preservation and Architectural Review Board to begin cosmetic restoration to the aging library building, including window replacement and masonry work while they await village and county approval for a more than 7,000 square-foot, modern addition they hope to build at the rear of their current building.

On Tuesday night, Sag Harbor Village planning consultant Richard Warren explained that allowing the waiver was in line with last year’s revision to the village zoning code, which included provisions for site plan waivers for changes in use that are permitted or special exemption uses under the new code, does not increase the size of the existing space, and do not require more wastewater treatment or parking.

“This is a perfect example of why we amended the code and put a site plan waiver in there,” said board member Gregory Ferraris.

The library’s environmental review for their expansion project is expected to be revisited at next month’s September 28 meeting.

In other JJML news, in the wake of the Sag Harbor Village Board of Trustee’s decision to not extend the village wastewater treatment plant line to accommodate the library project, last week at a library board of trustees meeting, Creedon announced the village board is trying to aide the library through their application with the Suffolk County Health Department for an on-site treatment system.

Trustees denied the library’s application to extend the sewer line earlier this month, citing concerns from neighbors and concerns that the limited capacity of the village sewage treatment plant should be reserved for more environmentally sensitive projects.

However, last week, Creedon said trustees have announced they intend to work with JJML officials by identifying existing land owned by the village that it could offer to the county as open space in return for Pine Barren credits, a gift that will ultimately save the library a considerable amount of money.

“The village trustees are being as supportive and positive with us as they can,” said Creedon.

Current trustees Carl Peterson and Carol Williams will both seek to keep their seats on the board this September 28, with Linley Whelan joining them as a third candidate.

Peterson was appointed to the board in 2007, filling the seat of Gregory Ferraris, and was re-elected to the board that same year. Williams also began her tenure on the board in 2007. Both are seeking their second elected terms as trustees.

Whelan, who is on the board of directors of the Sag Harbor Whaling and Historical Museum, is also a member of Save Sag Harbor and a licensed real estate broker with Brown Harris Stevens.

Barring an aggressive write-in campaign, Whelan stands to fill the seat of current trustee Nancy Hallock, who has decided to not seek re-election this year.

Who will fill Ameres’ unfilled one-year term will remain in the hands of those who bring a pen when they vote in the trustee elections this September. In 2007, architect Kate Evarts was voted onto the board in an organized write-in campaign where she received over 50 votes. She stepped down the following year.

In addition to choosing who will serve on the board of trustees, residents will also weigh in on a proposed $1,195,502 operating budget for 2011, $64,000 of which will allow the library to rent a temporary space on West Water Street this fall. The proposal represents a 9.8 percent increase in spending over this year’s spending plan.

On September 15 at 5:15 p.m., the library will host a budget and trustee forum for residents, which will be followed by the regular board of trustees meeting at 6 p.m.

The budget vote and trustee election will be held on September 28 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

By Ellen Frankman

The commercial lure of seine fishing takes a back seat this weekend, as local fisherman Al “Big Time” Daniels and the South Fork Nature Center team up to expose both kids and their parents to the creatures we share our waters with daily.

Seining is a technique practiced in its earliest time thousands of years ago in areas with a high population of schooling fish, when a large net was dragged through the water generally quite close to land. Seining later developed for commercial fishing purposes, in which the net, fitted with weights at the bottom and floating devices along the upper rim, is dragged beside a large boat.

Daniels was born and raised in East Hampton and comes from a long line of fishermen.

“In the old days we had nets that were 1000 to 2000 feet long,” he explains. For SOFO’s bay seining event planned for Saturday, Daniels plans to use 50 to 100 foot nets. “This is a small version of the big thing.”

The event will introduce local kids to an activity Daniels spent much of his childhood doing. “As a kid we caught bait fish this way. We caught most of the bait that we fished with ourselves,” recounts Daniels. Especially in today’s world, few people realize that it is just as easy to set a net and catch 400 pieces of bait as it is to go to a bait shop and purchase a package of killeys.

Part of the excitement of the bay seining event, now in its second year, is the mystery of the catch. Says Daniels, “We catch a lot of snappers, which are small bluefish, shiners, killeys, kingfish, and some very very cute blowfish that blow up to the size of ping-pong balls.”

Every now and then the net reveals more surprising inhabitants however. “We’ve caught sandsharks and fluke that you normally don’t see,” says Daniels, who also recalls catching 15 to 20 mullet one year, a fish traditionally found in more tropical waters. “You never know what you’re going to catch!”

Apart from being excited by what they find, the kids are also experiencing a hands-on way to learn about their environment. “The net pulls in stuff that a lot of the kids have never seen or known to live in the bay,” remarks Daniels. “This gives them a reality about what happens when you put the net out there and you bring it in – that’s really what you swim with everyday. That’s what’s in the water.”

As for the adults, Daniels points out that many parents “who aren’t local don’t know that either so it’s a good education.”

Though summer is winding down, late August makes for the perfect time for bay seining, according to Daniels, who explains that most of the eggs that were laid in the spring are now developed and starting to grow. These young fish, typically 3 to 5 inches in length, are what’s caught in the seining net because they swim close to the shoreline.

And for those concerned for the well-being of these little guys, fear not.

“We generally bring a big tub to put them in so the kids can look at them and handle them, and then we release them back into the wild,” assures Daniels.

Bay Seining With Al “Big Time” Daniels takes place on Saturday, August 28, at 10 a.m. Call SOFO at 537-9735 to reserve.

“Emily and I and some of the farmers view this as the lost town square,” Michael Denslow remarked of the Community Farmers’ Market at the Hayground School. Denslow and his wife Emily started the market last season. The market has quickly flourished beyond its original intent into a place where people can listen to live music, make a donation to a local charity, and attend a book reception — all while picking up ingredients for dinner. Denslow said the image of the historic town square, with people shopping, chatting and participating in other activities, is invoked at the farmers’ market.

Above: A scene from the Community Farmers’ Market at Hayground.

In addition to food, Denslow hosts an open mic. Recently, Paul Simon’s young son Adrian held an acoustic session with two other musicians. Denslow also reserves a booth for local not-for-profit organizations like Last Chance Animal Rescue Fund, which showed off puppies available for adoption. On another occasion, the family of a boy with autism set up a lemonade stand to raise funds for autism awareness.

In the coming days and weeks, the Farmers’ Market at the Hayground School will host a variety of events to round out the local shopping experience. This Friday, August 20, artist Amelia Garretson-Persans will launch her latest art book project, “House Stories.”

Drawing inspiration from a photo album she unearthed in her parent’s home, Garretson-Persans blended these photos with her own memories and family lore into a collection of mixed media drawings and accompanying short essays. While studying fine arts and the humanities in college in Montreal, Garretson-Persans attended a bookmaking class. Spending countless hours on her work, Garretson-Persans, who now lives in Noyac with her fiancée, says her books walked the line between being a fine art object and a piece of literature. Her drawings weren’t necessarily literal and were more associative, allowing the viewer to insert their own connotations. The photographs she referenced for her work depicted her parents at around the same point of their lives: in their early twenties, newly married and setting up house.

“I thought, ‘This is where I am,’” Garretson-Persans said. “I looked at that perspective of making a home.”

While working on her pieces, which combine ink, watercolor and other materials on recycled paper, Garretson-Persans also runs Harbor Small Batch, a baked goods company, with her business partner Stacy Dermont. They operate a stand at the farmers’ market, which connected her with Michael and Emily Denslow.

Starting at 4:30 p.m., Friday’s book launch will include free cupcakes, made specially by Harbor Small Batch, and the sounds of Moto-Wrays. Garretson-Persans has self-published a series of 50 “House Stories” books, priced at $25 each. A limited edition, with hand screen-printed covers, of 25 will be sold for $50 a piece.

On Sunday, August 22, vendors from the farmers’ market will sell their wares at “Young People Speak: Coast to Coast,” a musical rally organized by a group of local youths called The Wild Strawberries. The event is presented in conjunction with the Hayground Forum, which organizes workshops for local youths, and is sponsored by the Young Peoples Project, an education and youth leadership organization, and the People Speak, an educational project based on the work of historian Howard Zinn.

“By uniting the East and Gulf Coasts through music and spirit, reflecting on the five year anniversary of Katrina, and the damage caused by the recent oil spill, along with issues in our own communities, we are summoning our young people to dance, speak out and organize,” said organizer Ella Engel Snow.

The event will include the sounds of Hot Eight Brass Band from New Orleans, whose music is featured on the HBO series “Treme.” Other performers include Brother Joscephus and the Love Revival Revolution Orchestra, the ThunderBird Sisters of the Shinnecock Indian Nation, DJ Vibe, the Glazzies, the Dylan Carroza Experience and other young local musicians. Local individuals representing different communities on the East End will read from Howard Zinn’s “Voices of a People’s History of the United States.”

The event will be hosted from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Hayground School. A $10 admission per person is suggested, and donations will be used to support local youth initiatives.

The farmers’ market will culminate in a community potluck on August 27. Members of the community are encouraged to buy produce at the market and stay after for grilling and live music

“It will be like a get together,” Denslow explained.

The Hayground School is located at 151 Mitchell Lane in Bridgehampton. For more information visit http://www.haygroundfarmersmarket.com.

After growing up on his family’s farm in Ames, Iowa, where Dale Haubrich began his career as an organic farmer in 1978, the world had a dramatically different food culture, with only one state — California — certifying organic produce.

“I took crops to the grocery store in Ames, Iowa and was told it couldn’t be labeled organic because people would think there was something wrong with the other stuff,” said Haubrich. “Now, they knowthere is something wrong with the other stuff.”

For over 30 years since, Haubrich has dedicated his life, professionally and personally, to the organic foods movement, and is viewed on the East End of Long Island as a pioneer in the practice, which is more of a philosophy for Haubrich and Bette Lacina, his partner in business and life.

Haubrich and Lacina have spent the better part of two decades cultivating literal tons of organic produce on their Sag Harbor farm now known as Bette and Dale’s, formerly Under the Willow, just beyond Bay Burger restaurant on the Sag Harbor-Bridgehampton Turnpike.

“The willow died,” explained Lacina.

Standing under a shed amid recycled cardboard produce boxes, just beyond the bright yellow farmstand teeming with tomatoes, squash, onions, peaches, zucchini, eggs and even corn — a notoriously difficult crop to grown organically — Lacina explained that she and Haubrich have strived to create a sustainable farm, not just an organic one.

“I never knew how hard sustainability can be,” said Lacina, while picking through and washing a second cut of the couple’s wildly popular arugula, which due to the heat this summer has a particularly spicy flavor. “Dale grew up this way. It is in his nature.”

“Dale is from the school of not wasting anything,” continued Lacina. “When you grow up on a farm, depending on everything you have, you save everything.”

After growing up on a family farm, Haubrich served in the army for four years and then studied microbiology in college, learning about plants and the diseases that affect them.

“I understand how they are infected in the first place,” he said. “Crop diversity is great, and important, in organic farming.”

After working with the United States Department of Agriculture, Haubrich became disillusioned, realizing his dream was to have a small, family farm. He studied horticulture, and while watching as farmers embraced new chemicals, felt the quick fix was not sustainable and settled into organics.

Following a woman from Queens to New York, Haubrich found himself an organic farmer in Southampton when he crossed paths with Lacina.

Lacina met Haubrich 18 years ago when she reached out to him, having sparked a personal interest in learning how to cultivate food and flowers without using chemicals.

“We met, and afterwards we became friends,” she said, delicately placing squash blossoms in a carton lined with newspaper. “Then he said, work with me. First we were business partners, and then we had a relationship.”

Haubrich and Lacina plant thousands of seedlings each spring, with over 80 varieties of vegetables and fruits between the seedlings and perennials grown on one-and-a-half acres between their Sag Harbor spread and another plot at East Hampton’s EECO Farm.

The couple also started raising chickens six years ago as a protein source for their diet, to create natural fertilizer for their farm and to eat discarded vegetables as not to waste a morsel of their crop.

“Dale’s specialty is making something out of a small piece of land,” said Lacina. “It’s all about rebuilding soil. We’re not damaging it, we are making it better.”

The couple also boasts a 2.5 acre farm south of Tucson, Arizona with Haubrich also working on creating a 40-acre pasture to raise grass fed, organic cattle in the future. They spend December 1 through April 1 in Arizona before returning to Sag Harbor for the remainder of the year.

Technically, Bette and Dale’s is not an organic farm by United States Department of Agriculture standards.

“We were certified organic for eight years, but then we bowed out in the face of industry-favored government standards,” said Lacina. “Instead, we take the Farmers Pledge.”

The Farmers Pledge, of the Northeast Organic Farming Association goes beyond what is required by federal guidelines, addressing labor issues, community values and marketing practices.”

“Our rules are stricter,” said Lacina. “There are no chemicals, no fertilizers. Everything is grown in compost.”

“This year was one of the best fruit seasons we have had,” said Lacina. “We didn’t have to deal with the mold or the fungus that comes with the rain.”

Peaches, she added, have also been particularly wonderful, and all of the crops due to early spring rains followed by intense heat have come into season two weeks early.

However, chimed in Haubrich, the drought has resulted in more difficulty cultivating crops like salad greens, which, along with the fruits, have needed a lot of extra watering this season.

“For some things the drought is good, for others it’s not — Leafy greens, for example,” said Lacina. “But the tomatoes and peppers — warm weather crops — are thriving.”

Bette and Dale’s farm is the only one that Haubrich and Lacina know of that grows organic corn, many organic farmers opting not to grow the crop at all or allowing minimal spraying to avoid the inevitable horn ear worm that will find its way into each ear of corn.

As Haubrich explained, the worm is not a dirty worm, “the only thing it has ever eaten is corn,” and the worm only eats a small portion of kernels at the top of the ear, leaving 90 percent of the vegetable untouched.

While they sell the corn in husk at their farmstand, Haubrich said they shuck the husk of the corn and cut off the top for sale at the Sag Harbor Farmers’ Market, where the couple can be found each Saturday morning, to make it more palatable for the uninitiated.

Many though, are initiated, and Bette and Dale sell not only to East End residents, but also to a number of local restaurants, including Estia’s Little Kitchen and Espressos, and Bay Burger, as well as the Allegria Hotel in Long Beach, where former American Hotel chef Todd Jacobs serves as executive chef.

“We originally started delivering to him at the American Hotel in 1992,” remembered Haubrich. “He is committed to organic ingredients.”

“A lot of people do the talk, but don’t walk the walk,” he continued. “It’s just more convenient. Our ideal chef is one who we tell what we have and they plan a menu around what is available.”

Although attitudes have changed regarding the food we eat, particularly in the last decade, and with the organic movement still growing, Lacina is hopeful people are becoming more educated about sustainability, and would like to see more East End residents take a more proactive role.

“We live in an area where land is so valuable and yet a lot of people have five-acre lawns,” she said. “If that was converted to organic farming, we wouldn’t have much need for hunger on the East End.”

For those just dipping their toes into the realm of organic farming, she suggests crafting edible landscapes, which can be beautiful, yet useful, and do not contribute to groundwater pollution like many of the emerald green lawns of the Hamptons do.

For Lacina and Haubrich, the ideal East End would be one full of small, organic family farms with the farmers themselves turning out at the local farmers’ markets to sell their bounty.

“I think sustainable is sustainable,” said Haubrich. “People are more educated and I think there is hope. At least there is a good possibility.”

Red tide, an algae bloom toxic to shellfish and fin fish, is already rampant in the waters off the South Fork of Long Island, having reappeared for the sixth year in a row and over a month earlier than years past, according to Stony Brook Southampton professor Dr. Chris Gobler and Peconic Baykeeper Kevin McAllister.

Already visible in the Shinnecock and Peconic bays, including Noyac Bay off Sag Harbor, according to Dr. Gobler the red tide first appeared around July 20, whereas previously the algae has bloomed in late August and early September.

“The organism has been present for some time, but we do not know why it has become so prominent in recent years,” said Dr. Gobler. “We believe the warmer-than-usual summer has been responsible for its early arrival.”

A harmful algal bloom, red tide is visible, usually presenting itself in rust-colored bands on surface water. While harmless to humans, Dr. Gobler noted the species is highly toxic to fish, shellfish, larvae, zooplankton and other algae.

“These properties prevent it from being consumed by predators and prevent it from needing to compete with other algae for resources such as nutrients,” explained Dr. Gobler. “Higher nitrogen levels lead to more intense blooms. We also know the blooms seem to be isolated to the Peconics and Northeastern Shinnecock Bay.”

The tide will remain until the water cools, reducing the number of available nutrients.

According to Dr. Gobler, quantifying the impacts of red tide is difficult, although he noted the smallest organisms, larvae, are the most vulnerable albeit the most difficult to track.

“Large fish in pound nets and at Stony Brook’s marine station have died during blooms,” said Dr. Gobler. “Fishermen have reported a decline in landings during and following the blooms. The Southampton Town Trustees reported a large scallop die-off in Noyac Bay following last year’s bloom. None of these things are good news for the ecosystem.”

McAllister agreed that areas where aquaculture is occurring are the most vulnerable, particularly if their growth is in cages, but that pound nets are equally vulnerable as when fish trapped in the nest can be exposed to the toxic algae for prolonged periods of time.

“I think the wild stock is also vulnerable if there is a persistent bloom,” he added.

Dr. Gobler, whose lab at Stony Brook Southampton is focused on water quality research and plankton ecology, said the occurrence of red tide is a sign of poor water quality, however while his lab has learned much about the species they are still studying why the blooms start and why they reoccur on such a consistent basis, as opposed to brown tide, which is more sporadic.

McAllister said he has seen literature referencing the occurrence of red tides dating back centuries, but that he believes an increase in nutrients like nitrogen in the water likely is due to human influence, specifically the result of aging wastewater treatment systems leeching into the groundwater and concurrently into streams and bays, as well as the use of some fertilizers in landscaping and lawn maintenance.

“It’s been around for a long time, but with that being said, we are seeing these harmful algae blooms more frequently and certainly along developed coastal communities,” said McAllister. “I don’t have the smoking gun, but I do believe there is a correlation between development and the strain on coastal marine life.”

By Andrew Rudansky

When Dr. Barry Browning, veterinarian and owner of Sag Harbor Veterinary Clinic, goes to work, he is invariably accompanied by Haggis, his 13-year-old corgi-terrier mix. Haggis is old, suffering from the same conditions that affect many of Dr. Browning’s older patients: arthritis, dimming of the sight and loss of hearing. He calls her a partner in the clinic, watching the staff from her favorite sleeping spot, underneath a counter in one of the back rooms.

“It is important to know that humans and animals are inexplicably linked,” said Dr. Browning, which explains Haggis’ presence at the office. He said that he has been surrounded by animals for all of his life, even before becoming a veterinarian, a career choice that he says comes from “a love of animals combined with a scientific view.”

Graduating from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in Veterinary Medicine and Science, Dr. Browning started his career as a farm veterinarian in the United Kingdom.

He said his new clinic, which opened in 2006 at 28 Bridge Street, Sag Harbor, is in a whole different category than his old practice overseas, treating horses and sheep in a more commercial setting. Dr. Browning said almost all of his patients now are cats and dogs.

When he bought the building back in 2005 he completely renovated the space, creating a clinic with several patient meeting rooms, operating rooms, its own in-house pharmacy, diagnostic testing equipment and an x-ray machine.

His comprehensive clinic allows him to deal with issues in his patients ranging from skin rashes and infections, to more serious issues like cancer. But in mid-August, right in the middle of tick and flea season, much of his attention is diverted to these pests.

“Over the past three years I have seen that the flea population has quadrupled,” he said, “fleas are becoming a big deal out here.” Dr. Browning said that they are more than just annoying; they can actually be quite dangerous. Fleas can be the intermediary source for more serious bugs like tapeworms, which can be extremely dangerous to any pet. Dr. Browning said that dogs can itch themselves raw because of fleas, breaking the skin in various places and causing serious bleeding.

“A female flea can lay 30 to 40 eggs a day, and these eggs are indestructible…It is a huge problem if left untreated,” he said. While he doesn’t have any hard statistics on the number of fleas in the area, he did say the number of patients coming in with fleas has exploded.

“Three or four years ago I hardly ever saw a case…now each day in the summer and late fall I see several cases.”

Dr. Browning said that despite the prevalence and seriousness of these pests, the good news is that they are easily treatable. He suggests a prescription of Advantix or Comfortis for dogs or Advantage for cats can treat the fleas.

Deer ticks can be equally as problematic said Dr. Browning, who explained that Lyme disease in dogs can lead to more serious issues. He said some signs to look for, other than the actual ticks, are lameness in the legs, fever and lethargy. He said Lyme disease can be tricky because some dogs don’t show these classic symptoms, but can still have the disease.

Having to deal with patients that can’t talk, Dr. Browning mostly relies on the owners to diagnose the problems. “You can never underestimate a thorough history of the pet, a lot of the important details come from what people tell you [about their pets],” he said.

While it is the animals that are his patients, Dr. Browning also finds a connection with the owners as well.

“Sag Harbor is a fantastic little community, and I really feel very much a part of it,” he said. “Having my veterinary practice here is very cool because I see all of fellow community members here with their pets, and you get to see a different side of these people.”

On Friday, August 6, CAC Chairman John Linder raised the issue of the library, which has been in front of the village’s planning board for the better part of a year, in hopes of doubling the size of the library. Linder said he, and other members of the community, were concerned how long the process was taking and the financial impact such a lengthy review was taking on the library.

“Two months ago, I might have felt a little more antagonistic,” said Cohen. “But it’s actually more grey than black and white.”

Cohen said one thing he has come to terms with is, if this was another proposed project in a residential neighborhood, the CAC would likely support the village board taking its time with the review process and asking for more information each step of the way.

Linder wondered why the library would not be exempt from environmental review under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), but Cohen said, while the SEQRA handbook allows institutions such as public libraries a pass, the actual SEQRA law does not include that exemption. He added that the law also gives local municipalities the right to override any exemption if they choose to.

Linder asked if the board had publicly stated they would not allow the exemption, which they have not.

“On the other hand, they are doing what they are supposed to do,” said Cohen, noting the library and the village are faced with the conundrum of both being public entities dedicated to public good, and in this case accomplishing that on both sides has been difficult at best.

Linder said he believes the village planning board is concerned with lawsuits, and in that sense, in reviewing this project, is not serving the best public interest.

The village, several board members, consultants and attorneys have been named in a $30 million lawsuit filed with East End Ventures, which hoped to develop luxury condominiums on Sag Harbor’s waterfront. That suit, in part, states the village was not consistent in its SEQRA review for that project compared with how it handled other projects. That suit was filed just a month before the library submitted plans for their expansion to the village boards.

“I agree,” said Cohen. “And I even wrote about that and didn’t put it in my blog, but this still goes back to, and this is really important, are we going to jump up and down and criticize the planning board for doing what they are supposed to do?”

Cohen did add one regrettable part of the review is simply how long it is taking, although he added the library may be able to begin the restoration of its aging library building if the village agrees to look at, and approve, a temporary library space on West Water Street, separate from their larger request for the expansion.

“Funding is another huge issue because we have gone through virtually all of our capital fund, paying for lawyers and consultants and things to get us through the process, so there is no money left and we can’t get money from [the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, a lending agency often used for public projects] until the village review is completed,” said Cohen.

He added that donors are largely unwilling to donate to the library project because of uncertainty surrounding its ultimate approval.

“The real threat to us is we could run out of money,” he said. “That is the major problem we have.”

Linder said he believed donors should view this as an opportunity to ensure the project’s success rather than shy away from it.

“I spent most of the afternoon there today,” said Linder. “It is a wonderful resource and there is trepidation about your safety while you are there. It is such a wonderful facility and it needs so much work.”

The next meeting of the Sag Harbor CAC will be held on Friday, September 10 at 4:30 p.m. The next Sag Harbor Village Planning Board, during which the library’s application will be on that board’s agenda, will be held on Tuesday, August 24 at 5:30 p.m.

By Andrew Rudansky 

Ana Nieto and Ivo Tomasini, co-managers of the Sag Harbor Farmers Market on Bay Street, care about what you eat.

 “Most people just fill their bodies with processed junk, and they don’t even know what is done to the food,” said Tomasini. Both he and Nieto have dedicated their lives to educating people on the issue of food, supporting sustainable family farming over big agribusiness.

“We want to awaken the people who are not in touch with food realities,” said Nieto. Education, Nieto said, is the key to this awakening.

In keeping with this message of education, the pair will be holding a viewing of the documentary film “FRESH”, directed by Ana Sofia Joanes. “FRESH”, which came out in 2009, has been shown in major cities around the country but has never premiered on the East End of Long Island, until now.

The film discusses the cost of America’s giant industrial farming complex, especially related to the current obesity epidemic, the addiction to chemically grown food, the impacts on the environment and the cost these issues are having on the population’s collective health. 

But Joanes didn’t create the movie “FRESH” to simply showcase what she sees as the atrocities of America’s agribusiness. Instead the film plays out like a two sided coin; comparing big industry farming to local, sustainable farms.

Joel Salatin is one such sustainable farmer featured in the film. His farm located in Swoope, Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley uses methods like field rotation and organic soil and is completely chemical free. Salatin’s farm produces chickens, turkey, rabbits and beef in an animal-friendly approach. His free range, chemical free farm stands in stark contrast to the industrial farms in the films, where gas mask attired men spray chemicals on just about everything and the animals are confined in small cages.

“We are in the redemption business: healing the land, healing the food, healing the economy and healing the culture,” said Salatin in the film.

The message of Joanes’ movie is one of hope, of local grassroots movements who are taking small stands against big farming, like Milwaukee’s Will Allen with his goal to mitigate inner-city “food deserts,” and David Ball, owner of Hen House Market, selling local, natural food products at his store. Joanes’ said that these small steps can lead to a global change in the way people think about food.  

 “You could sit there and preach [about the negative effects of industrialized farming],” said Tomasini, but he would rather show positive alternatives. “‘FRESH’ is a great film because it gives you choices and suggestions” to deal with these problems, he said. In particular the film suggests consumers buy locally produced food from family farms, especially those dedicated to a sustainable and organic living.

“Every time you buy [your food] locally you are making a decision, you are making a vote…You are saying a lot with that dollar,” said Tomasini.

“The whole food situation is connected to the idea of free society,” he said. Drawing parallels to big agricultural conglomerates with Wall Street hedge funds and big oil companies, Tomasini said that these institutions are putting “profits in front of people.”

The local premier of the movie will be held on tomorrow, Friday, August 13th at the Core Dynamics Health and Fitness Gym, located on 58 Deerfield Road, Water Mill.

The movie is only one part of Friday’s event according to Nieto. A whole afternoon is planned around the film dealing with the issue of healthy living. The event starts at 3 p.m. with a fitness open house. Samplings of local food and wines will also be available at the event. Nieto believes that this event is a step in the right direction; and much like the actions by people in film, is something that can lead to a healthier future.  

Nieto is most excited about a discussion forum that will be held after the movie with a panel of local food and health experts. The Panel includes local farmers such as Bette Lacina, Dale Haubrich, David Falkowski of Open Minded Organics, Roman Roth of Grapes of Roth, as well as Dr. Ronald Halweil, Chef Steve Frankel and Kate Plum, president of Slow Foods East End.

These farmers and food experts have been advocating and practicing many of the ideas of the film for years. From the local, sustainable farming of Lacina and Haubrich done on less than two acres in the village of Sag Harbor, to the recent boom in village farmers markets, the most recent being the one opened at the Ashawagh Hall in Springs last month.

Nieto has few expectations for what the panel discussion will bring, but said she primarily hopes for a lively audience.

“For us, if the quality of conversation is good then the whole screening will be a success. That is the main goal.”

Tickets for the event are $25 or $10 for members of Turtle Shell Health or Core Dynamics.

“The organic community is still a small world,” he said, hoping that his and Nieto’s “small efforts,” much like those showcased in the film, can help change that.

By Annette Hinkle

For over 15 years, business partners Greg Kirwan and Mike Hartman have worked diligently to build their pool construction and maintenance company. While not the largest name in pools and spas on the East End, their Bridgehampton based Casual Water has enjoyed a loyal following and always provided Kirwan and Hartman with plenty to keep them busy.

But then, about a year and a half ago, the phones stopped ringing, and Kirwan and Hartman, like countless other business owners large and small across this country, found themselves victims of the economic meltdown. Suddenly, everything they had come to understand about their business since it opened in 1994 was turned upside down.

Kirwan admits that in good times when money was coming in, he and Hartman didn’t really think about things like business plans and effective marketing. But once the recession hit, it quickly became obvious that the skills they had always relied on in the past weren’t going to carry them through to the future.

“Mike and I are tradesmen,” explains Kirwan. “The business end is not something that comes so naturally. You get very busy running the business, and it’s hard to do management when you’re chasing leads.”

“We’re also typical men. We don’t ask for directions,” he laughs. “We were really out of options, but we’re stubborn and we weren’t closing it down.”

So last October, Kirwan and Hartman brought in Gabriele Lehr, an outside business manager and consultant, to help get Casual Water back on track. Through the government’s Small Business Administration (SBA), Gabriele heard of a program called SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) and attended a seminar on the program at the Riverhead Library to learn more.

SCORE, a division of the SBA, is an organization made up of retired business executives from around the country who volunteer their time to help new or struggling small businesses thrive in a competitive world. From giving online advice to taking part in face-to-face mentoring sessions, SCORE volunteers offer their services free of charge — and businesses that use SCORE pay nothing for the mentoring they receive.

“It’s a present from the government,” says Lehr. “What a nice gift. Thank you.”

As a result of her initial meeting with SCORE in Riverhead, Casual Water was soon paired with Jim Posner, a SCORE volunteer who lives in Noyac. Posner explains that while most people come to SCORE looking to start new businesses, the organization can also be extremely beneficial to people like Kirwan and Hartman who feel they just need some direction in getting their business on more solid footing.

“SCORE’s big on the creation of business plans,” explains Posner, who goes by the name JP. “Usually people don’t know anything about business plans, but we make them deal with sales, margins, expenses, competitiveness and the bottom line. They just didn’t think of it that way and there is a fear of it when you ask someone to do one. They’re afraid they’ll hear that with these sales, this margin and this expense you can’t make it.

“What happens in my consulting career is people know the product, but not the marketing, strategy and potential,” adds Posner. “They need to make the next big leap and bring someone in who’s savvy in selling and marketing techniques.”

For Kirwan and Hartman, once they started meeting with Posner regularly, much of what he told them in his “tough love” manner became less scary, and their business model came back into focus.

“When we met JP, we were kind of down on our luck,” admits Kirwan. “We were working hard all winter, then JP came in here and told us we’re not working hard enough, doing things wrong and missing the basics. We were bogged down in all the problems we thought were specific to our job. But he said, ‘No. In any company, the principles are the same wherever you go.’”

“Having done it for a thousand companies, from small to big, it functions the same in any size,” adds Posner. “You’ve got to go through the process.”

“The light bulbs started flashing,” remarks Kirwan. “Now we won’t let him out the door and are constantly having the eureka moments.”

“It’s obvious in hindsight,” adds Hartman.

In addition to failing to create a business plan, Posner notes that other typical business mistakes include things like unclear management direction, underestimating the competition, poor sales approach and ineffective marketing.

That last of these came into play quickly during Casual Water’s mentoring sessions with Posner. Having spent the off-season designing and printing a glossy marketing brochure full of stunning imagery, the team at Casual Water proudly showed it to Posner. But instead of praising their efforts, he let them know in a few choice words that it was useless.

“It was ego and not marketing,” explains Posner bluntly. “This is about principles. A designer made it soft and pretty — words we don’t use in business. This is a piece of machinery and they needed to get the ego out of it.”

“He said, ‘Where are the five reasons why your company is good?” recalls Hartman.

“He also said, ‘What are the five things that make your company special?” adds Kirwan.

These are the types of questions the business partners had never pondered before, but now know, and more importantly, understand, inside and out.

“JP has only been with us for four or five weeks, but the energy and enthusiasm he’s built is amazing,” says Kirwan. “I’m feeling kind of fearless and I know that comes from JP. Now Mike and I recognize that we’re not the problem, and our issues are not unique to us.”

In fact, since Posner has been working with Casual Water, sales that weren’t expected to come through have, and issues that may have not been resolved in the past are being settled quickly and effectively.

“It’s the energy,” says Kirwan. “When you have this confidence and background and knowledge to tap into, the confidence level rubs off on the people you sell to.”

“We’ve also learned to delegate better,” admits Hartman.

“It’s not something that came easy to me,” says Kirwan. “I like to have my nose in everything.”

And while it’s always good to know your competition, SCORE has also taught the team at Casual Water to focus not on what others are doing, but the quality of their own work.

“We’re making a splash,” laughs Lehr. “The only company that can matter is this one. We strive for excellence, so everything else doesn’t matter.

“And we’re having fun,” she says. “It’s been an adventure.”

To learn more about SCORE call 1-800-634-0245 or visit www.score.org.