A Brewery and a Farmers Market? Twin Fork Beer Co. Has Both!
By Aidan Steng
On Saturdays, Twin Fork Beer Co. in Riverhead transforms into more than just a brewery—it becomes home to the Riverhead Farmers Market, a bustling showcase of local vendors.
Since early 2024, the Riverhead Farmers Market has made its home inside Twin Fork Beer Co., offering a new space for local vendors after losing their previous location. The market runs every Saturday from 9 AM to 2 PM, featuring a variety of goods, from wine to paintings. Despite its success, the market faced uncertainty last year when it had to find a new location.
“Typically, the Riverhead Farmers Market operates under East End Food Market, but they’re on a hiatus right now because they’re waiting for their building on Main Road to finish,” said acting manager Nicole Petti. “We were left without a home for this season and [Twin Fork Beer Co.] gave us their blessing to do the market here.”
Owned by twin brothers Pete and Dan Chekijian, Twin Fork Beer Co. has been brewing commercially since 2014 and opened its current location in 2020.
The market is currently volunteer-run, and Petti took on her role due to her past managerial experience at markets in New York City and Texas. When she’s not managing, she sells her double-washed microgreens at the market through her business, Urban Coyote Farm.
Photo: Edmund Power, co-owner of North Cliff Vineyards.
The rise of farmers markets isn’t just a local trend—it’s part of a national movement. Since the 1990s, the number of farmers markets in the U.S. has surged, growing from 1,700 in 1994 to 8,700 in 2019. Today, about 40 million Americans regularly shop at farmers markets, drawn by fresh, local goods they can’t always find in grocery stores.
“We love all the local people,” said Sally Cappy, a regular customer at the market. “All the stuff you can’t get in the food store is here.”
Fellow frequent shopper Barbra Gibbons echoed her sentiment. “I think it’s nice to see what the community has for us, especially in the winter. It’s nice to support the vendors and to see what’s local.”
Cappy and Gibbons are among the millions of people nationwide who rely on farmers markets for fresh, unique products and a sense of community.
“Our vineyard is in Mattituck, and we bring out grapes to our winery where we do everything ourselves,” said Edmund Power, a wine vendor and co-owner of North Cliff Vineyards. “I’m kind of a new guy here, but farmers markets in general are great exposure and very community-based.”
Photo: The brewery’s cat, Samhain, came in as a stray.
If being the new guy ever gets lonely for him, he can turn to the market’s cat, Samhain, for company. Samhain was taken in by the brewery when he showed up as a stray. Ever since, he has been a part of the market, roaming around every Saturday.
Despite a rocky road, the Riverhead Farmers Market has found a home inside Twin Fork Beer Co.—and with the support of local vendors, volunteers, and regulars (including one friendly brewery cat), it’s poised to grow into a Riverhead staple for years to come.
Aidan Steng is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.
Photo: Acting farmers market manager Nicole Petti.
