Photos by David KorchinWhen we first stumbled upon 8 Hands Farm, our thought was, a little bit of Scotland has landed on the North Fork. Small rolling hills of green, dotted with full coated sheep in white, grey and black bucolic beauty. But after meeting Tom Geppel and his wife, Carol Festa, owners of the farm, it turns out actually to be a bit of Iceland, with their ever-growing herd of Icelandic sheep. 28 sheep and counting - this spring they’ll be adding to the flock with the birth of an expected 50+ lambs.
For Tom and Carol and their two children, education and sustainability are the two working mantras at 8 Hands. Their 50 acres, used for both grazing and cultivating, already supply local restaurants and green markets with fine cuts of meats and home grown vegetables.
Stop by their barn in Cutchogue, where you’ll find skeins of wool residing next to crates of farm fresh eggs. Jars of pickles alongside beautifully crafted sheep horn jewelry. And a clapboard, placed roadside, that tells passers-by of their daily selections. On most Sunday mornings you’ll find the North Fork Food Truck serving up breakfast sandwiches made with the farms morning supply of eggs.
We explore more on what’s happening at 8 Hands Farm in our upcoming Summer Issue due out June 23.