Organics Today Farm

It doesn't seem like a promising site for a farm: 3 acres on a dead-end street in a suburban subdivision, nestled in a corner created by a Southern State Parkway overpass and the LIRR tracks.

It suits Michael Massino perfectly.

The ex-restaurateur started working this East Islip plot three years ago. "I liked that it was in the town where I live," he said. "I liked that it was in a residential neighborhood. Someone will show up at 5:30 saying, 'I need a head of lettuce for dinner.' I get a kick out of that."

Would it be better to be further East where, you know, all the other farms are? Nope. Massino's customers (who buy seasonal shares and come once a week to pick up their bounty) don't have to travel too far. And he'd have a much tougher time keeping things organic if he were located near other farms, whose pesticides and fertilizers could be carried his way by the wind.

To help grow his 70-odd fruits and vegetables - right now, he's harvesting snow peas, fava beans, spinach, basil, broccoli, broccolini, Swiss chard and a few herbs - he relies on his "right-hand woman," Desiree Fumento, and about 20 volunteers.

He also makes use of nature's own pesticides: The farm is home to millions of ladybugs, who keep the aphids at bay. To keep ladybugs happy, he grows a great deal of cilantro, whose flowers contain a nectar that they love. The ladybugs are much beloved by the farm's sparrows, so Massino puts out a lot of birdseed "to reduce the ladybug death rate." -- Erica Marcus

Pumpkins 75 cents per pound

Also Has Hayride ($3), farmstand, roasted corn ($2) and baked goods. Enter a pumpkin carving contest Oct. 15 — bring your pre-carved pumpkin to be judged.

Corn Maze Free; while it isn't very large, this corn maze has a sweet price tag. "It is just a simple corn maze for the kids. You can't really get lost," says owner Mike Massino, who also has a free toddler playground and a short hayride ($3). You travel through the corn maze to get to his 3-acre pumpkin patch (75 cents a pounds), which is pesticide free and has both heirloom and non-heirloom varieties.

CSA:

SHARES $500 (includes 15 hours of volunteer work on the farm, Memorial Day weekend-Halloween); $450 (20 weeks, includes 25 hours per season volunteer time); free (requires 100 hours per season of volunteer time)

DISTRIBUTION At the farm

ON THE MENU Warm weather and cool weather crops, 50 varieties of produce, including seven different types of tomatoes, leafy greens, lettuce, produce for ethnic cooking; no genetically modified plants, 20 percent heirloom (tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, squash, pumpkins); 12 types of Asian produce; eggplants, pumpkins, peppers, figs, broccolini, raspberries, apples from upstate, snow peas, carrots, escarole, Portobello mushrooms, Tuscan kale, beets, Swiss chard, dandelion, spinach, onion, potatoes, edible nasturtium, borage, zucchini and pumpkin flowers; cucuzza, known as baseball bat squash; three varieties of beets, four varieties of onions, 12 varieties of lettuce; plums and blueberries

ABOUT THE FARM This is its sixth year as a CSA and 11th year as a farm. In addition to the volunteer opportunities, the farm offers tours, cooking classes and information on composting, recycling, beneficial insects, birds and animals. Visitors also learn about the use of solar power on the farm and water collection using rain barrels. Meat and poultry are also offered through D'Artagnan in New Jersey.