New Owners Help Keep Catapano Dairy Farm's Rich Legacy Alive

PECONIC, NY — A beloved North Fork goat and dairy farm has begun its next chapter.

Erin Burke and Connor Burke, an attorney and an oyster farmer, have taken the reins at Catapano Dairy Farm in Peconic from longtime owners Karen and Michael Catapano, who decided to sell the business and spend more time in Florida and with their family.

"My husband and I are pleased to announce that we are the new owners of Catapano Dairy Farm!" Erin said on social media. "We will continue to make delicious cheese, soaps, and lotions and as an added bonus, we’ll also be carrying my husband’s Eastern Bays Company oysters, fresh from the Peconic Bay."

The couple purchased the property and kicked off their new journey the week before Thanksgiving, "a busy time of year for the farm, so we had to hit the ground running," Argo said.

Erin, originally from Alabama, grew up as a self-professed "4-H kid. I've ridden horses all my life. I'm a lawyer, but have recently felt drawn back to the country."

And suddenly, a whole new future has unfolded, she said.

"Owning a farm on the North Fork is a dream neither of us knew we had until we toured the farm on a whim when it was for sale," Erin said. "We'd both been to the farm in the past and loved the cheese and the goats. Suddenly we realized that this was the thing that we both wanted to do more than anything. It's funny, Karen and Michael Catapano were the same way — neither was sure which of them wanted to buy the farm and what drew them in the first place. Maybe it's just the goats — they're awfully cute and very sweet."

Her husband grew up in Asharoken near Northport and owns Eastern Bays Company, she said. The couple originally relocated to the North Fork for his job in 2018; they have one son, Liam, and an infant daughter Everett, born in October.

The North Fork is the perfect place to launch a dream, she said. "It's the last part of Long Island that truly still retains the farming community spirit and people here want that to continue. Organizations like the Peconic Land Trust invest in farmers and land preservation and help make that a reality," Erin said. "It's that kind of support that convinced us to own a farm here."

The Catapanos, who have created memories for many at the farm, have been working together with the new owners, both Argo and Karen Catapano said.

"We are so fortunate that Karen and Michael Catapano have allowed us to take over their farm and the legacy they've created," Erin said. "They've guided us through the transition and continue to help us to this day. We are mindful of what they have achieved and strive each day to be worthy of the public's continued support. We want to continue what the Catapanos started: raising happy goats and making amazing products."

Erin is brimming with plans, including expanding the farmstand's offerings; scheduling regular tours so visitors can learn more about goats and farming on the North Fork; and hopefully having a 4-H program one day, she said.

The couple purchased during the days of coronavirus. "This year has been a challenge for everyone. We took a big chance, buying a business in the midst of a pandemic, but we know Long Islanders and especially North Forkers are tough," Erin said. "We'll get through this and hopefully by the summer of 2021, we'll all be back to life as we knew it pre-pandemic, able to visit the places and people we want to without worrying — and hopefully without needing a mask."

To longtime customers, Erin assured that they can still visit Catapano's for "delicious cheeses, wonderful skin care products, cute goats, and happy owners. You may just want to stay longer and will leave knowing more about farming on the North Fork."

As for Erin, she's thrilled about the months ahead and is most excited about meeting all the new babies in the spring. "There are few things cuter than goat kids," she said.

Karen Catapano said the news is "definitely a happy thing."

The decision to move on wasn't based on the pandemic, or any other single reason, but instead, a culmination of factors that precipitated the decision to sell the farm, she said. Her husband Michael, a physician who owned the Stat Health walk-in medical practice in Cutchogue before it was sold to CityMD, will see his contract up in May, she said. The couple has a new granddaughter and a new grandson, and, along with purchasing a new home in Cutchogue, wants to spend time in Naples, FL.

"As we get older, the cold is less appealing," Karen laughed. Their home was too big with their children grown, and with the advent of the pandemic, her husband became increasingly more busy in his work as a physician, she said.

"It just seemed like maybe the time was right," she said.

The couple had toyed with the idea of selling and soon spoke with realtor Cheryl Schneider. "The one thing we asked was that it had to sell as a goat farm," Karen said.

She didn't want the farm to be sold as a horse property, or to see a landscaping business open on the site.

Karen also said that helming the business and navigating a sale during the pandemic wasn't easy. The business was deemed essential and allowed to remain open, however — and her team was innovative about creating ways for customers and staff to stay safe, she said.

Catapano Dairy Farm, which opened in Mattituck in 2003 and moved to Peconic in 2005, has many ardent followers. It took some time to find the right owners but when she met Argo and her husband, she knew it was a match made in proverbial heaven, Catapano said.

"They're a lovely family. Very respectful, and they want to keep everything — my staff, all the products, the line, the vendors, the customers, and the same philosophy," Karen said.

Over the years, Karen opened up the farm to Scout tours, brought goats to the nursing home and schools, and were true community partners — a legacy the new owners say they plan to carry forward.

"I have every confidence in them and that makes the transition so much better for us," Karen said. "They have that joie de vivre you need, to keep it going, they have family behind them, they have the knowledge base. It was really perfect."

Her staff is happy and that makes it easier to bid adieu without worry, Karen said. "I couldn't be more elated," she said.

Now, in true North Fork neighborly fashion, Karen and Mike are spending time at the farm helping the new owners settle in. The couple doesn't plan to go far; they will still maintain their home in Cutchogue.

To her longtime customers, Karen has a message: "Thank you, because it was great," she said.

Karen thanked Erin and her husband for remaining steadfast to the vision of the business. "I couldn't be more grateful, and the community should be grateful because this is not an easy undertaking. They have their work cut out for them."

But there's nothing like the wonder of embarking on a new journey, Karen said. "I know they're going to have a lot of ideas. It's so much fun and so magical when you're just beginning."

Catapano Dairy Farm will be open from Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Christmas. Orders can also be taken online here.

The community has opened the couple with open arms, Erin said. "I think people are relieved that the farm is staying a farm and will continue on as it has in the past. We've been so grateful for the public's support."