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Snip your own herbs at Shade Trees Nursery in Jamesport (Credit: Monique Singh-Roy)

They sit right outside the entrance to the store at Shade Trees Nursery Garden Center in Jamesport, gigantic pots of fresh, organic herbs like basil, rosemary, oregano and parsley, just soaking up the sun.

It is the ‘snip your own herbs’ corner, an opportunity to buy fresh herbs by the bunch to take home for cooking.

Initially nursery owners Lou and Lisa Caracciolo had second homeowners in mind when they came up with the concept, but the idea works for anyone who wants fresh, organic herbs and doesn’t have the space or time to grow their own.

“We figured that people coming out to their second homes for the weekend don’t want to maintain an herb garden, but they want fresh herbs that are fresher than the supermarket and sometimes the farm stands don’t carry all of them,” Ms. Caracciolo said. “You can cut your own if you’re making just one pot of sauce, cooking for a big party or just take as much as you want, it’s $4.99 an ounce.”

That convenience works for Ms. Caracciolo, too, who besides helping to run the nursery, creates the Caracciolo’s food line, North Breeze Farms.

“I don’t like having an herb garden at home either because I’m here all the time,” she said. “So I just snip off a couple pieces of basil or a bag of parsley.”

Stop in at Shade Trees Nursery to snip some of their fresh herbs, check out their food line and say hi to their new mascot, Bits the micro pig. Just six months old, Bits is already a celebrity at the farm, drawing in fans with his own Instagram account, @bits.of.nofo.

“He’s been bringing in the crowds, from kids to adults, even a Girl Scout group from Brooklyn,” Ms. Caracciolo said. “They saw him in the Riverhead News Review. My daughter takes pictures of him and posts stuff, it’s cute.”

This is the Caracciolo’s third pig. They’ve already had two pot bellied pigs, which grow much bigger, but Bits is their first micro pig. He’s already house trained, very affectionate and will only grow to about 20 pounds.

Shade Trees Nursery and North Breeze Farms foods are located at 1875 Main Road in Jamesport. For more information call (631) 722-4041.

Owner Lisa Caracciolo and Bits, Shade Trees Nursery's mascot mini pig (Credit: Monique Singh-Roy)
Owner Lisa Caracciolo and Bits, Shade Trees Nursery’s mascot micro pig (Credit: Monique Singh-Roy)
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