When Justin Bakewicz first launched his farm stand on Route 25A in Wading River five years ago he didn’t think he’d last too long at the location.
The property was owned by a home builder and he figured the portion of the property where he opened the modest stand selling flowers would soon be someone else’s front yard. He’d build a name for himself in Wading River, he thought, before permanently setting up shop somewhere else.
But the story of Bakewicz Farms has taken a few turns ever since and its 27-year-old owner couldn’t be more thrilled with the outcome. After a proposal by a solar company looking to open an energy storage facility on the 11-acre farm was shot down by Brookhaven Town, he purchased the entire property in December 2020. The June sale of the development rights to the town make it certain the land will remain agricultural forever.
With their future at the farm now secure, Bakewicz and fiancée Anna Montauredes have begun to unveil a bold new vision for the business, which they run along with his mother, Marianne.
Over the past several years, the farm has been all about the fall season, when its popular corn maze attracts visitors from across Long Island. This year, the goal is to make the land, which is about a mile east of William Floyd Parkway, a multi-season destination.
For starters, Bakewicz has continued to expand on the homemade agritainment features that started with just a small playground. The fenced-in area now includes a few holes of miniature golf and a tricycle racing track.
The most ambitious new addition is The Silo, a bar cut out of an old-fashion farm silo where they serve local craft beverages, including beer from Long Ireland and North Fork Brewing Co. and hard cider from Woodside Orchards.
