New shed for Kilbs’ comfort

It’s hardly a new business but Alfred Kilb Jr. and his daughter, Karen, are hoping their newly completed shed on his Route 114 property will provide more comfort for their activities. For years, the Kilbs have been selling Christmas trees, wreaths that Karen designs and other items true to various Shelter Island seasons.

Ask Mr. Kilb how long it took to build the new shed and his response is quick: “Forty years.” That’s how long he’s been ruminating about building a shed, although the work only started a few months ago.

“I went into it to support my daughter’s wreath business,” Mr. Kilb said. “It’s for our convenience more than the customers,” he said about the new shed. And he’s not done yet. With his building permit still open, he said, he expects to expand it a bit more to accommodate anticipated sales of local produce and honey. For years, his father ran the honey operation across from today’s farm stand and that is now in the hands of Mr. Kilb’s nephew, he said.

By building the shed back from the road, the Kilbs are able to move their whole operation back a bit and that’s important from a safety standpoint because of increased traffic in the area, Mr. Kilb said.

“These stands were benchmarks along the North Fork for years,” he said. If the Kilbs have their way, such stands will continue to be a part of what’s special about this area.