MONTAUK, NY — After an especially long and cold winter, the weather in the Northeast in June was slowly but surely turning better, with warmer temperatures heralding all the bounty that New York state agriculture is known for.

The Montauk IGA store here on the far eastern tip of Long Island was ready to handle that bounty, and was expecting to have a wide variety of New York state items on hand for its customers by the end of June, as usual.

Among the fresh produce items it was anticipating were perennial favorites such as sweet corn, broccoli, tomatoes, cauliflower and peppers, according to Mary Tyler, store manager.

Those items and more “usually start around the end of June,” Tyler, who has been at the Montauk IGA for 36 years — 19 as store manager, and produce manager before that — told The Produce News.

Produce is displayed in two areas: the produce aisle inside the store, and an outside area under a tent that evokes a kind of farmers-market ambience.

Andrea Freeman, produce manager of the Montauk IGA store, tends to part of the produce aisle.Tyler said that customers “definitely” look for New York items and are very aware of buying locally grown. Many customers prefer locally grown items in season “since the items are transported over a shorter distance,” she stated. “And some like to help the local farmers.”

A good portion of those nearby items “come directly from local growers,” especially those right on Long Island, she noted. But throughout the year, the vast majority of the store’s produce comes from Bozzuto’s Inc., the wholesale grower headquartered in Cheshire, CT.

The store has been working with Bozzuto’s “for as long as I’ve been here,” she said proudly. “We have an excellent relationship with Bozzuto’s. They’re always very accommodating.”

Frank Cilurso, a produce merchandiser at Bozzuto’s, has been working with the Montauk IGA for about 10 years. He visits the store at least every other week during the season, which is generally between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

As part of the two organization’s ongoing relationship, Bozzuto’s helps to train some of the managers in the produce department, said Cilurso. Bozzuto’s also assists with the store’s merchandising, such as helping to set up new equipment or helping with special events.

One of the Montauk IGA’s very special events every year takes place over the Fourth of July, when the owner, Robert Stark, donates all of the profits from its outside produce display area during that holiday period to the Dream Ride Experience, an organization that helps raise money for Special Olympics.

The eastern end of Long Island, including the posh Hamptons area, has long been a destination spot for Manhattanites and many other New Yorkers who spend weekends or extended stretches of the summer there, enjoying the restaurants, shopping and pristine beaches.

These vacationers and yearlong residents both enjoy the fresh produce at the Montauk IGA.

“There’s a big boost in customers right after Memorial Day,” said Andrea Freeman, who has been at the store for about 12 years, the last year-and-a-half as produce manager. The customers “love the nice displays,” and they especially enjoy the local produce and organic items.

With the Montauk IGA just yards away from the ocean, Cilurso added, “In the summer, people literally walk over the dunes and shop here. And they often buy fresh produce and bring it back to the beach. The kids love the fruit.”

As just one indication of how important fresh produce is to the Montauk IGA, Bozzuto’s helped the store expand its produce area last November, moving it from the entranceway to a full aisle, so the space is “now much larger than it used to be,” said Tyler, the store manager.

“Fresh produce is really important,” she declared. “A lot of people are trying to eat healthier. The larger produce area is an indication of how much of a call there is for produce.”