Freelance Writer

Sarah Alford

I am an award-winning freelance journalist, editor and speaker based in Sag Harbor, New York. My writing and photography have been published in East, The East Hampton Star, and The Sag Harbor Express, covering topics including ecologically-focused gardening, nuanced local history, the arts, food, sailing, and current events.

A Master Gardener and competitive sailor, I thrive on continuing to learn and challenge myself. My home garden includes host plants for butterflies and pollinators, and I revel in incorporating native plants into my yard. I am a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and a board member of the Breakwater Sailing Center, where I led the conversion of the landscape to 75% native plants.

Having worked as an equity research analyst through my twenties, I've also applied financial analysis and modeling to prepare business plans. Those aren't the skills I apply to raise butterflies in my garden, so it's fair to say I have a wide range of experience and interests.

I often interview subjects for profile pieces and reported articles, adding their personal perspective to my work. My first interview was with a Saturday Night Live cast member, and I’ve been asking questions ever since.

Published Writing

Below are a few examples of my published work, with a longer selection included in the next tab. The style and focus of my writing varies, depending on the assignment and publication. I’d be happy to discuss your freelance writing or editing needs.

Doug Tallamy: The World Wild Web

Doug Tallamy, an entomologist, author, and professor at the University of Delaware, encourages homeowners to think about the role our yards play in the food chain that sustains birds and wildlife. The immense decline of the bird population by one-third over the past 50 years has opened eyes to its urgency. With that in mind, Mr. Tallamy started an effort called Homegrown National Park, described on its website as “a bottom-up call-to-action to restore habitat where we live and work, and to a lesser extent where we farm and graze, extending national parks to our yards and communities.” The East End is a perfect place to start.

Photo credit: Rob Cardillo

Foraging: Eat the Beach

“Chefs are crazy for roses now,” says Tama Matsuoka Wong. Not fancy roses, but the wild rosa rugosa that grows along our scruffy shorelines. Matsuoka Wong speaks from experience, as she sells foraged ingredients to some of the top restaurants in New York City, including Daniel and Noma, plus Shou Sugi Ban in Water Mill. Her latest book, "Into the Weeds: How to Garden Like a Forager," offers insight into what to pick and what to plant, so you don’t have to venture too far off the beaten path for those coveted foraged ingredients.

Treescapes: Native Species Find Favor With Horticulturists

For gardeners and landscapers seeking four-season interest, low maintenance, and environmental impact, trees check off all the boxes. Plus, they offer shade for sitting areas, a backdrop for a garden, and nesting places for birds, among ecological benefits. Just as there’s no irrigation watering trees in a forest, it is not needed for the established trees in your yard. The time and money saved on irrigation and maintenance might feel liberating. "Plant trees well and they'll need nothing long-term. They evolved here," says Tony Piazza of Piazza Horticultural in Southampton.

Photo credit: Alejandro Saralegui