Photo by Tim Mossholder.
Photo by Joshua Tsu.
Welcome to harvest time! All up and down the Hudson Valley, all through the Catskills hills, you can feel, taste, and smell the joy of another successful year of collaboration with our beloved Mama Nature to create some of the finest food and fun on Planet Earth. Apple picking, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, sweet cider donuts and fresh-baked pies, hayrides…this season stokes the senses and lifts your heart.
Breathe in a good deep breath of that crisp morning breeze. It’s been busy rustling the leaves of those gloriously heavy fruit trees. Lace up your sneakers, grab a sweater, and dive into the deliciousness.
go picking
This is prime apple country. We’ve been growing fine, fine apples here since the Colonial era. We’re blessed with unique terroir that apples just love, and farmers that know how to work with it for fantastic results. You’ll find a cornucopia of color and flavor, offering the perfect apples for everything from snacking to baking, and friendly farm folks to help guide you to exactly what you’re after. It’s a great family outing—orchards are fun to explore for kids of all ages, and there’s no better way to understand just where food comes from than biting into an apple still warm from the autumn sunshine. Don’t forget a gallon of cider, the perfect autumn BBQ beverage, whether sweet or hard.
play in the pumpkin patch
Photo by Christopher Luther.
We have seriously great pumpkins here, too, glowing orange orbs with their very own personalities, just waiting for you to select them, personalize them, and light them from within. When was the last time you carved a jack-o’-lantern? It’s probably been too long. Go find your dream squash, scoop out the seeds, dry them in a low oven with a little salt, and have a carving party. Or just grab a couple of cool ones for the porch and pair with some of the lovely fall decor you can probably find at the same stand: hanging baskets of fall flowers, graceful bundles of dried grasses. And did you know that you can bake a halved pumpkin with nothing but a little butter and cinnamon for a truly splendid, nutritious side dish?
baked treats
Many of our farms have bakeries; some still make pies using generational legacy recipes. Cider donuts, of course, are everywhere, and there’s a reason for that—but you haven’t really tasted one till you’ve had one baked fresh that morning just steps from where the apples grow. And don’t neglect the specialty breads, tarts, and other wonders that are so plentiful this time of year.
Photo by Oat Appleseed.
Photo by Gummy Bone.
Photo by Hannah McBride.
hayrides, corn mazes, and more
There’s nothing like the sound of a corn maze, a mixture of breeze rippling through the stalks, happy yelps, and laughter. Farms outdo themselves each year creating the craftiest designs to get you gloriously, blissfully lost for a little while. And there’s a timeless delight in perching on a fragrant hay bale while a vintage tractor pulls you through a glorious farmscape ringed by mountain views.
fall farm highlights in our counties
Each Hudson Valley and Catskills farm has a personality all its own, from the centuries-old operations to the newer ventures; some have all kinds of activities for guests, while at others you’ll find simple peace amid the plenty. There are syrup and honey specialists, flower fanatics, livestock producers, and fiber farmers in the mix.
Checking the farm’s website or even calling on the day you plan to visit is a good idea—these are working farms, vulnerable to weather and a long list of other factors that can impact what’s available when.
ULSTER COUNTY
kelder's farm
Kelder's Farm in Kerhonkson offers apple and pumpkin picking, as well as a vast array of family amusement, going beyond hayrides and corn mazes with a Jumping Pillow, Combine Slide, Candy Cannon, and much more, There’s food at the Farmers Grill and adult beverages at the Loading Dock Tap Room; come during the Fall Festival (September 8–November 2) for the full fall farm experience.
5755 Route 209, Kerhonkson | 845-626-7137 | keldersfarm.com
locust grove fruit farm
Locust Grove Fruit Farm & Brewing Co. in Milton is a seventh-generation family operation with three generations hands-on. They offer u-pick every weekend during the month of October; after you’ve got your fruit, check in at the family-friendly Brewery Barn for fine house-made craft beverages to wash down the goodies from a selection of food trucks.
162 & 199 North Road, Milton | 845-795-5194 | locustgrovefruitfarm.com
saunderskill farms
Saunderskill Farms in Accord is a beloved Hudson Valley destination for fall fun. Beginning the last weekend of August and continuing through mid-November, they offer 10 varieties of pick-your-own apples. Visitors can also wander through the free corn maze, pick pumpkins straight from the patch, and enjoy a scenic horse-drawn hayride through the farm's beautiful fields. Don’t miss their vibrant display of over 4,000 blooming mums, available in a rainbow of autumn colors.
5100 Route 209, Accord | 845-626-2676 | saunderskill.com
stone ridge orchard
Stone Ridge Orchard in Stone Ridge is a 200-year-old working farm using sustainable practices and offering a wide range of pick-your-own apples in the fall, plus other local delectables at the farm stand. The Farm Bar, open weekends in September and October, serves up cider flights and New York State beer, wine, and cocktails.
3012 Route 213, Stone Ridge | 845-687-2587 | stoneridgeorchard.com
wallkill view farm
Wallkill View Farm in New Paltz offers pick-your-own pumpkins every weekend in October, with a corn maze and a free scenic hayride with Shawangunk Mountains views. Don’t forget to pick up some fresh-baked cider doughnuts or a pie from the onsite bakery, and maybe a hanging basket of pretty mums from the greenhouse.
15 Route 299, New Paltz | 845-255-8050 | wallkillviewfarmnewpaltz.com
wright's farm
Wright’s Farm in Gardiner is a fifth-generation family farm offering a quintessential fall experience with over 100 acres of u-pick apples and pumpkins, fresh cider, and a farm market brimming with baked goods, preserves, and gourmet specialties. On weekends, enjoy live music, food trucks, and hayrides at their own Gardiner Brewing—perfect for a family day out or a seasonal stroll through rows of ripe fruit trees with views of the Shawangunk Ridge.
699 Route 208, Gardiner | 845- 255-5300 | eatapples.com
DUTCHESS COUNTY
cedar heights orchards
Cedar Heights Orchards in Rhinebeck is a 150-year-old family operation on a gorgeous hillside with Catskills views, where you can pick among a wide variety of heirloom and newer varieties of apples any day of the week until October 9, and bring a picnic besides. They’re experimenting with some new high-density growing methods and cider varieties; apple-growing geeks can see the state of the art here.
8 Crosby Lane, Rhinebeck | 845-876-3231 | rhinebeckapples.com
fishkill farms
Fishkill Farms in Hopewell Junction welcomes you to make a reservation and come pick organic sunflowers, pears, apples, and pumpkins; the farm store offers a wide range of artisanal local products and fresh baked goods, the Treasury Cider Bar is house-made from tree to glass, and there’s an outdoor grill serving farm-fresh goodies to eat at the picnic tables.
9 Fishkill Farm Rd, Hopewell Junction | 845-897-4377 | fishkillfarms.com
greig farm
Greig Farm in Red Hook opens its PYO apple season in late August, with 11 varieties of apples available through October, when they also offer multiple varieties of pumpkins and gourds. There are trails to walk, and pygmy goats and koi fish to feed. There’s a farm market and café, as well as an Airstream food truck, and you can wash it all down with something delicious and locally crafted from the Barn Taproom.
227 Pitcher Ln, Red Hook | 845-758-8007 | greigfarm.com
meadowbrook farm apple orchard & market
Meadowbrook Farm Apple Orchard and Market in Wappingers Falls is a third-generation family operation that offers apple picking and pumpkins for sale through October, along with their own cider and homemade goodies. You can pay a visit to the chickens, ducks, and goats, then visit the market to get fruit and baked goods, pre-order holiday pies, and do some early gift shopping.
929 Old Myers Corners Rd, Wappingers Falls | 845-297-3002 | facebook.com/MeadowbrookApples
DELAWARE COUNTY
echo orchard & farm
Echo Orchard & Farm in Hamden is a former dairy farm on the West Branch of the Delaware River that now practices permaculture and makes cruelty-free wool products; as a no-spray orchard growing mostly cider apples, they don’t offer apple picking, but you can come pick pumpkins in September and October and meet the hens and sheep.
8151 Co Rd 26, Hamden | 802-578-0731 | echoorchard.com
hodgson riverbank farm
Hodgson Riverbank Farm in Downsville welcomes pumpkin pickers with a wagon ride out to the field, which offers over 5,000 pumpkin choices. You’ll also find mums, asters, ornamental kale, and corn stalks to inspire the perfect autumn tableau, as well as fresh autumn veggies—creative use of high tunnels keeps them picking late into the season.
93345 River Road, Downsville | 845-629-6762 | hodgsonriverbank.farm
maplewood farm & orchard
Maplewood Farm & Orchard in Bovina Center offers PYO apples and pumpkins on weekends from mid-September through Columbus Day, along with Li’l Buckaroo Rodeos and roping lessons. They’re also an ancestral maple-syrup operation with a sugar house full of outstanding syrups and maple sugar candies.
596 Miller Avenue, Bovina Center | 607-287-8682 | maplewoodfarmny.com
maxwell farm
Maxwell Farm in Delhi offers PYO pumpkins and, to the best of our knowledge, the only giant marshmallow maze in the region. It’s a relatively young operation with a fine sense of fun—come see why the Catskills are growing a new crop of farmers.
21287 Route-28, Delhi | 607-376-1357 | facebook.com/p/Maxwell-Farm-Delhi
sunrise mountain orchard llc
Sunrise Mountain Orchard LLC in Bloomville welcomes you to pick your own apples and pumpkins in September and October at their boutique orchard, featuring a low-key, no-pressure vibe and 24 varieties. You can also grab some of their own honey and fresh-pressed cider.
1173 Sunrise Mountain Rd, Bloomville | 201-655-1985 sunrisemountainorchard.com
SULLIVAN COUNTY
buck brook alpacas
Buck Brook Alpacas in Roscoe is located atop one of the highest peaks in the Sullivan Cats; you can sign up for a tour or walk, meet the critters, soak up the spectacular foliage views, try your hand at gem mining, and browse the Farm Store, which stocks handmade alpaca wool products.
12 Bestenheider Rd, Roscoe | 845-807-3104 | buckbrookalpacas.com
cunningham family farms
Cunningham Family Farms in Swan Lake offers pumpkin picking and a wide range of fall family fun: Sullivan County’s largest corn maze (with a ghost hunt option, no less!), giant checkers and chutes and ladders games, hay rides, a hay bale pyramid, and gem mining. The party’s on from Labor Day through Halloween.
1233 Hurd and Parks Road, Swan Lake | 845-583-4083 cunninghamfamilyfarms.com
hahn bros. farm
Hahn Bros. Farm in Callicoon Center is a sixth-generation family project evolving since 1857. Nowadays, beef, goat meat, and veggies are sustainably and carefully raised. We also have a 24/7 self-serve stand onsite with all cuts of beef and goat, as well as beef tallow. Tours are offered by appointment; come meet the critters, learn about sustainable methods, and pick up something succulent for your holiday table.
206 Anawanda Lake Road, Callicoon Center | 845-807-1335 hahnbrosfarm.com
