Welcome to harvest season. All across the Hudson Valley and throughout the Catskills, you can feel, taste, and smell the joy of another successful year of collaboration with our beloved Mama Nature.
This is the season of apple picking, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, fresh cider donuts, warm pies, hayrides, and farm stands overflowing with just-harvested goodness. Few times of year engage the senses quite so completely—or make it so easy to fall in love with this region all over again.
Take a deep breath of that crisp morning air. It has been busy rustling the leaves of fruit trees bowed with apples. Pull on a sweater, lace up your boots, and head out into one of the most delicious times of year.
nature’s pantry on full display
If there is a moment when our farms seem to burst with abundance, this is it.
Orchards shimmer with apples in every shade of red, gold, and green. Pumpkin patches glow with orange globes waiting to become porch decorations, jack-o’-lanterns, and homemade pies. Farm stands brim with winter squash, root vegetables, leafy greens, honey, maple syrup, and flowers in the rich colors of the season.
Everywhere you turn, the harvest is on full display.
Photo by Kirk Ikis.
Photo by Zen Chung.
more than apples and pumpkins
As much as we love apples and pumpkins, they are only part of the story.
No two farms are exactly alike. Some are lively destinations with bakeries, playgrounds, and festivals that can easily fill an afternoon. Others offer a quieter kind of pleasure—a chance to wander, take in the mountain views, and reconnect with the land.
Along the way, you may discover flower growers, honey producers, cider makers, livestock farms, maple syrup specialists, and fiber farmers, each adding something unique to the agricultural tapestry of the Hudson Valley and Catskills.
pick your own adventure
There is something deeply satisfying about reaching into a branch and twisting off an apple still warm from the autumn sun.
For children, it is a joyful lesson in where food comes from. For adults, it is a reminder that some of life’s best pleasures are wonderfully simple.
The same is true of pumpkin picking. Choosing the perfect pumpkin—whether destined for carving, decorating, or baking—has become one of the season’s most beloved rituals.
Photo by Zen Chung.
Photo by Brooke Balentine.
Photo by Olivia Bauso.
Photo by Jonathan Ocampo.
Photo by Kelly Koele.
Photo by Physical Pixel.
and then, there are the cider donuts
Many farms maintain bakeries where cider donuts emerge warm and fragrant, pies are made from time-honored family recipes, and shelves overflow with breads, tarts, cookies, and other irresistible treats.
A gallon of fresh apple cider—sweet or hard—is practically mandatory.
And if you have never eaten a still-warm cider donut just steps from the orchard where the apples were grown, you are in for one of autumn’s simplest and greatest pleasures.
hayrides, corn mazes, and getting happily lost
Harvest season is also about play.
Corn mazes invite visitors to wander among towering stalks while laughter drifts on the breeze. Hayrides offer a timeless chance to perch atop fragrant bales as a tractor rolls through fields framed by mountain views.
Many farms host harvest festivals with music, demonstrations, and activities that make the experience even more memorable.
bringing the harvest home
A trip to the farm often ends with far more than a bag of apples.
You may return with pumpkins for the porch, squash for roasting, honey for tea, flowers for the table, and ingredients for soups, pies, and holiday meals.
More importantly, you bring home a renewed appreciation for the people and places that nourish this region.
before you go
Because these are working farms, offerings can change with weather and harvest conditions. It is always wise to check a farm’s website—or call ahead—before setting out.
Wear comfortable shoes, bring an extra layer, and prepare to experience autumn where it begins.
At the source.
Bring home a renewed appreciation for the people and places that nourish this region.
Photo by Gretta Vosper.
GREAT squash and pumbkins for cooking
make: Pumpkin Pie • Ginger Squash Bisque • Pumpkin Bread • Ravioli • Risotto • Roasted Squash • Soups and Stews • Puree (for later)
butternut squash Sweet, nutty, and easy to peel, making it one of the most versatile winter squashes.
sugar pumpkin The classic baking pumpkin, prized for its sweet, smooth flesh. Perfect for pies, breads, and purees.
delicata squash Creamy and naturally sweet, with an edible skin that makes preparation especially simple.
kabocha squash A Japanese favorite with dense, dry flesh and a rich, chestnut-like flavor.
cheese pumpkin A beloved heirloom with rich flavor and velvety texture. Excellent for soups and pies.
hubbBBard squash Large and hearty, with sweet orange flesh ideal for purees and baking.
Photo by Eugene Golovesov.
Here are some of our favorite local farms and markets to enjoy this season.
Adam's Fairacre Farms, Kingston+
Barthel's Farm Market and Creamery, Ellenville
Bistro To Go, Kingston
High Falls Coop, High Falls
Kelder's Farm, Kerhonkson
La Deliziosa Bakery, Poughkeepsie
Locust Grove Fruit Farm & Brewering Co., Milton
Main Course Restaurant + Market, New Paltz
Meredith's Bread, Kingston
Mill and Main Provisions, Kerhonkson
Mother Earth Storehouse, Kingston
Pakatakan Farmers Market, Halcottsville
Saunderskill Farms, Accord
Shawangunk Wine Trail, Various Locations
Stone Ridge Orchard, Stone Ridge
Sunflower Market, Woodstock
Tetta's Market, Olivebridge
The Big Cheese, Rosendale
The Kitchen Cheetah, Margaretville
Wallkill View Farm Market, New Paltz
