While best known for
New York City, one of the greatest cities in the world, our state is also a leader in farming. Our beautiful countryside includes 7.6 million acres of abundant farmland, accounting for 25 percent of the landscape. New York has some of the most fertile soils in the world and over 34,000 farms producing fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products.
Autumn is a perfect season for a
scenic drive to a New York farm. Many welcome visitors with tours,
fall festivals and harvest activities like
hayrides, corn mazes and
Halloween fun, as well as
farm markets and samples of delicious foods.
You can pick up fresh apples, pumpkins, cider and baked goods across the state, from Hanks Pumpkintown on
Long Island, to
Pumpkinville in
Chautauqua-Allegheny. Thousands of farms in between include
Murphy Orchards, a fruit farm and historic
Underground Railroad site in
Greater Niagara;
Fruit Valley Orchard in
Oswego; and
Indian Ladder Farms in Altamont, where you can watch demonstrations of beekeeping, sheep shearing, and cider making.
Our state’s rich farming heritage is celebrated at
The Farmers’ Museum, a working farm in
Cooperstown. Nearby, take a tour at
Critz Farms, known for maple syrup as well as apple and pumpkin picking. There’s also a picnic area and a farm animal petting zoo.
Learn about sustainable farming at the
Stone Barns Center in
Sleepy Hollow, amid the beautiful Pocantico Hills. Tour the gardens and greenhouse, walk the scenic trails, and dine on fresh fare at the Blue Hill restaurant. About 60 miles north of Manhattan, tour
Blooming Hill Farm and shop for organic tomatoes and greens at the farmstand surrounded by 160 acres of rolling hills and forest.
You can even visit a farm without leaving New York City. Get a taste of 1600s farm life at the historic 47-acre
Queens County Farm Museum, a working farm with a greenhouse, planting fields, livestock, hayrides, festivals and tours.
Many of the farms that supply New York’s
cheese stores are open for tours. Stop by
Sprout Creek Farm's creamery in the
Hudson Valley to try cheese crafted in the old-world European tradition. Famous chefs across the nation create specialties with cheeses and yogurt handcrafted at the
Old Chatham Sheepherding Company, the largest sheep dairy farm in the US. In the
Catskills,
Hawthorne Valley Farm, a certified biodynamic farm, sells organic cheeses.
You can also visit goat farms like
Nettle Meadow Farm in the
Adirondacks,
Catapano Farm on
Long Island or
Side Hill Acres in the
Finger Lakes. Tours are concluded with samples of various kinds of goat cheese.
On tours of New York’s farm
wineries and
breweries, you can find perfect pairings for your cheese. Wherever you travel, you’ll see spectacular
fall foliage.