Page 17 - Valley Table - Fall 2022

DIG IN
Apple Time
One of fall’s favorite pastimes is heading to an orchard and plucking apples straight off the tree. “It’s such a great ritual,” says Andrew Richards, farm manager and head distiller at Millbrook’s Shady Knoll Orchards and Distillery. “Fall in the Hudson Valley is so beautiful, and the smell of an orchard is so good.” Here are 11 to check out.
BARTON ORCHARDS
Poughquag \ bartonorchards.com
Incredibly delicious apples + every possible kind of entertainment = Barton. This 175-acre orchard offers something for everyone: Trees dripping with fruit (from Honeycrisp to McIntosh), hayrides, kids’ petting zoo and fun park, Bark
Park for pups, live music, and all kinds of food, from fried pickles to still-warm cider donuts. Arrive early if you don’t like lines. And take note of the special weekend events, too: Oktoberfest on September 17–18 and the Fall Festival on September 24–25.
BY JANET SIROTO
FISHKILL FARMS
Hopewell Junction \ fishkillfarms.com
This is the spot for eco-certified and organic apples—100+ varieties— including heirlooms (Cox’s Orange Pippin and Cortland). Family owned
for over a century, Fishkill Farms’ PYO season stretches from late August into November. Reserve your spot online to pick your own, and check out which vegetables are ripe, too. Then allow time to hop on a hayride to take in the view of the Catskills. There are also special weekend events, from festivals to yoga.
GREIG FARM
Red Hook \ greigfarm.com
Celebrating 80 years, this family-run farm offers 11 varieties of apples, including Jonamac, Gala, and Blondee (kids go crazy for them). Watching and feeding the playful goats behind the farm market is popular, so is grabbing a cider at the Abandoned Cider outpost. Check the schedule for the Sohu
craft market, explore the hiking trails with Catskill views, and swing by the pumpkin patch if your home needs some Halloween spirit.
PHOTO BY KATIE ROSS
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