Fishkill Farms

Apple trees ready for U-pick harvesting at Fishkill Farms

Fishkill Farms is an apple orchard and small-scale farm located in Hopewell Junction, a hamlet of East Fishkill in Dutchess County, New York. Founded by family friends of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Fishkill Farms is one of the Hudson Valley's oldest apple orchards.[1] Organic Authority LLC named Fishkill Farms its 2010 "top pick" apple farm in the New York City area.[2]

History

Fishkill Farms was founded by U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr., who purchased the land in 1914. The farm has been handed down through family members, including former Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau.[3] The farm is now run by his son, Joshua Morgenthau.[4]

The farm originally produced apples, chickens and dairy but ceased dairy farming during World War II when hired help was hard to find.[1] In 1980, a hailstorm damaged the apples and rendered them unsellable to wholesale distributors so the orchard was opened up to the local public for U-pick harvesting,. The farm has been doing U-pick ever since.[5]

Josh Morgenthau leads students on a tour of Fishkill Farms

Services

Fishkill Farms' 130 acre[3] property offers U-pick services for produce including blueberries, blackberries, cherries, peaches, nectarines, pears, vegetables, and .[6] Pasture-raised hens also produce eggs for the farm.[4] It also sells produce in Brooklyn farmers markets and an order-fulfillment service called Good Eggs.[3] The farm offers Community-supported agriculture shares for Hudson Valley residents.[7] Numerous events such as weddings and private affairs are hosted on site, including a recent Autumn Orchard Dinner which was reported upon by the gourmet aficionado Williams-Sonoma.[8]

Sustainability

An apple from one of Fishkill's historic orchards

Farming practices at Fishkill operate with the goal of sustainability and carbon neutrality in mind., with an effort to grow as many foods as possible organically.[9] The farm intend to consciously select crop varieties which are most suited to the effects of climate change over the next twenty years.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 Musso, Anthony p. (July 28, 2015). "102 years later, Fishkill Farms still in care of Morgenthau family". Poughkeepsie Journal. Poughkeepsie Journal. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  2. ↑ "The Big Apple – Top 5 apple picking farms near NYC - Organic Authority". Organic Authority. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  3. 1 2 3 Jr, Ralph Gardner. "The Manhattan Morgenthaus Are Farmers, Too". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  4. 1 2 "Josh Morgenthau takes over family pastime". The Poughkeepsie Journal. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  5. ↑ "The Story of Fishkill Farms". Williams-Sonoma Taste. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. July 27, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Where to Pick-Your-Own-Berries and Berry-Picking Farms". Hvmag.com. Today Media. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  7. ↑ "Fishkill Farms". Justfood.org. Just Food. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  8. ↑ "Meet the Guests of Fishkill Farms' Autumn Orchard Dinner". Williams-Sonoma Taste. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  9. ↑ "Fishkill Farms - Red Tomato". Red Tomato. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  10. ↑ "Fishkill Farms — Cornell Institute for Climate Change & Agriculture". climateinstitute.cals.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2015-10-15.

Further reading

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