Pick your own apples and more from our family-friendly, environmentally-friendly farm
Starting in June, Fishkill Farms offers pick-your-own crops including strawberries, cherries, peaches and nectarines. Pick your own culminates in the fall with pumpkins and over a dozen varieties of classic NY apples. Fall weekends are our festival weekends, and we offer food and fun for kids and adults in the form of hayrides, a pumpkin patch, apple-wood barbecue, fresh apple cider, and our addictive farmhouse donuts (get a spot on the donut line early!). The festive atmosphere, spectacular views, and satisfaction of picking your own apples all combine to set the farm apart, making it a very special place to visit with family and friends.
In addition to the fun of visiting the farm and picking fruit, many people come to Fishkill Farms because of our commitment to environmentally responsible farming. We grow low-spray fruit and recently became one of the only orchards in the region to offer pick-your-own apples grown according to organic standards (in select orchard blocks). Our orchard is certified sustainably grown by Eco Apple.
To help you plan your visit to our farm, we have compiled this list of frequently asked questions:
How do I find out what crops are available for Pick Your Own?
We post frequent updates on our Facebook fan page and can answer any questions there. Our e-mail list is also a good way to receive updates. You can also call us to find out what’s in season; (845) 897-4377.
What are your hours/season for picking and the store?
Our Pick Your Own and store hours are: 7 days a week, 10am to 6pm, May through November. We usually have at least one crop available for picking, if not many. Our store always has local and organic produce, artisanal foods & homemade pies and donuts.
When is the best time to arrive at the farm?
For Pick Your Own, you may arrive any time from opening to 5:30. You will need a half hour to get out to the field, pick the crops and come back to pay.
What should I do when I arrive at the farm?
Follow the signs to check in before you go picking. There, you’ll be greeted, and given a map and picking containers, and any other information you need to go picking. The check in location may be different from day to day throughout the season, depending on what we’re picking, so please follow the signs carefully or simply stop in at our farm store.
How much does it cost to go picking?
Admission is completely free, so you only have to pay for what you pick. Crops are normally priced by the pound, but sometimes by the container. We require that customers pay for everything they pick, since we cannot put the fruit back on our trees! Accordingly, please familiarize yourself with our prices and containers so you will have an idea of how much it is going to cost. For prices on specific crops, please call our farm store.
What should I wear/bring to the farm?
Long sleeves, long pants and shoes/boots that you do not mind getting dirty. Our orchards can be wet or muddy, especially earlier in the day. Bug spray and sun protection are also good precautions. If you have allergies or prone to rashes, please keep in mind that as some of our crops have fuzz which can irritate the skin, and gloves can help prevent irritation. Always let us know if you have any problems in the orchard!
Should I bring my own picking containers?
We provide a range of bags, baskets & boxes to pick into. Using our containers makes the weighing and checkout process easier.
Can I eat fruit while I am picking?
Sampling a piece of fruit that you've just picked is one of the joys of u-pick, and we are happy to treat our guests to the first sample. However, guests must respect the work we put into growing the fruit by keeping sampling to a minimum. If you plan on eating more than a small piece, please pay for what you’ve picked first. By doing this, you help keep prices reasonable and our farm in business!
Does your farm serve food and beverages?
On weekends (Saturdays & Sundays) and some holidays, we have an apple-wood grill at the farm, with hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers and grilled farm vegetables. Beverages include water, soft drinks, coffee and fresh-pressed cider (when in season). Homemade donuts are made fresh each day and available until we sell out. Hudson Valley hand-made ice cream is also available by the cup or cone!
Can I picnic at the farm?
We strive to make our farm a family-friendly destination. Groups of family & friends are welcome to picnic in our orchard and bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages. Cookouts, barbecues, alcoholic beverages, and loud music are not allowed.
Where can I go on the farm?
We ask that visitors respect certain off-limits areas of the farm. Employee residences, greenhouses, barns and fields and orchard blocks that are not currently open for pick your own are strictly off limits. If you would like to see an area of the farm that is not designated for pick-your-own that day, please ask a farm employee first.
What can/can’t I pick when I visit the farm?
When visiting, you are free to pick crops that have been designated as open that day. However, there are many parts of the farm that will not be open, often because the crop is unripe. In order to prevent visitors from picking unripe produce or damaging our developing crops, we ask that visitors not venture outside of designated Pick Your Own areas or pick anything that is not explicitly open for picking.
I am thinking about scheduling a group visit/field trip to the farm...
We host field trips every day of the week, May through August. In our busy season, mid-September through October, we do not host field trips on weekends, or on Columbus day Monday. Please call our farm store at (845) 897-4377 for rate information and to find out more about our field trips.
Do you offer hayrides?
We have hayrides weekends mid-September thru mid-October. Admission is $3/person. Hayrides are also available for school or camp trips or other groups by appointment.
I’d like to come apple picking. Do you have any other activities for families?
During our Harvest Festival Weekends, running from the third weekend in September through the third weekend in October, we have activities for young children, such as a bouncy house and a hay jump, hayrides for families, as well as some special events like theatre for kids. Check our news updates for more info.
Do you have a petting zoo?
We do have farm animals, but they are not a petting zoo. Our farm animals are pasture-raised, which means we move them to fresh grass regularly to keep them happy and healthy. Electric fences help keep predators out. The shocks are not dangerous but very painful. Visitors may look at the animals but not touch or feed them, as they are not hand-tame.
Do you have a corn maze/haunted house etc.?
No. On our "Fall Harvest Festival Weekends," we offer some activities for young children and hayrides for families. The rest of the season, we leave diversions to other establishments. Given the scarcity of Hudson Valley farmland, we choose to produce food and not mazes on our farm!
