Pick Fresh Blackberries And Discover More Treats At This Classic New York Orchard In 2026
Blackberry season has a way of turning a simple New York day trip into something sweeter. Rows of ripe berries, sticky fingers, warm sunshine, and that little thrill of finding the perfect dark cluster make the whole outing feel instantly nostalgic.
This classic orchard gives visitors more than a basket to fill. Fresh fruit, country treats, baked goods, seasonal goodies, and family-friendly farm charm all come together at an easygoing stop made for summer wandering.
Come ready to pick, snack, browse, and probably leave with more than you planned. A few hours here can turn into cider doughnuts, farm market finds, photos by the rows, and the kind of slow afternoon that reminds you why orchard trips never get old.
A Farm That Time Decided To Keep
Not every farm survives two hundred years. Hurd Orchards has been continuously farmed by the same family since 1825, when Luther Hurd first worked the land in Holley, New York.
Seven generations later, the roots run just as deep.
The farm was recently added to the State Historic Business Preservation Registry, a well-earned recognition for a place that has quietly shaped the agricultural character of western New York for over two centuries. That kind of staying power is rare and genuinely worth celebrating.
Susan Hurd Machamer and her daughter Amy Machamer now lead the operation, with an eighth generation already preparing to carry the torch.
Their stewardship blends old-world farming values with a sharp eye for quality that keeps visitors returning year after year.
Every tree, every jar of jam, and every carefully arranged flower arrangement on the property reflects a philosophy rooted in the history of fruit growing in rural America.
Visiting here feels less like a day trip and more like a quiet conversation with the past. You leave knowing something good has been preserved, and that matters more than most things.
Hurd Orchards On Ridge Road Welcomes You
Hurd Orchards sits at 17260 W Ridge Road in Holley, NY 14470, and the moment you pull up, the farm announces itself with quiet confidence. There is no flashy signage or manufactured charm here, just honest land and the smell of ripe fruit in the air.
The farm market operates seasonally from mid-May through December 24th, giving visitors a generous window to experience everything the property offers.
Hours run Wednesday through Friday from 10 AM to 4 PM and Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM, so planning ahead pays off.
The barn at the heart of the farm is genuinely beautiful. Floral arrangements crafted from blooms grown right on the property fill the space with color and fragrance, creating an atmosphere that feels both curated and completely natural at the same time.
Friendly staff greet visitors warmly and are always ready to share what is ripe, what is available for picking, and what events are coming up.
Checking the farm website before your visit is a smart move, especially on weekends when luncheons or teas can draw a crowd. A little preparation goes a long way here.
Blackberry Season Is The Real Star
September at Hurd Orchards has a particular kind of magic, and blackberries are the reason. Plump, dark, and bursting with juice, the blackberries available for picking during this month are exactly the kind of fruit that makes you forget about grocery store produce entirely.
Pick-your-own fruit is one of the farm’s most beloved traditions. Visitors walk the rows, fill their baskets at their own pace, and take home something they actually harvested with their own hands.
That connection to food is increasingly rare and genuinely satisfying.
Blackberries share the September spotlight with red raspberries, peaches, and early-season apples like Honeycrisp and Yellow Transparent. The variety means you rarely leave with just one thing in your basket, which is probably the point.
Throughout the full growing season, the farm also offers strawberries, sweet and sour cherries, blueberries, red and black raspberries, currants, plums, and more than 70 varieties of apples. Seventy varieties.
That number alone is worth the drive. Whether you are a casual fruit lover or someone who takes pie very seriously, the fields at Hurd Orchards will not disappoint.
Baked Goods Worth The Drive Alone
Fresh fruit is just the beginning at Hurd Orchards. The farm market is stocked with baked goods that have earned their own devoted following, and for good reason.
Rhubarb pie, quiche, apple pie, and pastries made entirely from scratch appear regularly and sell out fast.
Everything baked at the farm starts with ingredients grown or sourced with intention. The peach jam spread on a slice of warm bread is the kind of thing that quietly ruins all other jams for you going forward.
It is that precise and that good.
Visitors often grab extra baked items to freeze at home, which says everything about how well the quality holds up. A treat worth freezing is a treat worth driving for.
The farm also offers baked goods as part of their gift collections, making them easy to share with people who deserve something genuinely special.
The pastries here are not just snacks. They are an expression of what happens when a family spends generations perfecting their craft with fruit they grew themselves.
Every bite carries that context, and it absolutely comes through in the flavor. Stop by early on Saturdays to get the best selection before the shelves clear out.
Jams, Preserves, And Artisan Gifts Worth Hoarding
Few things leave a lasting impression quite like a jar of farm-made preserves opened weeks after a visit. Hurd Orchards produces jams, jellies, and preserves using fruit grown right on the property, and the results are layered with flavor that mass-produced versions simply cannot replicate.
The peach preserves are a standout, and the blackberry jam has a depth that feels almost luxurious spread over toast on a slow morning. Picking up a few jars is one of the smartest moves you can make before leaving the farm market.
Beyond preserves, the market carries artisan gifts and curated gift collections featuring the farm’s harvest.
These are thoughtful, well-assembled options for anyone looking to bring home something more meaningful than a standard souvenir.
The farm also crafts seasonal gift sets that make excellent presents for people who appreciate handmade quality over mass-produced convenience. Each item in the market reflects the care that goes into every part of the Hurd Orchards operation.
Prices reflect the handcrafted nature of the products, and the value becomes clear the moment you taste what is inside. A jar of preserves here is not just a condiment.
It is a small piece of a two-hundred-year-old story.
Luncheons And Teas That Feed The Soul
Hurd Orchards takes hospitality seriously, and the farm’s curated luncheons and seasonal teas are proof of that commitment.
Held in an 18th-century farmhouse and a beautifully decorated barn, these events offer a dining experience that is hard to find anywhere else in New York.
The luncheons are multi-course affairs built around the farm’s seasonal harvest. Dishes like roast chicken, quiche, apple cider, and rhubarb pie appear on rotating menus that reflect what the land is producing at that exact moment in the season.
Everything is made by hand, from scratch, using farm-grown ingredients.
Seasonal teas celebrate holidays like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Christmas, and the attention to detail in the decorations and food presentation is consistently impressive.
The barn is dressed with massive floral arrangements cut from the property’s own gardens, creating an atmosphere that feels both festive and grounded.
Curated culinary dinners are also available in the historic farmhouse, offering an even more intimate experience for special occasions. Reservations and advance planning are strongly recommended for any of these events, as they fill up quickly and for good reason.
Attending a luncheon or tea at Hurd Orchards is the kind of afternoon that stays with you long after the last course is cleared.
The Orchard Cafe And Saturday Vibes
Saturday mornings in September and October at Hurd Orchards carry a particular energy. The Orchard Cafe opens on Saturdays during these two months, offering a casual but carefully crafted food experience right in the middle of the farm’s most beautiful season.
Apple picking is in full swing during this window, and the cafe gives visitors a reason to slow down, sit with their harvest, and actually savor the moment.
Fresh apple cider, warm baked goods, and seasonal dishes make the cafe a natural gathering spot for families and friends alike.
The setting alone is worth showing up for. Surrounded by over 70 varieties of apple trees at peak ripeness, the cafe experience has a backdrop that no restaurant interior could replicate.
The air smells like autumn and the light in October is particularly generous to everything it touches.
Weekends during the cafe season tend to draw larger crowds, so arriving early gives you the best shot at a relaxed experience.
The Saturday hours run until 5 PM, which leaves plenty of time to pick fruit, browse the market, wander the flower gardens, and still sit down for something warm before heading home.
Plan for a full day and you will use every minute of it well.
Events, Weddings, And Floral Magic
Hurd Orchards is not just a place to pick fruit and grab a pie. The farm has built a full events program that turns the property into a venue unlike anything else in western New York.
Weddings, bridal showers, and private parties find a home here with ease.
The farm’s floral program is a genuine draw on its own. Flowers grown on the property are arranged with skill and artistry, and the results show up everywhere from barn decorations to wedding centerpieces.
Floral workshops are offered periodically for visitors who want to learn the craft firsthand.
Thematic seasonal events rotate throughout the year, keeping the calendar fresh and giving repeat visitors new reasons to return.
Christmas teas, Thanksgiving tastings, and Mother’s Day celebrations each bring their own character to the space, always anchored by the farm’s signature attention to seasonal detail.
Hosting a private event at Hurd Orchards means your guests experience something genuinely memorable.
The combination of historic architecture, handcrafted food, and flowers grown steps away from the dining table creates an atmosphere that feels effortless but is clearly the result of generations of practiced care.
For anyone planning a special celebration, the farm is absolutely worth a conversation with the team.
Seventy Apple Varieties And Counting
Seventy varieties of apples is not a boast. At Hurd Orchards, it is simply a fact of life on a farm that has spent two centuries cultivating its land with purpose and patience.
The apple selection here covers a range that most orchards could not dream of offering.
Early-season varieties like Yellow Transparent and Honeycrisp arrive first, signaling the start of a harvest window that stretches well into autumn.
Each variety has its own texture, sweetness level, and ideal use, and the knowledgeable staff are always happy to point visitors toward the right apple for baking, snacking, or pressing into cider.
The history of apple growing at this farm is part of what earned it a place on the State Historic Business Preservation Registry.
The Hurd family has nurtured heritage varieties alongside modern favorites, preserving flavors that might otherwise have faded from the regional food landscape entirely.
Picking apples at Hurd Orchards is genuinely fun for all ages. Walking the rows with a basket, comparing colors and sizes, and sampling a fresh-picked apple straight from the tree is the kind of simple pleasure that reconnects people with where their food actually comes from.
Few experiences in New York deliver that feeling as cleanly as this one does.