Visitors heading out to pick apples in New York this fall will find anything from a quiet wagon ride to a zipline and live music, depending on the orchard.
The range reflects a business under pressure. New York is losing farms at a higher rate than the national average, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data released earlier this year. Some orchard owners say added attractions and side businesses help them stay afloat.
Fall is one of the state’s most popular travel periods, according to Empire State Development. The agency reported that more than 321 million visitors spent nearly $100 billion in New York last year, for a total economic impact of more than $150 billion.
At Navarino Orchards, owner Vincent Sicignano said many visitors want a simple outing: a relaxing day of picking fruit and a wagon ride around the orchard.
“It’s a perfect mix for us,” Sicignano said.
Nearby, Beak and Skiff Apple Orchards has gone another way. Over the years, it has added a cidery, tasting room, concert venue, Airbnb and cannabis business. Its newest attraction is a $1.5 million adventure park with a giant mountain slide, farm animals, a firetruck and a zipline.
President Eddie Brennan said the orchard needed to branch out beyond apples to “find a way to bring people here and keep them here.” More than 200,000 people now visit each fall, he said.
“The whole secret to our success has been innovating, changing, challenging the status quo,” Brennan said.
Brennan, a fifth-generation farmer, said the farm looks different from when his ancestors started it, but the changes are what keep it going.
“Farming is inherently a really challenging business,” he said. The concerts, cannabis sales and attractions such as Apple Grove are all meant “to keep this part of our farm going.”
Sicignano said Navarino has also built up its business beyond apple season, with a bakery, a restaurant and products made throughout the year. That helps when the weather turns.
“If you have like a freeze in the spring and you lose a bunch of apples, it really helps bring everything together,” he said.
The state is also promoting the industry. This week, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a first-of-its-kind New York State of Cider campaign to promote orchards, cider makers, restaurants and more. Her office said the goal is to make New York the country’s premier cider destination. The state is already the nation’s second-largest apple producer.
