Twenty-six farms and farm businesses across fourteen counties that have been going for a century or more, many in the same family the whole time. They've outlasted wars, depressions, and the collapse of the small dairy, and they're still selling apples, milk, and maple syrup to anyone who stops by. Here they are in order of age, oldest first.
The 1700s
The Orchards of Concklin in Pomona is the oldest working farm in Rockland County, farmed by eleven generations of the Concklin family since 1711. Pierson's Farm in Middletown has been farming since 1790, Ryder Farm in Brewster has been in the Ryder family since 1795, and Rose Hill Ferments makes cider and wine at Rose Hill Farm in Red Hook, an orchard founded in 1798. General Bailey Homestead Farm in Greenfield Center, established in 1798, is one of the oldest continuously operated farm properties in the area. Hull-O Farms in Durham, an eighth-generation farm, is a designated National Bicentennial Farm, with more than 200 years of Hull family stewardship.
The early and mid-1800s
- Bellvale Farms Creamery — Warwick, 1819. A seven-generation dairy atop Mount Peter, now making ice cream from its own herd.
- Brotherhood Winery — Washingtonville, 1839. America's oldest continuously operating winery.
- 1841 Farm — Rhinebeck, 1841. A small diversified farm using regenerative practices.
- Strickland Hollow Farm & Distillery — Meridale, 1841. A cider apple farm and distillery in 1800s buildings.
- Sheldon Farms — Salem, 1845. Six generations on the Battenkill, known for sweet corn and heirloom potatoes.
- Bad Seed Hard Cider — Highland, 1855. Cider made at Wilklow Orchards, a sixth-generation family farm.
- Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard — Fly Creek, 1856. A water-powered cider mill near Cooperstown.
- Barber's Farm — Middleburgh, 1857. Six generations in the Schoharie Valley.
- Argyle Cheese Farmer — Argyle, 1860. A family farm turned award-winning cheesemaker.
- Becker's Farm — East Greenbush, 1870. A garden center and nursery in continuous operation for more than 150 years.
The late 1800s
- Dr. Davies Farm — Congers, 1891. Founded by one of New York's first women physicians, now in its fifth generation.
- Lawrence Farms Orchards — Newburgh, 1892. Orange County's most diverse pick-your-own.
- Sunny Acres Farm — Athens, 1897. A six-generation NYS Century Farm selling pastured eggs and goat meat.
- Partridge Sugar House — Ashland, 1898. Five generations of Catskill Mountain maple.
Crossing the century mark
- Boehm Farm — Climax, 1903. Apples, peaches, and cherries.
- Hicks Orchard — Granville, 1905. New York's oldest u-pick orchard.
- Kristy's Barn — Schodack, 1910. Founded as Glenwood Fruit Farm and Dairy, now in its third generation.
- Masker Orchards — Warwick, 1913. The original pick-it-yourself orchard in Orange County.
- Indian Ladder Farms — Altamont, 1916. Albany County's best-known century farm, at the foot of the Helderberg Escarpment.
- Tonjes Farm Dairy — Callicoon. An eighth-generation dairy farm.
A few practical notes
New York honors farms that have stayed in the same family for 100 years through its Century Farm program, and a few, like Hull-O, have been named Bicentennial Farms. Many of these farms are still working farms first, so respect posted hours and private areas. If you're curious about a farm's history, many share it on their websites or in their farm stores.
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Same land, same family name on the sign, and a few hundred harvests behind every apple.