2024 Sullivan and Ulster Counties in Southeast NY Winter Squash U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Winter Squash U-Pick Orchards in Sullivan and Ulster Counties in Southeast NY in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for winter squash that we know of in this area.

Not all areas of a state have winter squash farms that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!

PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.

New! As inflation remains high, see this page for reliable (tested) brands of generic canning lids at lower costs, and cost-saving measures for getting fruit and vegetables and home canning.
 If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.

New! Road tripping and camping is a great way to have a fun, safe and inexpensive family trip. The national and state parks and monuments are open, and campgrounds usually cost between $10 and $40 per night. September to November is the best camping weather.  See our new website Road Tripping and Camping.com for tips, tricks, guides, checklists and info about parks, monuments and other places to visit.

New! We just went live with our latest website, FunFactoryTours.com - As they name implies, you can find a fun factory tour, including chocolate, automobiles, historical forts and sites, famous buildings, Active Federal facilities even fun geology: like fossils and volcanic areas

Ulster County

• Hurds Family Farm - apples, peaches, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (yellow), raspberries (Spring, yellow), winter squash, tomatoes, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours, events at your location (call for info)
  2187 Route 32, Modena, NY 12548. Phone: (845)883-7825. Email: susan@hurdsfamilyfarm.com. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Hurds Family Farm Facebook page. . Fall Hours are Saturday & Sunday, August 18th & 19th, Saturday & Sunday, August 25th & 26th, September 1st through November 4th​ for Apple Picking & Barn Market 9 AM to 5 PM, Activities 10AM to 4PM, Cafe Weekends & Holidays 11AM to 4PM; 2018 Winter Hours are November 23rd through December 16th, Black Friday & Weekends ​9 AM to 5 PM More information: Corn Maze, School Tours, Events, Apple Picking, Recipes, Healthy Apple Twists, Photo Gallery, and a Map. Children love our barn side pick your own salad garden. Moms tell us that kids who do not usually eat peppers zucchini or cucumbers will enjoy the fresh vegetables when they harvest them themselves. Our corn maze does not have corn you can eat, but we do have a corn field filled with sweet corn that adds to our summer pick your own experience. Raspberries on the farm ripen late summer and are abundant in the early fall until our first hard frost. In the Fall .. For the young and young-at-heart, enjoy apple and pumpkin picking, hayrides, bonfires, and a cornfield maze. Feed farm pets at the Critter Corner and play at the Kid's Corral. Visit an 18th Century Dutch Threshing Barn for country gifts and refreshments. Remember to come back in December to harvest your own fresh and fragrant Christmas tree. Our Apple Variety Information: Please note, these are just general guidelines. The weather determines when the apples are ready each year. Please sign up for our emails or call to see which varieties are ready each week. Facebook page. Early Season Apples: August to Early September: Gala, Ginger Gold, Honeycrisp, Jonamac, McIntosh.Mid-Season Apples: Late September to Early October: Cortland, Crispin(Mutsu), Empire, Early Fuji, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Macoun, Red Delicious, SnapDragon. Late Season Apples: October to Early November: Fuji, Idared Crisp, Rome, RubyFrost.
• Kelder's Farm - apples, asparagus, beans, beets, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, carrots, corn (sweet), cucumbers, currants (red and black), eggplant, grapes, herbs or spices, onions, peas, peppers, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (black), rhubarb, summer squash, winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, Fresh eggs, U-pick and already picked, farm market, concessions or refreshment stand, picnic area, jumping pillow, mini-golf, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours, group reservations
  5755 Route 209, Kerhonkson, NY 12446. Phone: 845-626-7137. Email: info@keldersfarm.com. Open: early May thru October 10 am to 6 daily. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Kelder's Farm Facebook page. Picking updates: Click here for picking updatesCSA availableCSA Jennie Bell Pie Fest in September. Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries. Pick-your-own Blueberries, Currants, Peas, Zucchini, Summer Squash, Cucumbers, Beets, Kale, Lettuce and more! We have the best selection of pick-your-own produce around! Our farm activities are Mini-golf, Jumping pillow, Petting farm and playground. Check out our Farm Market for own produce and the best local products! Get your own fresh eggs, and free-range chicken, grass-fed beef and lamb! Facebook page. Come play mini-golf and more fun! We have added some new holes this season. Tickets and season passes are available on our website. (UPDATED: April 6, 2021 JBS) (UPDATED: February 09, 2016)
  Comments from a visitor on October 11, 2008: "We love this farm and we've been there many times. Now they're advertising: Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Pumpkins When we went last summer we picked blueberries, corn and potatoes. We also bought some loose flowers. "
• Liberty View Farm LLC - Certified Naturally Grown, apples, cucumbers, flowers, gooseberries, herbs or spices, lavender, melons, onions, pumpkins, rhubarb, summer squash, winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, Honey from hives on the farm, Turkeys (organic, not-hormone-fed), produce for sale, parking provide free, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, cooking or fruit/veg judging, restrooms, picnic area, face painting, petting zoo, farm animals, events at your location (call for info)
  340 Crescent Avenue, Highland, NY 12528. Phone: 845-883-7004. Email: Naturallygrownapples@gmail.com. Open: all day weekends and please call for weekdays, we do farmers markets and deliveries. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard.
  Liberty View Farm LLC Facebook page. . Crops are usually available in September, October We are "Certified Naturally Grown" Better than Organic. Be sure to call before you go; their website now says "We are not open for regular apple picking since we sold out of our tree leases. Hope to see you next year. You can purchase a Tree Lease! Best apple picking in the Hudson Valley! Best tasting apples and never over crowded. Beyond organic apples! Beautiful little farm. Very tasty healthy apples! Picking apples on our farm is pleasant, unlike there places this is not an amusement park. Beautiful down to earth little farm. Plain good old fashioned little farm. Liberty View Farm is the Hudson River Valley's premier boutique farm. Liberty View Farm Facebook page.
  Comments from a visitor on November 08, 2008: "You can 'lease' a tree for a year and pick from it the whole season. This Farm was absolutely Fabulous!"
• Prospect Hill Orchards - Apples, cherries, nectarines, pears, peaches, pumpkins, winter squash, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, corn maze, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, tractor-pulled hay rides
  40 Clark\'s Lane, Milton, NY 12547. Phone: 845-795-2383. Email: prospecthillfarmmarkets@gmail.com. Open: Weekends Only 9 am to 4 p. Directions: Route 87 North to Exit 17 in Newburgh Route 84 East to Exit 10 Route 9W North, 10 miles north of Newburgh, to village of Milton. Follow the bright yellow \Prospect Hill Orchards signs ". Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only.
  Prospect Hill Orchards Facebook page. Fax: Route 87 North to Exit 17 in Newburgh Route 84 East to Exit 10 Route 9W North, 10 miles north of Newburgh, to village of Milton. Follow the bright yellow "Prospect Hill Orchards" signs Go here for directions to our farmm. Cherries available after June 20th each year, Friday, Sat. and Sunday; pick your own peaches and nectarines each weekend in August; Apples, pears, pumpkins available mid-September to mid-Oct. Events Calendar: Kid's Days-last weekend in September Johnny Appleseed Cider Festival-weekend following Columbus DayCHERRIES SEASON is brief, helf on a FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY at the end of June and beginning of July Note Cherries Picking Location is 340 Milton Turnpike, Milton, NY 12547 with a $5 Parking Fee; No Picnicking in the Cherry Orchard, but there is a Picnic Area Located at 73 Clarks Lane, Milton. Summer fruit picking is held on WEEKENDS ONLY! Cherries: Late June - July; Apricots, Plums, Peaches, Nectarines: July and August;Apples, Pears and Pumpkins: September and October. For updated information, or FOR "UP TO DATE" INFORMATION: See our Facebook page.

 

Winter Squash

Winter Squash Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Winter squash comes in many sizes, shapes and colors.  Choosing a winter squash that meets your needs and the taste you will like can be tough without a guide!  This page provides you that information, plus nutritional analysis and links to our freezing and canning pages!

Unlike its summer squash, which is best when harvested very young and used right away, winter squash is harvested at a mature age, which makes the outer skin hard and inedible. The skin, however, is protective and increases its storage life. Winter squash can be stored for 3 months or longer if kept in a cool dark place, like a basement or garage.  I've had winter squash last a full year when stored like this!

The yellow and orange flesh of the winter squash is more nutritious and richer in vitamins, especially beta carotene, than summer squash. Winter squash is always served cooked and, because of its tough skin, only the inside flesh is eaten. The flesh, is sweet and great to make pie (pumpkins are a winter squash)

Size:

Choose a size based on your cooking needs. There's no difference in flavor based on size of the same variety of a squash.

Appearance:

For a quality squash, choose one that has a smooth, dry rind and is free of cracks or soft spots. Skin that is easily nicked or scraped with a fingernail means that the squash did not reach maturity. Look for rind that has a dull appearance. A shiny rind indicates that is has been picked too early or has a wax coating, which masks the skin. Choose squash that has a deep color and is heavy for its size. It is also best to choose squash with a firm, rounded, dry stem. Squash with no stem permits bacteria to enter.

Cut pieces can be found in the grocery market. Choose pieces that have a good interior color and finely-grained flesh that is not fibrous. Ideal flesh should be barely moist, but not too dry or too watery.

Storing Winter Squash

Winter squash has a long shelf life and can be stored for up to 3 months or longer in a cool, dry place between 55° and 60°F. A higher temperature will shorten storage time, but it will not alter the flavor. Storage temperatures below 50°F (as in a refrigerator) will cause squash to spoil more rapidly. If the squash needs to be refrigerated, it can be stored for 1 to 2 weeks. Cut pieces of squash should be tightly wrapped and refrigerated. Cooked, pureed squash can be frozen for use later as a side dish or to thicken, color, or flavor soups, sauces, or stews.

Varieties of Winter Squash

Here are a few of the most popular winter squash varieties; see this page for a complete master list of winter squash varieties.

	Acorn This acorn-shaped squash is one of the most widely available among the small winter squash. It measures about 6 inches around and weighs 1 to 2 pounds. Baking is an excellent way to bring out the sweet, nutty flavors of this tender fleshed squash.
	Banana This squash comes in three varieties: blue, orange, and pink. Among the three varieties, the pink banana is the most common in the United States. It is grown commercially in Florida. This large, thick-skinned cylindrical squash averages 20 inches long and weighs around 12 pounds. It is so large that it is usually sold in chunks instead of whole. Its creamy textured orange flesh offers a fruity and buttery delight to your palate. Although both baking and steaming are great ways to prepare this tasty squash, steaming produces a slightly sweeter, yet mild flavor.
	Buttercup This stocky squash is 6 to 8 inches in diameter, averaging 2 to 4 pounds. Its popularity stems from its sweet and creamy orange flesh. Its shortcoming is that it tends to be a bit dry. Baking or steaming can solve this problem; the dry flesh becomes smooth and tastes similar to a mixture of honey, roasted chestnuts, and sweet potato. Even more than baking, steaming softens the flesh and creates a thick puree (Great for pies)
	Butternut This elongated bell-shaped squash measures about a foot long and weighs an average of 2 to 4 pounds. Its popularity is due to its meaty, yet moderately sweet golden orange flesh. Because of its thin skin, this squash can easily be skinned with a vegetable peeler, which makes it easy to cut and prepare. Baking enhances its sweet, moist, and nutty flavors. Butternut squash is usually available from August through March. There are actually many variations of butternut.  It can be used to make great "pumpkin" pies.
	My favorite winter squash is one called "Argos Gold", sometimes also simply called "Mexican Butternut" - it is much longer than the usual "Waltham" butternut, often almost 2 feet long and has a much sweeter taste and smoother texture.  I've finally found one supplier, see this page. I found another winter / butternut-type squash at Gurney's that looks promising .
	Hubbard This tear-shaped squash comes in several varieties: green (true), golden, blue, and baby blue. It ranges from dark green to orange and weighs from 5 to 50 pounds. Because of its size, Hubbard's popularity has decreased over the years. However, pre-cut portions of green and orange Hubbard can be found in markets. Green Hubbard's are thick, sweet, and dry. Golden Hubbard's; a smaller squash than the green or blue; are fairly sweet, but have a bitter aftertaste.The Blue or gray varietiey make wonder pumpkin pies!
	Spaghetti This oval-shaped yellow squash is also called the vegetable spaghetti. It averages 9 inches in length and may weigh 2 to 3 pounds. When cooked, the crisp, tender fhesh falls a apart into spaghetti-like strands that have a mild lightly sweet and fresh taste. Keep in mind that the larger the vegetable, the thicker the strands and the more flavorful the taste. It really is good with spaghetti sauce on the cooked squash "noodles"
	Sweet Dumpling This solid round squash, formerly known as the vegetable gourd, is a perfect serving for one person. It is about the size of an apple and weighs up to 1 pound. The skin is a warm cream color striped with ivy green, and it changes to butter color and orange during storage. The skin is relatively tender and can be eaten. The pale-yellow flesh is smooth, fine, and dry as a potato and produces a rich starchy, light to mild sweetness, with a slight corn flavor.

 

 

Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)

• Farm markets and roadside stands
• Local Honey Finder
• Local Meat, Milk and Eggs
• Venues: Farms, Wineries, Orchards for your event, wedding or party
• Easter egg hunts
• Children"s consignment sales
• Fruit and vegetable festivals
• Winery tours and wine tastings
• Horse rides, stables, lessons, trails
• Maple Syrup farms and sugarworks
• Bed & Breakfasts on Farms, Wineries, Ranches and Orchards
• Pumpkin patches
• Corn mazes
• Zombie Paintball venues
• Christmas Tree Farms & lots
• Environmental resources
• Consumer fraud information
• Wholesale food sources
• Resources for Farmers