HURD'S HARVEST FESTIVAL

		We specialize in Educational School Tours For more information call: 845-883-7825 or E-Mail: susan@hurdsfamilyfarm.com Fax: 845-883-6300
Site update: Friday April 4, 2008

2187 Route 32
Modena, NY 12548
(5 Miles South
of New Paltz)

Calendar of Events for 2004!

September 4,5,6 Labor Day Weekend

"Plant the Memories, Harvest the Fun"

Come and Celebrate the beautiful autumn with a visit to Hurds Family Farm.

Harvest your own "Pride of New York" early season apples. See the harvest calendar for approximate dates. Festive Galas are the perfect size for those school lunches. The smooth, yellow skinned Gingergolds are the ones teachers love. Juicy, flavorful Macintosh are great for applesauce round out the early apple varieties.

Prime Pear Picking

Heritage Raspberries - Come see the brand new planting that will be ready to harvest next year.

Harvest your own sunflower bouquet and smiles.

We anticipate having our homegrown juicy peaches for you again this year.

New for 2004: Corn cannon and giant slingshot.

All Weekend Long

We celebrate the grand opening for the 2004 brand new amazing and exciting Johnny Appleseed cornfield maze, filled with 2 miles of twisting, turning pathways and interactive, fun and educational checkpoints to stretch your mind!!!

Enjoy the sunshine, fresh air and exercise and be a detective as you find clues at each interactive station hidden in the corn. Its FUN to learn the true story of Johnny Appleseed Chapman as well as the fascinating heritage of the NY State Apple Industry.

September 11 & 12 Taste of The Harvest

"Goodness Grows on Hurds Family Farm"

Lots of delicious tasting as always, new items to tempt your taste buds.

Enjoy our popular apple sampling table and mix and match your favorite varieties in your bag!

Besides our delicious dessert items, cider, snacks, and fresh popped corn, we've added a light lunch fare for our visitors who get hungry after all that fresh air and exercise.

Choose from our selection of delicious healthy snack items in the Dutch Barn while the kids enjoy the hay jump, straw bale maze and other activities.

You'll probably want to take home a jug of local fresh pressed cider before you leave.

New for 2004: You'll have a barrel of fun in the "Kiddie Cow Train!"

There's a new "Herd" on the Hurds Family Farm... Ten new Holstein cows each with a special name... our brand new "Cow Train" attraction. Kids will be sure to love it!

Sunday, September 12, Our farm will have a booth at the annual taste of New Paltz at the Ulster County Fairgrounds near New Paltz, NY, 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Items offered will be cider, candy apples, fresh fruit, cheerful sunflowers, apple cake, pie, crisp, harvest muffins, and more.

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows." Helen Kellar

September 18 & 19 Apples: A Class Act

Johnny Appleseed Weekend

Enjoy NY Apples, the Nutritional power house!

Cider pressing demonstrations throughout the day featuring our 2004 designed corn maze, designed in the shape of folk hero Johnny Appleseed Chapman. Its wheelchair friendly, fun and educational too. You'll discover things you never about the heritage of our Hudson Valley apple industry.

Did you know that Johnny Appleseed Chapman's dad was on of the minutemen at concord and later served as a captain in the Revolutionary War?

John Chapman is an apple tree nurseryman, a missionary, and a preacher of the Swedenborgian Christian faith. He became know for is courage and dedication to his fellow man as well, as for the thousands of apple trees he planted. He was a pioneer, as great as the greatest of them.

September 25 & 26 Farm Heritage Weekend

Celebrate your farming roots. There's a farmer somewhere in your family tree!!!

Special activities planned throughout this weekend to help you connect with the farmer in your family.

Our new 2004 four acre cornmaze challenge is one of the hikes in the Hudson Valley Ramble Weekend. We offer a guided hike trough the maze at 10:00AM on Saturday and Sunday. Just pay your admission, hop on the Hurds Family Farm Apple Country Express, and our tractor drawn hayride, will deliver you right to the red and white tent at the maze entrance. The maze master will get you started on your adventure!

While at the tent you may wish to play the Giant Corn Jeopardy Game, and test your knowledge of farming with our homemade version of "Trivia Per Fruit!!!" Be surprised by the products made from corn in the corn mystery bag.

Enjoy some light refreshments at our new snack shack by the maze after your walk along the pathways.

Be sure and stop by the barn to investigate the chest of antique farm implements and tools. There's a mix and match game to figure out what each tool was used for.

Feel good about the fact that all profits from this two month enterprise go to support New York Farmland, and to preserve open space for future generations.

October 2 & 3 Farm Connection

"Plant the Memories, Harvest the Fun"

at a Family Friendly Farm

Bring the whole family out for a day in the country at our family farm.

Besides the hayride, this year you'll enjoy the new cow train and the giant kids corral. Try your aim at a target with our new apple slingshot and the corn cannon. Harvest your favorite orange pumpkins from the field or country barn. You'll probably want to harvest a half bushel of our crisp healthy apples right from the trees. The kids will love the hay jump and ABC's of agriculture strawbale maze in the Big Red Barn, brought back again for this season by popular demand!

October 9, 10 & 11 Columbus Day Weekend

Kids day on the Farm: Rediscover Fun!

Yes! We're open Columbus Day

Special welcome to all our home-school groups today. If we know when your group is arriving our staff will plan an educational group lesson for your students.

At 10:00 AM, there will be a treasure hunt in the Giant Sandbox in the kids corral.

Lots of other special activities are planned throughout the weekend, such as face painting and storytelling.

Kids will love our brand new "Kiddie Cow Train" atraction.

Older kids will enjoy the Johnny Appleseed colossal Cornmaze Challenge, the new giant slingshot and corn cannon.

Special area of our barn just for kids to shop, with gifts under $5.00!!!

Come, bring the whole family to enjoy some outdoor activities. Bring a neighbor and your friends for a welcome change of scene from your everyday routine!

October 16, 17 & 23, 24 Pumpkin Harvest Festival

For the past few autumn seasons...

For the past couple autumn seasons, we've hosted a weekend long Pumpkin Harvest Celebration, due to the wonderful response. The festival offers plenty of old fashion fun and always new activities and surprises. This year we've extended the festival to two weekends. Check the coupon page of the website for some terrific deals.

If you work up a hearty appetite wandering the pathways in the giant maze, enjoy a light lunch fare and a pint of locally pressed cider. There are always healthy snack packages, beverages, and deserts to complete your meal.

Remember to take home a country gift item or two, homemade jam and apple butter, along with a car full of fall decorations to celebrate the season. Add a touch of country joy to your home with bundles of cornstalks, interesting colorful gourds and straw bales to lend a festive spirit to your neighborhood.

Tractor drawn hayrides

New for 2004: Giant Slingshot

Corn Cannon

Sand Mountain

Cow Train - Its a Barrel of Fun!!!

Kids' Corral Activity Area, with lots of new activities for this fall.

Expanded woodland trails.

Pumpkin bowling.

Feed the farm pets in critter corner.

Take the colossal corn maze challenge.

Neat, clean picnic area under red and white tent.

Plenty of pumpkin culinary delights and free recipes.