“The small landholders are the most precious part of a state “ —Thomas Jefferson

It’s a tale as old as time - the year begins in the spring inside a sugar shack and ends 9 months later inside a nursery. And by sugar shack I mean “sap house, sugar house, sugar shanty or sugar cabin (French: cabane à sucre)” (Wiki) which is where the sap collected from maple trees is boiled into syrup; and by nursery, I mean Christmas tree farm. The 2016 agricultural season began with Maple Fest in April. For the next 9 months, I will slurp shots of syrup; U-pick berries - straw, blue and raz; pluck apples, pears, grapes and pumpkins; snack on goat cheese; sip wine; gulp down whole unpasteurized milk; and frequent as many farmers markets and festivals as I can from Cattaragus to Niagara County until it’s time to fell a Christmas tree. In this era of locally grown and operated, I am an enthusiast and have donned the title of Agro-tourist.

Agritourism is an offshoot of ecotourism and nature travel. But, instead of visiting exotic or threatened environments, I tour our rural offerings of farms, fields and stands.  

And like most tourist, I mean to visit, not plant my roots.  I’m not a farmer wannabe (although I do appreciate an urban chicken coop). I want to live close to movie theaters and coffee shops and enjoy a day trip. For all the miles I've logged through our countryside, I have not scratched an acre of what is out there.

And, the season is upon us. Here is summary rundown of some of the types of farms you can visit in WNY.

Hobby Farms 

A hobby farm differs from a traditional farm in that it is a small farm operated for pleasure or supplemental income rather than for primary income. In April, I visited my first sugar shack at the Hobby Farm - Smith Family Farm.  Both Brigid and her husband have full time jobs but they hope their “hobby” maple syrup will see them through retirement.

We chose Smith farms in Hamburg because we had toddlers in tow; Sponge Bob was present for our wee darlings' pleasure. The Smith Family converted their garage into a maple syrup shop. For Maple Fest, they served such sweet treats as maple fudge, maple coated popcorn, jugs of syrup and free tea and coffee. And in the sugar shack they poured shots of fresh maple syrup from the vat.

Homestead

"...is characterized by subsistence agriculture, home preservation of foodstuffs, and it may or may not also involve the small scale production of textiles, clothing, and craftwork for household use or sale.” (Wiki). For years a group of friends with small kids U-picked apples, pears, grapes at one of the area's most popular Homesteads - Blackman farms. Their fall festival is a hit. You can reserve your turkey for Thanksgiving while you are there. And, it is a scenic spot for a Christmas card shoot.

Family Farm

Family farms or what was once called Truck farms are farmers who specialize in one crop that is sold to local and distant retail markets. In addition to commercial contracts, they have fields set aside with farm stands and U-Pick times. My favorite of these is Vacco farms. They sell most of their grapes to Welches but you may spot a kid or two picking strawberries and pumpkins in their fields, notably my own kids. Last year, Vacco farms donated pumpkins to our church Halloween Party. Full disclosure, Carmen Vacco is my college suite-mate’s father-in-law. Many of the Hobby Farms and Homesteads are new and trending, farms such as Vacco’s has been contributing to the local rural economy for generations.

Community Supported Agriculture or CSA 

“When you become a member of a CSA, you’re purchasing a ‘share’ of vegetables from a regional farmer. Weekly or bi-weekly, from June until October/November” (http://www.justfood.org/csa), although some area CSAs offer a winter share as well. For a few years, we enjoyed a CSA share at Thorpes' farm. Every week, we went to Thropes to pick up a week’s worth of seasonal produce. We did this for 2 years but I am too much a farm-girl-philanderer to stick with one farm. But, if monogamy is your thing, here is a list of area CSAs.

Greenhouses 

These are the next stop on my 2016 itinerary. My father and I drive into Leon, NY to visit Amish greenhouses. We buy starter plants for our gardens: heirloom tomatoes, lemon cukes, cayenne peppers, and of course flowers, lots of flowers. The Amish request that you refrain from picture taking for religious reasons. You will find this concession taxing only because the whole scene is so picturesque - children in hats and suspenders, horses, carriages, bonnets and old time plows. I snapped a mental picture. While I prefer the scenic drive through Amish country, the region is populated with greenhouses galore.

Sleeping in the Hay

In Europe, it's referred to as "schlaf im Stroh" in German, "aventure sur la paille" in French, or "sleeping in the hay" in English. Spend the night on a farm and help out with domestic chores and demonstrations of native crafts. This could be an overnight stay in a rustic hayloft in Switzerland, a remote cabin or outbuilding in Austria, or even a full-blown apartment and rooms for daily or weekly rent on a farm in France. (WikiTravel)

Hopefully, one day a local farm will offer an “aventure sur la paille”. Close to home, Watkins Glen in upstate NY invites overnight guests to stay at their farm animal sanctuary. While “schlaf im Stroh” might be a European tradition, there are types of farms throughout this country that will give you the full working farm experience including farms that appeal to niche enthusiasts - knitters, ranchers, locavores, and turophiles (cheese lovers). I’d love to milk the goats and make some cheese, as long as all the activities is near a wine press. Until then ...

Please add your favorite local farm in the comment section. Maybe I’ll see you across a field.