VB: Fall Fun

For some, the best time of year is when the air cools, the children return to school and the trees blush with color. At the same time, peak harvest fills farmers’ markets and farm stands with fruits and vegetables. Agritourism, also known as, “Fun on the Farm,” is an opportunity for the general public to experience a working farm. Hicks Family Farm and Pine Hill Orchards are two farms in the same county with different expressions of autumn.

Matt and Brady Shearer welcome the public to Pine Hill Orchards in Colrain each year to pick apples and explore the farm. Brady Shearer says, “For us, it’s great to bring people to the farm so they experience it firsthand. We think it’s important for people to know where their food comes from, how it’s grown and the people who make that happen.” She continues, “We have a lot of fun things for people to do here during the fall for a traditional New England family experience.”

At Pine Hill Orchards, pick-your-own (PYO) apples are open, with tractor-drawn wagon rides that tour the orchard and drop people at the picking areas on weekends. Shearer notes, “There’s a large fire pit area, so we offer s’mores. At our farm store, we sell all the good stuff: pumpkins, mums and fall decorations.”

No family fun day on a farm is complete without a picnic. She continues, “We do cider slushies and our famous cider donuts at our farm store. There are plenty of picnic areas, including covered.” Matt Shearer adds, “We also offer lots of food options in the farm store, and in our deli—from sandwiches to freshly baked apple pies.”

Further west, Hicks Family Farm in Charlemont transforms their farm into an autumnal wonderland each fall. With the entire family on deck, Paul and Tammy Hicks and their son, Ryan grow a corn maze which houses a scavenger hunt and a second route for a Haunted Maze.

Paul Hicks says, “This year, the maze is seven acres. We always have a scavenger hunt and this year we hid pumpkins for people to find.” Visitors are welcome to enjoy the nine-hole, farm-themed, mini-golf course with their paid admission to the corn maze. A petting zoo beckons children and adults alike to enjoy a moment with goats, pigs and other farm animals.

At Hicks Family Farm, food has a camp feel to it. Paul Hicks says, “We make our own hamburgers, hot dogs and French fries.” For nighttime events, hot chocolate and cider are available at the food stand before visitors settle at the campfire.

For the intrepid, Hicks Family Farm offers Flashlight Night on Friday, October 3, and Haunted Nights on Fridays and Saturdays the last three weekends of October. The Haunted Maze is recommended for ages 12 and up. Hicks says, “This will be the first year we’ve ever been open on Halloween. We’re ranked really high for Massachusetts haunted mazes.”

The maze is next to Leavitt Cemetery, adding spookiness at night. Hicks says, “The maze is a different maze than the one you walk during the day. We make a maze inside the maze and we close off sections.”

The Haunted Maze is a community effort. Hicks adds, “Last year, we had almost 50 volunteers in there scaring people. We give groups a section to haunt, like the Shelburne Falls Fire Department or the Buckland-Shelburne principal and vice principal, with some teachers joining them to haunt. We have families that come yearly to haunt. It’s a family affair.”

Visitors become family at Pine Hill Orchards. Brady Shearer says, “Bringing visitors to the farm gives us an opportunity to get to know our customers and for them to know us. Many families that come here started when their parents brought them as kids and now they bring their own kids. It’s really wonderful to see the longevity of it…and a lot of people first discover us during their trip here during fall for pick-your-own apples.”

Welcoming the public to the farm, helps Matt Shearer reflect on the season. He says, “I’ve been here my whole life. The fall is when the work we do for the whole year feels worthwhile. It starts when the apples are picked and we begin again for the next season. When all the people are here in the fall and we see people enjoying the farm, it makes it all worth it.”

Likewise, seeing families brings Paul Hicks joy. He says, “It’s really cool to watch people at the petting zoo. I think it’s really neat to see because young children—even adults—don’t usually get to have a goat. People are amazed. You see pigs on TV but you don’t understand how friendly they can be. It’s fun to see the kids competing at mini golf or going through the maze. You can see the enjoyment on the people’s faces.”

Visit the corn maze at Hicks Family Farm at 1299 Route 2 in Charlemont. Starting Saturday, September 19, the daytime maze is open on weekends and Monday holidays,10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Flashlight or Haunted Maze nights run on Friday and Saturday nights, 7-9 p.m. The food stand is cash only. For more information, their Facebook page or website.

The Hicks Family Farm Store is just around the corner at 1255 Route 2 (gray house), to purchase meat, eggs and garden-fresh seasonal vegetables and takes Venmo or cash. Be sure to check out the huge pumpkin display!

Visit Pine Hill Orchards at 248 Greenfield Road, Colrain, for PYO apples, barnyard animals and s’mores by the fire pit. The tractor-pulled wagon rides are only on the weekends and Monday holiday. Pick-your-own apples is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Indigenous People’s Day/Columbus Day Monday and possibly beyond. Visitors can use EBT for PYO bags.

The Pine Hill Orchards year-round farm store is open daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and has everything you need for breakfast and lunch picnics. Their famous cider and cider donuts are made in-house. In winter, the farm store welcomes skiers heading to Mount Snow and Stratton with everything needed for breakfast, lunch or après ski. They accept cash, cards and EBT. For more information, see the farm’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

Lisa Goodrich is a Communications Coordinator for Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture. To find pick-your-own apples, farm stands, pumpkin patches and seasonal farm activities, see buylocalfood.org.

All photos by Paul Franz, courtesy of the Greenfield Recorder.