Temperatures are cooling down, the leaves are changing color and the smell of cider and pumpkin spice is in the air. That’s right – fall has arrived and there’s nothing quite like it in Central New York. From taking in the colorful scenery to going apple picking with family and friends, you don’t have to look far to find the perfect way to spend the season. This fall, I encourage you to explore the many farms and orchards right here in our backyard and support our community’s agritourism industry.
Shopping local and visiting great fall spots helps boost our local economy and gives us the chance to support our friends and neighbors. There are plenty of options to choose from to get you in the fall spirit, such as apple picking at one of the local orchards, finding the perfect pumpkin to carve at the pumpkin patch or shopping for fresh produce and flowers at one of our region’s beautiful markets.
Our community is home to so many idyllic places to visit in the fall that the whole family will enjoy, including well-known farms in Baldwinsville, Lafayette and Cazenovia. Here are a few more in the 127th Assembly district:
Adams Acres
- 7047 Sevier Road, Jamesville; 315-498-6654; adamsacres.net
- Open Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cicero Pumkin Patch
- 7169 Island Road, Cicero; 315-699-2200; ciceropumkinpatch.com
- Open Wednesday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Clearview Orchards
- 2041 Route 80, Tully
- 315-696-6438
C & M Farm
- 7639 Myers Road, Kirkville; 315-656-7173
Neil Casey’s Farm Market and Greenhouses
- 6905 Route 80, Tully; 315-683-5532; neilcaseysfarmmarket.com
- Open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Second Chance Orchards
- 7319 Kirkville Road, East Syracuse; 315-656-0005
Springside Farm
- 1850 Route 91, Fabius; 315-683-5860; springsidefarm.net
- Open Friday from 1 to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
These local establishments help make Central New York a more exciting place to live and visit. During my time in the Assembly, I’ve continuously fought for legislation that helps agritourism businesses thrive, including a law I co-sponsored to reduce the cost of liability insurance for agritourism businesses (Ch. 338 of 2017). The measure sets limits on liability risk for owners who take a reasonable level of care in preventing risks that can be associated with visiting farms, such as livestock, uneven ground and equipment. This eases the financial burden put on local farms and other businesses and will allow our agritourism industry to flourish.
Whether you’re looking to shop, eat or enjoy some fun activities, I hope you take the opportunity to visit some of these local places this fall. And with so much to choose from, you’ll want to start exploring soon.
As always, my door is open. If you have questions or concerns about this or any other community issue, please don’t hesitate to contact my office at 315-452-1115 or StirpeA@nyassembly.gov.