Hands On at the Farm in Chemung County

Did you know that New York State leads the nation in the production of yogurt, cottage cheese, and sour cream, is second for apples, snap peas, maple syrup, and cabbage, and third when it comes to wine and grapes?

“Agriculture is New York’s most important industry,” according to the New York Farm Bureau. And, according to the Office of the NYS Comptroller, the “Finger Lakes Region Leads the Way Statewide in Agricultural Sales, Topping $2 Billion.”

Farming is such a significant part of the fabric of the region that it’s no surprise that some of the counties have banded together to promote their agricultural products and experiences through Finger Lakes Farm Country (a five-county collaboration featuring Chemung, Tioga, Schuyler, Yates and Steuben). While each of those counties have some similarities in terms of agricultural production, they also have some unique experiences for visitors to enjoy.

In Chemung County, you can participate in a number of interactive activities that offer a genuine feel for farm life.

See What All the Buzz is About

Not only essential for the production of that sweet gooey golden treat, honeybees are vital for the cultivation of much of our food and also play a huge role in the economy. “The greatest economic impact of honey bees is through pollination of agricultural crops. Production of about one third of the human diet requires insect pollination, and honey bees perform the majority of pollination for these cultivated crops” (The Need for Bees).

The USDA adds that “Honeybees pollinate $15 billion worth of crops in the United States each year, including more than 130 types of fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Honeybees also produce honey, worth about $3.2 million in 2017 according to USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).”

So, yeah, HoneyBees are kind of a big deal.

Visit, HoneyBeeMade, a working honey farm to shop for local honey and learn about the fascinating world of bees.

In search of a more in-depth experience? Arrange to slip on a bee suit and head to the bee yard for a hands-on 90-minute adventure with beekeeper, Burt.

Sessions (typically held in June, July, August) are limited to four slots each with advance registration required.

HoneyBeeMade
2981 Route 352
Big Flats, NY 14814

Turning the Land into an Adventure

Smithome Farms is a 7^th-generation family farm offering a summer produce stand stocked with delicious sweet corn, picked fresh daily.

If you visit late July through August, be sure to meander through the one-acre Mammoth Sunflower Path. While Fall visitors will find a variety of family-friendly activities, including pumpkin picking, a corn maze, hayrides, an apple cannon, and more, all set against the glorious fall colors of the hillsides.

To complete your visit, grab a fresh lemonade and a bag of kettle corn before you leave!

Smithome Farms
2844 State Route 352
Elmira, NY 14903

Enjoy the Animal Side of Farm Life: Wagon Rides to Paddle Boats

Explore Farmland Animal Park, an 18-acre family farm where you can stroll along a one mile road to see a variety of animals in a peaceful country setting. You’ll encounter horses, cows, llamas, pigs, goats, sheep, turkeys, chickens, ducks, peacocks, emus, and donkeys, along with their babies. You can even  feed them along the way.

Paddle a boat on a pond filled with ducks, geese and koi fish. Take a wagon ride around the park, or grab an ice cream and enjoy the scenery.

There’s something to entertain kids of all ages including a beautiful playground with observation deck and picnic facilities. Open year- round from 8 am until dark!

Farmland Animal Park
940 Wyncoop Creek Road
Chemung, NY 14825

Camp at a Working Pasture-based Farm

Here’s an opportunity to stay at one of two camp sites on a 200-acre parcel of secluded, rural farm land for a glimpse of sustainable, pasture-based, farming methods.

Red House Ranch is a working pasture-based farm where you can see how grass-fed beef, pork, chicken, and eggs are produced. The on-site store has a wide variety of grass-fed beef, pasture-raised pork, and snack sticks, even dog bones for your furry friends.

When you arrive to camp, you will receive a complimentary carton of pasture-raised eggs and you can also preorder meats for your stay and/or to take home with you upon your departure. Many of the meat items are well suited for campfire cooking (and if you’re not sure what that involves – ask the farmers who are there to help).

The farm’s “mission is to produce wholesome, deeply nutritious, and sustainable food that improves the health and wellbeing of people, animals, and the planet.”

Red House Ranch
953 Rumsey Hill Rd
Van Etten NY 14889-9538

Other Popular Chemung Farm Experiences

Bradley Farms

Founded over 100 years ago, this seasonal farm offers spring and summer flowers and vegetable plants, seasonal produce, fall pumpkins, squash, apples and cider.

It also facilitates a number of fun farm activities throughout the year, including Easter egg hunts in the spring and a pumpkin patch, corn maze, wagon rides and haunted house in the fall.

Twinkle Town—a drive-through holiday light show with over 200 displays over a two lane one-mile course—runs nightly from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve.

Bradley Farms
1543 Maple Ave
Elmira, NY 14901

Wisner Market

For over a quarter century, this farm market in the heart of the city has been connecting the community with local farmers and artisan vendors through produce and farm fresh foods, arts and crafts, live entertainment, and more.

Winser Park
200 N Main St
Elmira, NY 14901

P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary

Chances are you may have heard of P’Nuts Freedom Farm.

Advocates for second chances, this animal sanctuary is home to over 200 different animals including many that were abused, neglected, or abandoned.

The P’Nuts team works to raise awareness “about the issues facing animals—highlighting the need for compassion, kindness, and responsibility in the way we treat all living beings.”

P’Nuts Freedom Farm
37 Beckwith Rd
Pine City, NY 14871