Working in the service industry has taught me a few things about eating — namely, that choosing to buy local produce during peak season will fill you up in a way packaged foods never could. Sustaining your body is impossible without sustaining your mind and soul, a connection that is evident at Hurd Orchards on West Ridge Road in Holley, just west of the city.
Sustainability is rooted not only in environmental longevity, but a social responsibility to leave a community’s ecosystem better than it was found, all while building on heritage and legacy. Heritage extends beyond those little navy and gold plaques by the side of the road denoting an event of cultural or historical significance. Heritage encapsulates tradition, like a recipe for the perfect pie crust passed down through generations, or a ‘sixth sense’ that tells you exactly when it’s time to pick that first crop of the season.
Amy Machamer has been in business with her mother, Susan Hurd Machamer, for 40 years, continuing the family’s more than 200-year legacy. After earning a degree in art history from Amherst College, Machamer returned to the farm in 1984 — a shift in her life path that soon made sense.
Beauty is an integral part of the community Hurd Orchards has built. It’s found in the barn-turned-event space; the bottles of chive blossom vinegar that line the store windows like stained glass; the richest conserve you’ve ever tasted; the quiet, yet boisterous laughter floating from the kitchens.
The generational fruit farm’s roadside market is the home to intentional creative decisions and design. The market itself is nestled next to a grove of cherry trees, next to a barn that hosts seasonal tasting luncheons and events that not only feature, but honor the changing of the seasons and their offerings. Both buildings boast artifacts from the land’s history and the family who has cared for it for so long. Dried flowers hang from the rafters alongside handwoven baskets, hand-painted signs name the apple varieties grown onsite and antique tables and chairs are scattered throughout the space. Each corner of the two buildings feels like it holds a secret waiting to be discovered — and sometimes, Machamer lets visitors in on the reveal.
During a recent rhubarb luncheon, Machamer shared a story about discovering a crop of what she believes to be mammoth rhubarb, a plant thought to be all but extinct, on the family’s land. Machamer also spoke excitedly about the ‘ancient apples’ grown on the farm.
“These are varieties dropped from our edible repertoire, heirloom or heritage varieties,” she said.
The Hurd Orchards team honors that heritage by nurturing and cultivating trees that produce sometimes rare, varied fruits. (According to Dr. Susan Brown of Cornell University, there are more genes in apples than there are in a single human being — 54,000, to be exact.)
A particular point of pride for Hurd Orchards is the sweeping variety of apples grown on the 150-acre property. They are eco-certified through Red Tomato — which means the farmers take precautions to protect pollinators and the environment that they’re farming — and partnered with Headwater Food Hub, which distributes food from over 200 family farms throughout New York State.
According to Red Tomato, a family farm oriented fair trade organization that connects farmers with consumers, Hurd Orchards grows “over 70 varieties of apples, [which] include old-fashioned, heritage and new experimental varieties bred for flavor, quality and natural disease resistance.” These apples, as well as other fruits, are available as pick-your-own or fresh at the roadside market, as well as in baked goods and luncheons that feature hyper-local ingredients.
“Literally everything is done by hand trellising and irrigation,” said Machamer. “Everything is picked by hand — from harvest to customer to kitchen to counter — everything has to be incredibly careful so that you can have a moment of ‘Oh, how lovely.’”
The farm, market and events are designed to infuse visitors with joy as well as the opportunity to slow down and think about the food they’re eating; how it’s the product of human hands across generations.
All of the events, which Machamer co-hosts with her mother, begin with an educational speech detailing updates from the farm and the kitchen, details about the produce and recipes that make up the meal and an undeniable magnetic energy.
How have you lived your life up until that moment without being eternally awe struck by the bounty and plenty our region provides?
Micro-seasonality is key at Hurd Orchards, a fact reflected in the tablescapes as well as the entirety of any meal hosted there. Each dish presents at least one application of a featured ingredient, and none are predictable — that which is savory turns sweet, sweet turns savory and somehow, harmony is achieved in the most unexpected places.
I learned more about farming from Machamer during one luncheon than in any science class I ever sat through. Most importantly, though, I learned what it means to support a local farm, and witnessed firsthand what it takes for a single raspberry or apple to journey from seed to tree to hand to table — a veritable miracle.
May we all have the patience to listen to the land and learn from those who have come before us, in order to leave things better than we found them for those who come after. hurdorchards.com
