| Our
Place in History (click images
for a larger view)
Hick's Orchard is New York's oldest U-pick
orchard. It's been 90 years since the gates to the orchard
were opened so neighbors and town folk could pick their
own fruit. But the history of Hicks Orchard goes back even
further. The fruits of farming have been harvested from
this fertile land for over 130 years! And apples weren't
the first pick-your-own crop here...
Orlando Hicks first purchased the farm at Slyboro Corners
in 1865. For 30 years, Orlando and family practiced traditional
north country farming, with cows and fields of feed-hay
blanketing the land. Then, in 1895, Orlando made the decision
that would come to define the Hicks farm for the next hundred
years: He panted his first orchard apple orchard. |
Ralph & Clifford Hick. Photo
courtesy of Gary Hicks. |
| Since
then, thousands of apple trees have been planted, countless
millions of apples harvested, and generations of Hicks -
and now Wilsons - have taken their turn at the art and science
of growing apples, assisted by generations of local families
at harvest time.
Careful observers can discover traces
of the historic farm amidst the real and imaginary shadows
of today's Hicks Orchard. Cows required plenty of pastureland
and a large barn, in exchange providing the farm with milk,
cream, and butter. Horses, besides pulling the family's
wagons and carts, provided the power for transforming the
woods into open pasture, for planting the animals' hay and
the family's food crops, and for hauling lumber and stone
used in constructing the house and other buildings of the
farm (many still standing today). Chicken coop, smokehouse,
corn crib, workshop, blacksmith shop - all were essential
to a self-sustaining farm. A pond was both a source of water
and home to fish. Beehives were kept to pollinate the fruit
trees. |
Hicks Bros. Fruit Farm Circa 1962.
Courtesy of Sherry Ritchie. |
|
To keep the family supplied throughout the winter, harvested
food was canned and preserved in every way possible. Of
course, fresh cider was pressed on-site (the original pressing
room was located in the woodshed of the main house). Cider
vinegar was made for pickling, and sometimes a barrel or
two of fresh cider was allowed to get "hard."
On occasion, when neighbors lent a hand getting the hay
in, they might be rewarded for their efforts with a dip
of their cup into one of those barrels.
In time, a windmill that stood taller than the biggest barn
provided electric power, making the Hicks farm the first
farm in the area to be "plugged in." |
U-Pick:
A New Tradition Starts in 1905
Like most things in farming, the launching of "U-pick"
at Hicks farm was a case of circumstances giving rise to invention.
The Hicks had been farming commercially for several years
and had become fairly successful. And, of course, they couldn't
have done it without the help of local labor, especially at
critical harvest times.
But in 1905, when Charles Hicks went around to gather up some
local folks for help harvesting cherries, he ran into a string
of bad luck. Everyone was busy with their own farms or was
celebrating "getting the hay in" (and they got a
lot of hay in that year!). With the cherries about ready to
fall of the trees, Charles put the word out that the orchard
was open to those interested in bringing their own containers
and picking cherries - for a better price than cherries could
be purchased in the markets.
Charles projected that only a few people would come to pick
their own and that he would end up losing most of the crop
that year. But surprisingly, word got around fast and a crowd
of folks came from all over to pick their own cherries. Many
came as a family, bringing along big picnic dinners and making
an outing of their harvest.
Well, to say the least, Charles did so well that year with
pick-your-own on a crop he might have otherwise lost, he decided
to open his cherry orchard to the public again the next season
- and U-pick has been a popular Hicks Orchard tradition ever
since.
Apples, on the other hand, weren't opened for pick-your-own
until 1957, and again it was circumstances dictating innovation.
That year, late in the summer, a terrible hail storm hit the
farm, damaging the entire apple crop. At that time, Ralph
Hicks and his wife Peggy, along with Ralph's brother Clifford,
were running the farm. Knowing that they would not be able
to sell their hail-blemished apples to the commercial fruit
brokerage, they put an ad in the local paper: "Hail-scarred
Apples - Bring your own container - Reduced price." (The
price that year was $1/bushel!)
Surprisingly to the Hicks, so many people came out to pick
their own apples that the orchard actually brought in more
money with this damaged crop than they would have received
at the commercial coop for a normal crop. (The economics of
U-pick are a win-win situation for both orchard and picker.)
At Peggy's insistence, the Hicks intentionally opened a section
of their apple orchard for U-pick the next season, and again
it was a large success. Being fast learners, from that season
on the Hicks farm was operated for pick-your-own crops. |
Wilsons
Take Over the Reins: Coincidence or Fate?
Eventually, facing retirement, Ralph and Peggy Hicks made
the difficult decision to place the "Hicks Bros Fruit
Farm" on the market.
Meanwhile, Dot and Don Wilson had decided to look for a farm
to live and work on as a way of getting out of their own hectic
life. Disillusioned with the corporate world, Don yearned
for a rural atmosphere, a slower pace, and a chance to grow
things and work hard, getting physically tired at the end
of the day instead of emotionally exhausted, commuting by
tractor instead of by car. The Wilsons had searched for a
farm in four different states, as far away as northern Michigan,
without being able to find the "right" small working
farm.
One Sunday, after church, the Wilsons were buying ice cream
and saw a stack of New York Times. They decided to buy one
on a whim, as they rarely bought the paper. There they saw
an ad for Hicks Bros Fruit Farm. As the Hicks tell it, they
had saved up some money and bought an ad in the New York Times
for one day only, as the ads are very expensive. That Sunday
was the only day their ad ran.
Its been over twenty years since the Wilsons bought the farm.
They have not had one day of regret. In his former life as
a corporate executive, Don could only build things and practice
his hobbies (including his love for growing things) on weekends.
Living on the farm, everyday seemed like a weekend day.
Throughout the years, the Wilsons have made some changes and
kept some things the same - but always remaining dedicated
to the U-pick tradition started nearly a century ago. They
have maintained the orchard's name as "Hicks" out
of respect for the accomplishments of the past.
As had the Hicks, the Wilsons have made the farm a family
affair. Don's brother George moved to the orchard to lend
a hand. He's still here helping out 21 years later, now spending
most of his time painting beautiful landscapes from his orchard
studio. All of the stained glass work on the farm was designed
and created by Don and his sons, Scott and Dan. And the decorative
door on the apple barn was created by Don as one of his weekend
projects.
Don Wilson passed away two years ago, after planting thousands
of his own trees here. Now his son Dan has stepped in, and
with the help of Dot and George Wilson, is adding to the legacy
of the family farm.
Peggy Hicks still comes to visit the farm and exchange stories
and recipes.
Folks from miles around return to the farm year after year
to renew their own family's autumn tradition. Some, as children,
were first brought here by horse and buggy for a family outing;
now they come with their children, who have their own children
in tow, to pick from the trees of their childhood. |
|
|
