Nestled
at the base of the Helderberg Escarpment, Indian
Ladder Farms is a medium-size apple orchard and working farm located in
Altamont-Voorheesville, about a half hour from New York’s capital,
Albany. Named for
the Indian Ladder Trail, a trade
route located in the Escarpment and visible from the farm, the farm’s
location
at the base of the mountains is ideal for growing apples as the cooler
spring
air coming from the Escarpment ensures that apple blossoms bloom later,
protecting them from late frosts.
In the
fall, the Escarpment allows for warm days and cool fall nights which
help ripen
and sweeten the fruit. This
land at the
base of the Helderbergs has historically been ideal for the growing of
apples.
Founded
in 1915 by Peter G. Ten Eyck, the grandfather of the
current owner, Indian Ladder Farms began with the purchase of the
Andrew Smith farm;
this original farm house is located at the far end of the current
parking lot.
The original Smith barns across the street from Indian Ladder Farms
have since
been converted to a house. Over
the
years, as the farm began to grow, additional adjoining farms were
purchased and
the land was united to create Indian Ladder Farms The
“s” remains as a tribute to the original
farms.
Initially,
Indian Ladder Farms was primarily a dairy farm
with Guernsey cows
and only a few acres of
fruit trees. The
dairy barn for cows was
destroyed by fire in 1949 and changed the future of the farm. Although no cows were hurt
by the fire,
without a barn they no longer had a home and the decision was made to
sell all
of the Guernsey
cows at the Altamont Fair. The
Ten Eyck family remained committed to the
land and decided to continue with small-scale fruit growing and to
raise Hereford
beef cattle. By
1963 the apple and fruit trees which had
been planted years earlier had reached maturity and Indian Ladder Farms
made
the decision to sell the cattle and concentrated on establishing itself
as an
apple farm.
Indian Ladder Farms dairy barn
Indian
Ladder Farms now grows a variety of crops including berries, tomatoes,
apples and pumpkins. Many of these can be picked fresh in
season
through our
pick-your-own. They are also available
through our country store and served in our own Yellow Rock Cafe and
Bakery.
