From the northeastern portion of Rochester, it required roughly 50 minutes to make our way out west to Waterport, New York, where the Brown's Berry Patch is situated. Upon our arrival to the site, which is right along Route 18 in Orleans County and only a few minutes away from Lake Ontario, I was stunned by the shear size of the farm. Additionally, I was taken aback by the huge volume of vehicles that were parked in the berry orchard rows.
Officially, the business is known as Orchard Dale Fruit Farms and Brown's Berry Patch. The farm has been in existence for over 200 years, and been in the capable hands of the Brown family for the entire period. We chose to attend this past Sunday, October 24, and could not have picked a better day to go. The sun was shining for a considerable share of the afternoon, and the temperatures were holding steady at around 60 degrees.
Plenty To Do At Brown's Berry Patch
For $2 apiece, my wife, step-daughter and I participated in a hayride around the vast apple and berry orchard, all the while marveling at the number of people pulling carts with large heavy-duty bags full of assorted apples, along with on average a few sizable pumpkins. Yes, you can pick your own apples and berries here, and take out as much as your back and wallet can muster. We elected not to partake in the corn maze, however, which would have been an additional $4.50 per person. Though it looked to be fun for the smaller children, the corn stalks were not very tall and didn't seem to generate much interest from my teenage step-daughter.
However, she was practically bowled over by the caramel-coated apple we bought for her. Our daughter is not overly enthusiastic about most food selections, so we had to figure this stuff was pretty good. As it turned out, it was the most delicious caramel I have every tasted, and it was slathered over a sliced and oh-so-crisp red apple. The caramel itself was sweet but not too sweet and reminded me of milk chocolate. Each of us also indulged in a cider donut, which were made using real apple cider. The donuts were fabulously moist and not too sugary; I could have eaten about 10 more of them. The cost per donut was not cheap – about $1 each. However, they are worth every penny.
Barnyard Adventure Even Has A Giant Sandbox And Pillow
Open solely on weekends during the fall season (yet every day during the summer months) is the Barnyard Adventure, which not only encompasses the hayride pathway and corn maze but also assorted rides, swings, a giant sandbox, as well as live goats, cows, chickens, roosters, and a llama named "Iggy." It is like experiencing a three-ringed circus but without the big top tents. The (fall) seasonal cost per person for non-seniors (under 62 years of age) is under twenty dollars, which sounds like a real bargain, as long as you have smaller children and live within a reasonable driving distance. A one-day entry pass fee, which could be included with the corn maze and/or hayride, will run each person $6.50.
Toward the back of the massive attraction is the Barnyard Jump that is essentially a giant pillow with a beach ball appearance, which was swarming with both children and adults. It seemed that every aspect of the complex, particularly within the Barnyard Adventure section, was to capacity, if not close to it. The huge crowds could be attributed to the fact that it was the second-to-last weekend that the farm is open to the public, as well as it being a bye week for the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo is but a short drive to the farm as well; the farm is equidistant to Buffalo and Rochester.
After heading out to the pumpkin patch to pick out our two pumpkins, priced at $.37 per pound (not bad), we loaded the car and headed back to the main entrance and spent several minutes in the Lake Country Marketplace. This is what you might call a multi-purpose facility, as it offers an extensive selection of seasonal and other specialty gifts.
All fall seasonal merchandise was 25 percent off but it did not sway us into an eventual purchase. We considered buying a 9-inch pumpkin pie, yet the asking price was $13, which we believe to be a comparatively high price. If their pumpkin pie tastes anything like their caramel, then it is probably out of this world. Oh well. We may just have to make the drive out next fall (or spring) and splurge on one of those pies, or muffins, or breads, or miscellaneous candies, or jellies, or...
Source
(2011). Brown's Berry Patch
Join the Conversation