Cut an apple across its “equator,” and the center seed cavity forms a five-pointed star. In Orange County, Soons Orchards’ transformation is symbolized by that image. The fourth-generation family farm has evolved from a single seed into five successful ventures—all revolving around that humble apple.
In 1910, William Soons (himself a transplant from New York City) planted apple trees to supplement his dairy farm in the southern Orange County hamlet of New Hampton. He sold the apples wholesale, as did his son, Sinclair.
In the early 1960s, Sinclair’s son Arthur, a recently discharged Army veteran back from the Korean Conflict, took over from his father. By that time, the wholesale industry wasn’t as lucrative anymore. So Arthur took the business in a different direction, opening the Soons Orchards retail farm store that has been a successful staple of the area ever since.
Art, as he’s called, still toils on the 30 acres of fruit orchards. “He’s 89 now, and he’s still getting out there every day,” says his daughter, Sharon. “We want him to slow down, but he sneaks out.”
Farm Store and Bakery
The 2,000-square-foot farm store exclusively sold produce grown on the Soons’s 100-acre property for 30 years before innovation struck again. Art’s daughter Laura Thornton and her husband, Scott, started selling baked goods branded as Scotty’s Country Kitchen from the farm store in 1987.
“Now we have a few gluten-free things, sugar cookies during the holidays, and cheesecakes, but our staples are fruit pies, turnovers, carrot cake muffins,” Sharon says. “They have no incentive to change, because everybody’s happy with what they’re offering!”
The same can be said for the store itself, where customers can rely on applesauce, apple cider, apples (of course), cider donuts, fudge, kettle corn, and nearly any kind of produce that’s in season at the time. Coolers offer local milk, eggs, and butter. The comprehensive grocery selection attracted a bunch more locals during the COVID pandemic, when they chose Soons over more crowded supermarkets.
The pandemic-fueled uptick has leveled somewhat, but Soons has maintained its core customers. “It’s hard to get people to make the extra trip here instead of just to the supermarket,” Sharon says. “But our apples are always going to be better than theirs.”
U-Pick
In 1998, Art’s son Jeff Soons planted apple trees specifically for customers to pick. Three years later, Soons’ U-Pick program opened to the public, taking customers on hay rides out to the orchards to pluck their own juicy fruit.
Soons grows 85 varieties of apples on 30 acres about two-and-a-half blocks from the farm store. Most are grown specifically for hard cider. “We call them ‘spitters,’ because that’s what you’d want to do if you bit into one of them,” Sharon says of the bitter varietals. But 25 varieties are for eating, and are available at the farm store and for U-Pick. “We harvest certain varieties of apples starting in late July for sale in the farm store, but the U-Pick opens on Labor Day weekend, and runs until we run out of apples, usually after Columbus Day weekend in October,” she says. “Last year, we had an amazing crop of apples and our U-Pick didn’t end until mid-November.”
The picking timeline also depends on whether visitors knock too many apples onto the ground. Soons employs most of its workers on a seasonal basis, with about 40 employees during peak apple season—but they’re not paid to pick up from the ground. “People forget that we would need to employ humans to pick up those drops—we don’t have a machine to do that, and picking up drops is not a fun job,” Sharon says. “You’re not supposed to use drops for regular cider, so we usually end up leaving those on the ground and that’s a waste.” So, next time you go to pick your own, try not to knock too many off the tree in the process.
Orchard Hill Tap Room and Farm Dinners
Eight years ago, Jeff Soons and two partners, Karl DuHoffman and Andrew Emig, decided to make the leap from the farm’s famous apple cider to hard cider. Named after the original farm, Orchard Hill tap room is adjacent to the farm store, with a similar cupola on top, (“We love cupolas around here,” Sharon smirks) and strings of Edison lights twinkling above an outdoor patio.
From Friday through Sunday in the warm seasons, the Orchard Hill tasting serves up hard cider—what Soons calls “Sweet Cider’s Cool Cousin”—and pommeau, an apple brandy. If cider doesn’t tickle your fancy, you can also order local craft beers, wines, whiskeys, and curated cocktails. “The farm store has fantastic, loyal customers; I’d love to see younger customers become regulars, and I think the tap room will help with that, “ Sharon says. A seasonally and locally crafted food menu, with options ranging from snacks to full dinner, is available. There’s live music on the patio regularly, along with happy hours that are announced on the Soons website and Instagram.
Speaking of dinner, the Soons Farm Dinners have rocketed in popularity since their 2009 inception. On Farm Dinner evenings, guests start at Orchard Hill with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Little do they know that while they sip their twilight drinks and eat their amuse-bouches, the Soons’ staff is madly moving all the freestanding displays in the farm store into a tight storage space at the back. (”Did you notice everything’s on wheels in there?” Sharon says).
Tables and chairs are set up to seat 48 diners. Chef Anthony Acevedo, an Orange County county native and CIA graduate, describes each dish’s preparation as guests are served a scrumptious, multicourse meal. “There’s a Q&A; it’s very interactive,” Sharon says. “Then my dad comes in and offers an update on the farm. We try to educate people on why we’re doing what we’re doing.”
Ever looking to innovate and diversify, one of Soons’ newest events is the Peach Blossom Tour. In April, at peak blossom time, guests are escorted through the three-acre peach orchard at the April to experience the ethereal fragrance in the cathedral of delicate flowers. “Peach trees are a high-labor fruit around here, and difficult to grow; the tour celebrates the beauty of the blossoms,” says Sharon.
Thanks to the farm store, Scotty’s Country Kitchen, the U-Pick, Orchard Hill, the Farm Dinners, and special events like the blossom tour, Soons Orchards has a full parking lot almost any weekend out the year. From where do all of those carfuls of people hail?
“Well, that depends on when you’re walking in the door,” Sharon says about the business’s clientele. “I think every local knows to stay away on Labor Day weekend.” Visitors come from roughly a two-hour radius, from Long Island; Connecticut; Pennsylvania; and of course New York City. And it’s the locals who “keep the lights on in February,” when tourists aren’t visiting.
Every customer is appreciated at Soons, whether they’ve driven one mile or 100. “We’ve had third- and fourth-generation customers come through our doors—great-grandmothers, grandfathers, mothers, and sons, which I absolutely love,” Sharon says. “They remember us every year, and we remember them.” That speaks to the customer loyalty that Soons enjoys, as well as the down-home shopping experience that the store provides, with free samples of apples, cider, and homemade peanut butter.
The iconic homemade billboard on Route 6/17M, directing customers down Lower Road to the farm store, is a well-known marker in the area. “Sometimes a person will come in saying, ‘I’ve driven past that sign for 25 years, and I’ve finally decided to come in.’ I answer, ‘Well, don’t wait another 25 years before you come back!’” Sharon giggles.
The farm store is open daily from 9am-6pm. “And if Dad’s in a good mood, he’ll take you out to the field and give you a tour,” Sharon says.
