Located at the foot of the beautiful Helderberg Escarpment in Albany County, New York, Indian Ladder Farms is named for a pre-colonial Native American trail that scales the nearby cliffs in John Boyd Thacher State Park. This fourth generation apple orchard was purchased by Peter’s grandfather in 1915. The farm is operated by Peter G. Ten Eyck II.
The Ten Eycks grow over 30 varieties of apples, along with pumpkins, winter squash, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, plums, sweet cherries and a variety of summer vegetables. Their on-farm market, café and bakery feature their own produce and fresh-pressed apple cider, cider doughnuts and homemade pies, as well as products from local farms ranging from meats to milk and cheeses. The market also features the Yellow Rock Café & Bakery which serves meals made from locally grown ingredients. With such a wide variety of local farm-made products, they like to call it “one-stop shopping for locally grown foods.”
The Ten Eycks’ goal is to grow healthy and delicious fruits and vegetables in an environmentally sound manner, while preserving open space and maintaining a connection between the public and agriculture. Today 350 acres of Indian Ladder Farms is protected by an agricultural easement held jointly by the Open Space Institute and the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy.
