Our Story

For more than a century, the Minard family has been growing apples in Clintondale, in the heart of New York's Hudson Valley. What began in 1906 as a working commercial orchard has grown, across four generations, into one of the region's most beloved family farms — and, today, a nationally recognized agritourism destination.

A century in the orchard

The Minard family's roots in Clintondale reach back to 1906, when the family planted its first apples in the Hudson Valley. Over the decades that followed, the Minards earned a reputation across four generations as one of the region's premier commercial apple growers — a legacy built on more than a century of tending the same land. That expertise runs deep: Doug Minard studied pomology — the science of apples — at Cornell University, carrying generations of orchard knowledge into the modern farm.

A homecoming

The farm's public, pick-your-own side is also a homecoming story. In 2003, the family's retail and pick-your-own operation was sold outside the family. It wasn't until the Minards bought it back and reopened the gates in 2015 that the destination began the climb that would eventually make it one of the top-ranked orchards in the country.

Building something best-in-class

When the family relaunched the agritourism operation in 2015, the vision was ambitious. "Early on, I visited agritourism farms that felt like Disney World, and I knew we could do that here — build something best-in-class that few thought was possible on a working commercial orchard," says Jason Minard, who co-founded the agritourism operation and has led it since. A Cornell-trained business graduate, Jason paired that orchard heritage with formal training in economics and management to build the operation you see today.

That first season welcomed visitors with little more than a hayride and a hay maze. Today, the farm offers more than 30 attractions across 100-plus acres — including a hayride out to the U-pick orchards, one of the Hudson Valley's largest corn mazes, the apple cannon, a mini petting zoo, pick-your-own pumpkins, a barn market and bakery, and Mac's Tavern on the Farm — all set against the backdrop of the Shawangunk Mountains.

A family affair

The farm is very much a family story. Jason runs the business alongside his wife, Angela Minard, who has been instrumental in its success. Fittingly, the two met at the farm in 2015 — the very year the operation launched — when Angela, then a teacher, brought her class on a field trip. They fell in love and were married on the farm. Her background in education proved a perfect fit for a farm built around children and family fun, and she has drawn on it to expand the hospitality side of the business — shaping the events, field trips, and warm, welcoming guest experience the farm is known for today. She is especially known for the memorable birthday parties she hosts, creating unforgettable celebrations for families across the Hudson Valley.

Recognized near and far

The farm has been recognized by USA Today, featured on Fox News, and named a three-time Chronogram Readers' Choice honoree (2022–2024). Most recently, Minard's Family Farm is currently ranked the #1 Apple Orchard in the United States in USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards — a national honor decided by public vote. Voting is open through September 7, and the family is asking the community to help bring home the national title.

Today, Minard's Family Farm continues to welcome visitors each fall for U-pick apples, fresh-baked treats from the barn market and bakery, and dozens of attractions for all ages — carrying forward a family tradition that began in 1906.