Merlot to McIntosh, valley grows it all

Spencer Ainsley/Poughkeepsie Journal Nehemiah Banton, a native of Jamaica, picks McIntosh apples at Mead Orchard in Red Hook, Dutchess County.

There’s nothing like living off the land, especially if the land is in the mid-Hudson Valley.

Have a yen for fresh fruit? It can’t get any tastier than strawberries from the field or apples just picked from the branch.

Want to find vegetables, but hate the supermarket? Get your produce direct from the people who plant the seeds and harvest the goods at a farmer’s market.

And anyone interested in sipping their way through the Mid-Hudson Valley can find some of the tastiest wines this side of California at any of the area’s many vineyards.

Farms and fields give this part of the valley a special character — preserving its rural and agricultural heritage and giving visitors a chance to experience nature.

‘‘A lot of people just like to be outdoors in the fresh air,’’ said Rose Barton, co-owner of Barton Orchards in the southern Dutchess County community of Poughquag. ‘‘It’s an entirely different atmosphere.’’

Barton should know. Along with her husband and son, the family has run Barton Orchards since 1979. The farm offers visitors everything from strawberry and apple picking to fresh vegetables like green beans, tomatoes and peppers. An on-site petting zoo and playground make the orchard attractive to families, she said.

Ulster is bountiful

Farm lovers in the region have a number of places to visit but one county should top everyone’s list: from apples to pumpkins and everything in between, Ulster is the place to be.

Apple orchards are abundant in Ulster but are definitely not the only kind of farm around. Everything from gourds and fruits such as cherries, raspberries, peaches and pears to vegetables like tomatoes and peas are available at a range of establishments. And many farms allow you to pick your own.

If picking produce isn’t your style, there are always farmers markets, where those who grow the goods bring it direct to the consumers. Putnam County is home to a number of farmers markets.

While some farmers markets are seasonal, the southeastern corner of Putnam County includes two in Brewster open all year.

The Farmers Market at Brewster Village Hall is open every Sunday as is the Green Chimneys Farm on Putnam Lake Road.

Of course, not all agricultural products here are edible. Christmas tree farms are popular throughout the Hudson Valley and give people the chance to chop their own tree.

Refreshing vineyards

To quench the thirst there’s always the award-winning wines of the mid-Hudson Valley, which boasts more than 20 wineries, including some of the oldest vineyards in the country.

The heart of Dutchess County’s wine community is Millbrook, where the 130-acre estate of the Millbrook Vineyards and Winery produces a variety of critically acclaimed wines.

A jaunt over to Orange County will bring you back in time as you sample wines from the historic Brotherhood Winery in Washingtonville. Established in 1839, Brotherhood Winery is considered the country’s oldest winery and offers fun activities, including grape stomping. For more than 160 years, the winery has produced a number of wines, and today makes everything from seasonal wines like May Wine to champagne, Chardonnay and Merlot.

Of course, to get a comprehensive picture of the Mid-Hudson Valley’s agricultural offerings in the least amount of time, visiting a county fair is the only way to go.

Each county in the mid-Hudson Valley hosts a fair and has for more than a century. One of the oldest is the Columbia County Fair, which has been held for more than 160 years.

Held over Labor Day weekend in Chatham, the Columbia County Fair has a rich history and offers many different things to do and see such as steam powered machines and pig racing. And, of course, there’s plenty of food to enjoy, as well as milk shakes.

Fresh milk shakes are a popular part of the Dutchess County Fair, which has been held for 157 years and draws roughly 500,000 visitors to the fairgrounds in Rhinebeck.

Besides the milk shakes, the stars of the Dutchess fair are really the more than 1,600 goats, sheep, hogs, cows, horses, chickens, cattle and rabbits that will be judged for excellence.