Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard in North Salem, NY

Making it Easy to Eat Locally and Healthfully

Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard

130 Hardscrabble Rd. in North Salem, NY

Hours:  8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day;

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve;

Closed Christmas Day through March.

Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard is a family owned and operated farm, country store and orchard in North Salem, NY. Delicious and delightful offerings vary from season to season, with flowers and plants in the spring, fresh produce during the summer and fall, apple picking and festivals during autumn, and pre-cut Christmas trees and winter wreaths during November and December.

Harvest Moon carries its own in-season fresh fruits and vegetables, farm fresh eggs, grass-fed beef and turkeys, local dairy products, maple syrup, honey, jams and jellies, cider doughnuts, fresh baked pies and more. “Our animals live happy lives, free of antibiotics and added hormones, and free-ranging right here on the farm,” says store manager Christine Tartaglia. “A trip to visit our chickens, goats, donkeys, cows, pigs, turkeys and alpacas is the perfect sunny day outing. It’s not a petting zoo, however, so we ask people not to feed the animals.”

Multicolored, farm fresh eggs and grass-fed beef

Most of the chickens at Harvest Moon Farm are Araucanas and Rhode Island reds, producing eggs in shades ranging from blue and green to pink and brown. The chickens wander around the farm all day, grazing on bugs and greens that enhance the nutritional value of their eggs. Not too far away are grass-fed Scottish Highland cows that never eat grains but do enjoy apples as a treat each fall. “Highlands are very lean cows, making the majority of our 20-plus cuts lean as well,” says Tartaglia. “Our turkeys are a heritage breed, the Broad Breasted Bronze, and they’re fed a vegetable-based diet with occasional supplementation from GMO-free grain. Turkeys are available fresh for Thanksgiving and frozen through Christmas, and we begin taking orders in September.”

Milk, the old-fashioned way, and local cheeses

Harvest Moon features products from Ronnybrook Farm Dairy, including old-fashioned glass-bottled milk that’s unhomogenized and pasteurized at a low temperature. There are also drinkable yogurts, creamy butter and ice cream served in the parlor. The store carries a variety of Hudson Valley cheeses from such producers as Harpersfield Cheese Co., Old Chatham Sheepherding Farm, Nettle Meadow, Finger Lakes Farmstead Creamery, Cooperstown Creamery and Adirondack Cheddar Co.

Community supported agriculture and fun

For the second year in a row, Harvest Moon is operating a Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA), which runs through October. “The CSA provides customers with a week’s load of fresh produce from our farm and other local farms,” says Tartaglia. “We start sign-ups in March, and we post updates on our website.”

The farm and orchard is also available for birthday parties and private events year-round, along with school tours during September and October. “Our fall festival is also a big hit during those months,” Tartaglia notes. “Every weekend from Labor Day until Halloween we offer U-pick apples, hayrides, live music, food vendors, pony rides, face painting, a bounce house and pumpkin picking right off the vine.”

Tartaglia says that Harvest Moon encourage people to buy local for a few important reasons. “It supports the local economy, reduces our carbon footprint and allows people to meet the farmers who are growing their food,” she says. “While we use organic practices in raising our veggies and animals, we’re not yet certified organic. Visitors will find a variety of fresh, local products in our store from here on the farm and from local artisans. Our motto is ‘Support your local farmer.’”

Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard is located at 130 Hardscrabble Rd. in North Salem, NY. For more information visit HarvestMoonFarmandOrchard.com, call 914.485.1210 or email harvestmoonorchard@gmail.com.