This fall, experience the outdoors in a fun, country setting at the historic Queens County Farm Museum. Located right in Queens, just a 35-minute drive from Manhattan, this 47-acre property will give you and your family a chance to escape from the busy city and enjoy the season. Come check out the pumpkin patch, explore the American flag-themed corn maze, or visit the haunted barn, and more!
To get the scoop on what’s new at the fair this fall, we spoke with Amy Boncardo, Executive Director at Queens County Farm Museum.
We read that there’s a new design of the American flag for the corn maze this year. Is there anything else we should look out for with regards to the maze?
This year our maze theme was chosen to acknowledge the 200th anniversary of our “National Anthem.” There are some challenging questions within our maze game regarding the Star-Spangled Banner…the more you know the easier the maze game will be!
What’s the pumpkin yield been like this year? Any tips for pumpkin pickers?
This was a wonderful year for pumpkins in the northeast. The Farm Museum doesn’t have a fraction of the land needed to grow enough pumpkins for all the visitors that want to walk through our fields to select the pumpkin that is just the right size and shape. We have a farmer in Pennsylvania that grows for us and delivers a freshly harvested crop of pumpkins to us each week.The pumpkin patch is a favorite spot to take the perfect fall picture, so snap the perfect pics and then find a pumpkin that has no soft spots or cuts. If you want to cut your pumpkin from the vine, there are several farms on the east end of Long Island that provide on-the-vine pumpkins if you get out there early enough in the season.
Is there a specific theme to the haunted house this year? Any story line?
No, the haunted house is in our barn, so it is a haunted barn.
What kind of food should we look forward to eating at the Children’s Fall Festival [on Oct. 26]?
We have some terrific food at this event, gourmet grilled cheese from the Morris Truck, a great selection of crepes from La Crepe, delicious roasted corn, Greek foods, funnel cake, Cider from the Jericho Cider Mill and an assortment of pies and cupcakes.
Are there any new animals that farm visitors should look out for?
We added two Dexter steers – “Jethro” and “Dexter.” Dexters are among the smallest cattle breeds in the world, standing an average 40″ tall and weighing 700-900 pounds. The Livestock Conservancy considers them to be a recovering (and formerly rare) breed. A useful and productive multi-purpose farm animal, the Dexter breed originated in Ireland and came to North America in the early 1900s.
Dexter cattle can do important work for sustainable agriculture. They are hardy and forage-efficient (which will make it possible to rotate them in our woodland) and they do not eat as much grass/hay nor require as much acreage as larger cattle (which make them a sensible fit for Queens Farm). Steers can be easily trained, which offers potential for draft power. Additionally, their manure is an incredibly rich compost ingredient.
As a proud member of the American Dexter Cattle Association, we are thrilled to welcome Jethro and Dexter to New York City. They seem happy with their new surroundings, and we invite you to stop by for a visit!
