Photo: Apple pickers at Masker Orchard in Warwick, NY
Reported by Mid-Hudson News
WARWICK – As the first week of Fall arrives, New York is putting its apple orchards and cider makers in the spotlight with a new statewide campaign celebrating the state’s cider industry.
The NY State of Cider Campaign, announced by Governor Kathy Hochul, aims to promote New York’s orchards, cideries, restaurants, and rural communities while encouraging visitors to experience the state’s agricultural heritage.
For Warwick residents and visitors, the campaign comes at a particularly fitting time of year. Masker Orchard on Ball Road is in the middle of its Fall harvest season, with apples on the trees, U-pick opportunities and both regular and hard apple cider available at the orchard. Maskers is one of the area’s longtime orchards, with some trees on the property dating back more than 100 years.
Masker Orchard’s award-winning apple pie voted “Best in Hudson Valley” in 2025
Like many orchards in the Hudson Valley, Maskers offers visitors the opportunity to pick their own apples and enjoy traditional fall activities while also visiting the orchard’s bakery and country store. The farm’s cider and other apple products offer a taste of the agricultural heritage that has long been part of the Warwick Valley.
“The early part of the picking season has been impacted by rain, and this weekend’s Nor’easter,” said Dan Olsen, farmer at Maskers. “So far, this season is shaping up to be a challenge, so the push by the state comes at the right time.”
The challenges facing Hudson Valley apple growers began well before the fall harvest. A severe Spring freeze in 2026 damaged apple blossoms across the region, reducing or eliminating the crop at some orchards. While some local orchards have already run out of apples for the season, Maskers’ more than 200 acres of orchard have allowed the farm to continue harvesting apples for its U-pick customers.
A significant majority of the apple blossoms in the Hudson Valley were damaged by a late-Spring freeze (photo: Masker Orchard, Warwick)
“After the spring deep freeze that impacted apple crops across the region, we are fortunate to have apples on our trees at Maskers,” Olsen said. “We’re calling this year’s harvest our miracle crop. We are hoping for better weather in the coming weeks — especially the weekends — so our guests can enjoy our harvest.”
New York is the nation’s largest producer of hard cider and has more active cideries than any other state. It is also the country’s second-largest apple-producing state. The state says the broader apple and cider industry has an annual economic impact of more than $1.8 billion, supporting farms, jobs, tourism and rural communities.
“New York hard cider begins in our orchards and reflects generations of agricultural excellence,” Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball said. “Every visit to a cidery supports our growers, strengthens local food systems, and helps preserve the working landscapes that define our state.”
Hochul said the campaign is intended to bring more visitors to New York’s agricultural communities.
“Our world-class apple growers, innovative cider makers, and vibrant rural communities have made New York a leader in hard cider production,” Hochul said.
