REMSEN — Foothills Fruit Farm started out as a simple hobby apple orchard and has grown into a multi-faceted family business.
Run by Ron Rotach Jr. and his wife Stephanie with help from their three children, Foothills Fruit Farm quickly grew beyond just an apple orchard. The next fruits added were blueberry and raspberry plants. The farm thrived and they kept adding more.
“A lot of people were stopping and taking interest in the growing hobby,” Foothills Fruit Farm owner Ron Rotach Jr said. “So we decided to take a chance and make it bigger.”
The response from the community has encouraged the Rotach family to continue raising fruit and also to develop new crops and ventures. They now raise multiple varieties of apples, blueberries, raspberries, and pumpkins, and they have added maple syrup and maple candy to the operation.
“Overall it’s gone better than we could’ve ever expected,” Rotach said. “It’s definitely been a learning experience trying to figure out which varieties of plants do best in our location and which products to focus on.”
This year the Rotach family is expanding the maple operation into many new products. They have added new equipment to make the process smoother and produce more product in bulk. Also new this year, they are adding more blueberry plants and many new varieties of pumpkins to the farm.
“We started out small last year (with the pumpkins) to see what local customers were looking for,” Rotach Jr said. “This year we are adding colored pumpkins, different gourds and more sizes. We are also breaking ground on the store this spring to continue to add products.”
Available products can be picked up by appointment at 9325 State Route 274, Remsen. Maple candy, cream, and lollipops will be available at Wagner Farms Event Center in Rome during their operating season. Agway in Holland Patent carries Foothills Fruit Farm maple candy and lollipops seasonally. Syrup and maple products will also be available at the Remsen General Store.
Foothills Fruit Farm provides updates about available products on Facebook. A website is also in development which will allow for the maple products to be ordered online.
The name Foothills Fruit Farm came from combining their focus with their location. Nestled into the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains and focusing on raising fruit crops, the name Foothills Fruit Farm suited their operation seamlessly.
“The support from local customers has been great,” Rotach Jr said. “I never would have thought it would take off as fast as it has.”
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March 28, 2021 at 08:00PM
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Local fruit farm blossoms from hobby into business - Rome Sentinel
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