Take a Trip to New York's Liberty Ridge Farm

The change in the season brings about an overhaul in the fundamentals of outdoor activities. Swimsuits and flip-flops give way to comfy jeans and sturdy boots. We replace campfires and days on the water with raking of bright leaves and the important task of picking out perfect pumpkins. Boat rides transition to hay rides. Ever taken a ride on a Cow Train? Maybe a trip on a Raspberry Rotor? There's always the Heehaw Swings! Take a trip to Liberty Ridge Farm in Schaghticoke, New York, 30 minutes from the Capitol of Albany, and you can enjoy all these, and many more activities.

The farm is owned by Cynthia and her husband, Robert Gifford. It has been in the family since the 1970s. The couple are high school sweet hearts who moved onto the 100-acre farm just a short 18 years ago.

This actively working farm produces crops of corn, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. They happily invite you to 'pick your own' berries June through July. The Fall harvest is found to be of the usual staples: lush mums, heavy pumpkins, bright-colored gourds and beautiful Indian corn.

The pride of the farm is of course the giant 12-acre corn maze. Known to be the largest in New York's Capital Region, the maze has attracted as many as 30,000 visitors each year. Local corporate community sponsors have their logos cut into the corn to create a different maze layout every year. The invasiveness of corporate America is not so much felt here for the artistry is more astounding. This years sponsors who's logos can be impressively viewed aerially at the Liberty Ridge Farm Website are local Time Warner Cable, B95.5 FM a local radio station, and News Channel 9.

But long before the stalks of corn are able to be cut into this impressive maze, the crop must be planted in mid-April. The maze itself is computer generated by a company out west. When a plan is established the Gifford's 'flag the field' by creating a grid system. The maze is actually cut in June when the corn is about knee high. It's then rototill-ed and hand raked out to keep it pristine. The maze is divided into two sections: Phase I and II. Phase II turns spooky on the weekends.

The idea for such a big success came from Cynthia's parents who had cut out an article about mazes. The Gifford's started out with the corn maze to see if it would even attract a crowd at all. They wound up with 16,000 participants in the first year.

Since then the Gifford's have added mum and pumpkin mazes, a 3-D Haunted House, a Forest of Fears, a barnyard of fun farming activities, Lil Farmersville designed for 6-yrs-old and under, a scenic trolley and much more. September and October is their two-month Fall Festival. In 2005 their efforts were recognized when they were awarded the New York State Agritourism Destination Award.

The 10,000 sq ft Dutch style barn is a recognizable symbol of Liberty Ridge. It houses an eatery serving food grown by the Gifford's or other local farmers. The view from the dining deck over looks gorgeous rolling hills and is especially nice to take in over lunch. There is also a gift shop, a harvest room and is open to accommodate functions such as parties, wedding receptions and corporate gatherings.

At the end of the fall festival the corn is harvested, delivered to local feed mills where it is made into animal feed. When January comes around again, the couple begins the diligent task of planning their next season festival. It takes between eight and ten months to get ready.

To visit the Gifford's, check out the views, get lost in the maze or just sample the food you can find Liberty Ridge Farm located at 29 Bevis Road in Schaghticoke, New York. For a complete list of events, admissions prices and hours of operation visit their extremely user friendly website at Liberty Ridge Farm Maze.