Granite State Growers: Brookdale Fruit Farm

It’s no surprise that agritourism is on the rise in New Hampshire, because fall is all about farms. From leaf peepers pulling over on the Kancamagus for a piping hot cup of apple cider, to teenagers running through flashlight corn mazes and pick-your-own apples galore, the state comes alive every fall as tourists and Granite Staters alike flock to local farms. New Hampshire’s local farms are the backbone of our communities, and many of them offer unique and interesting experiences that are as fresh as their produce; with the hope that visitors will stop by and stay a while, and then keep coming back.

Here’s a look at some of New Hampshire’s fabulous farms:

Brookdale Fruit Farm, Hollis (profile below)
Miles Smith Farm, Loudon
Moulton Farm, Meredith
Brookford Farm, Canterbury
LaValley Farms, Hooksett
Vernon Family Farm, Newfields

Brookdale Fruit Farm, Hollis

View of downtown Hollis from Brookdale Fruit Farm.
Courtesy photo

Brookdale Fruit Farm has been in Rick Hardy’s family since 1845. In the past 144 years and six generations, the 400-acre farm has grown from a small, traditional New England farm into a successful wholesale and pick-your-own enterprise that’s at the fore-front of trickle irrigation, right in the heart of Hollis. 

“We were all brought up in the business, and chose to stay or eventually come back to it,” Hardy says.

Brookdale Fruit Farm’s secret to their long-lasting success has been their commitment to staying on the cutting edge of technology and distribution. In the 1920s, they had the first cold storage unit in the state, which was cooled using ice blocks, and during the onslaught of mills that sprang up in New Hampshire during the Industrial Revolution, they increased their distribution radius to bring milk to the mills’ boarding houses in Nashua. Their ability to distribute farm-fresh goods quickly has been one of the farm’s main tenets.

Edwin Hardy, 7th generation at Brookdale.
Courtesy photo

“We have our own distribution network, and our own trucks on the road in the morning,” Hardy says. “We can go from farm to table in 24 hours. Our biggest asset is producing and delivering fresh product, which is difficult to do with a smaller farm.”

Holiday goodies of gourmet cheeses — perfect for a charcuterie board.
Courtesy photo

A few years back, Brookdale was named one of five conservation farms in the United States. The farm uses practices like crop rotation, nutrition management and soil mapping to ensure that nutrients are being put back into the soil, and so that they have an understanding of what’s going on in the soil nutritionally before each growing season.

“We do a lot of specific things, like soil mapping, for our farm management for the soil type and fertilization for different crops,” Hardy says.

Brookdale Fruit Farm currently finds themselves on the forefront of trickle irrigation, which allows the farm to conserve water.

“We raise a lot of our products on raised beds with plastic underneath,” Hardy says. “Our irrigation system is also used for fertilization and nutrients, and we can be very specific with our application.”

Hardy works with New England Fruit Consultants to help evaluate and target what kinds of insects and diseases may pop up during the growing season, so that they can be proactive in their spray programs. Using a proactive approach to pests and diseases means they don’t have to use any more sprays than they need to, which is ultimately better for the crops, environment and consumer. 

Brookdale Fruit Farm is bustling with activity year-round, but their pick-your-own programs are particularly popular. The PYO season begins in the summer with strawberries and extends into the late fall with Brookdale’s last crop of apples.

“It’s well laid out,” Hardy says. “We have dedicated areas for PYO that are mowed, and we have dozens of varieties of apples. Last year, the Hippo named us the best PYO in the state, and people travel for that. Agritourism is important for PYO and goes in hand with the fall tourism.” 

Hardy takes great pride in the farm’s fall atmosphere, and offers hayrides and corn maze tickets at reasonable prices, so that every family can enjoy fall festivities on the farm.

“The most important thing you can do to support your local farm is shop locally, or shop some locally,” Hardy says. “We’re unique because we do a lot of wholesale, but other farms have to rely on farmstands and local sales. Buy your corn at a roadside stand instead of a supermarket.”

“Everybody should be aware that this has been a great growing year compared to the past two years,” Hardy says. “Farmers are able to produce an abundance of product and what we would expect for our product. Last year was a disaster. We’re all trying to rebound.”  brookdalefruitfarm.com