Enjoy a Slice of History

 
 

Welcome to historic Hand Melon Farm, a 425 acre working farm in the heart of Washington County, just outside of Saratoga Springs, NY. Near our farm, the British surrendered during the Battle of Saratoga in 1777, marking a turning point in the Revolutionary War.

History was made here almost 100 years ago when young Allen Hand planted a novel crop of muskmelons which sweetened through the long summer and early fall – and became a runaway success. Since that time, movie stars, presidents, and the Saratoga summer set have all enjoyed Hand Melons. Today, their reputation for flavor and sweetness is unparalleled.

Things are a little quieter these days, but we are always busy with over 20 crops that we raise for market, and Pick Your Own crops including strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, eggplant, and fall squash.

Read More Hand Melon Farm History in Saratoga Today story here HandHistory

100 years of Freshness

Our farm really got going about a hundred years back when Allen F. Hand planted a crop of muskmelons, at that time grown mostly in tropical climates. They succeeded beyond his wildest hopes, and the rest is history! Today the famous Hand Melon is regarded as the ultimate melon for firm, sweet flesh, and is prized by presidents, actors, celebrities, and those lucky enough to be “in the know!”

 

Sustaining the land, sustaining our health

We use sustainable practices such as composting, recycling, rotating and resting fields. We also employ Integrated Pest Management principles, which utilize minimal amounts of pesticides to protect the health of their customers and the land. 

Hand Melon Farms has waived future development rights, and so will always remain an agricultural asset. In doing so, we hope to preserve the farm for generations yet to come.

We also offer horse boarding in our newly renovated barns, complete with a modern exercise facility. And in the course of our forestry management, we do selective harvesting of our hardwoods, which we process into dry firewood offered for sale.

Other Farm Services

 

  • At Hand Melon Farm we also offer a small quantity of firewood for sale. With nearly 200 acres of the farm’s acreage consisting of typical Eastern New York hardwood stands, we work closely with a certified forester who consults with us on our forestry management practices. We manage our forests for long-term growth, and selectively harvest some of our woods in an effort to provide optimal growing conditions within the forest. We also manage the field edges and selectively harvest encroaching trees.

    Our firewood is made from these culled trees, some of which are younger, bent, or irregularly shaped. Consequently, there may be a few more irregularly shaped logs than wood purchased from other suppliers who are harvesting mature trees yielding straighter, high quality logs. You can feel good buying our firewood, knowing that its part of an overall forest management plan, managed for long-term sustainability.

    Typically, our mix includes red oak, white oak, black cherry, black birch, and red maple – all quality hardwoods prized for their high BTU value. Firewood log length is cut to 18” maximum. Please contact us well in advance if you need a different size.

    We can deliver up to two generous cords of wood in our old International dump truck within a ten-mile radius. Further distances may require a small donation for fuel costs

    Contact us for firewood availability 518-527-0072

  • If you live nearby and are looking for a place to board your horse, you may want to consider us. At the Hand Melon Farm we have converted the old cow barns to be more suitable and comfortable for boarding horses. The pens are typically arranged so that there is a run-in area in the barn and a fenced open space outside. There are small pastures with electric fences for turn out during the day in the summer.

    We can offer full board, but prefer that you provide the care and feeding of your own animals. Our rates are quite reasonable as well, $150 per month for the first horse, and $250 per month if you board two horses with us.

    For riding we have open fields, many wooded trails and an outdoor fenced arena.

    Please call for rates and availability: 518-692-2376

Where To Find Us

Our Farm Market is located on Route 29, just across from the Washington County Fairgrounds, and our pick-your-own fields lie just down Wilbur Avenue about a mile distant.

We also have farm stands, and are carried in fine grocers across the Northeast.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook for the latest news about the crops and their readiness. Also be sure to sign up for our email newsletter so you know when to come out for a pick-your-own visit, or to pick up some of the region’s best sweet corn, fresh berries, just-picked produce, and famous Hand Melons at our Farm Market!