Prospect Hill Orchards-Hilltop Farm — Local services in Town of Marlborough

Summary: cherries were tasty, front desks staff were awesome. It is 2 hours from NYC(if you are just going for cherries), hot late June weather, entry fee $5/person, $8.99/lb cherries and last but not the least “yells at guest for staying longer than their imaginary rule for the duration of stay and absurd accusation of eating all their cherries” which is why the two starts. Sorry for the other good things and the good staff, I would give zero star if not for you guys.

It was a extremely hot late June afternoon that we decided to experience cherry picking as it was the time they were ready to be picked . We called ahead and had our $5/person reservation setup the day before arrival. We drove 2 hours up the beautiful Hudson valley from NYC to this farm and upon arrival everyone working in the front was so welcoming and courteous . The cherries we would pick were priced at $8.99/lb and we took few bags to fill up from the orchard. Then we were driven up to the ripe cherry trees by a trailer and the driver of the trailer with green hat had a beautiful smile on his face when we were getting off which made us feel even more happy about being there. Up on arrival we were instructed by the staff (older male wearing sunglasses with red camp chair) not to pick from the first four rows and pick from the rest of trees down the hill. Walking past those four rows of trees and couple more rows down we found a tree that had some delicious Cherris and decided to have my elderly parents with arthritis sit around that tree and the temp was close to 100 degrees so staying under the tree shade is safest bet for them.

Anyways, I and my wife walked around tasting from few of the cherry trees but quit after going couple of trees as the wind was so hot and sun was unforgiving. So we decided to pick from the tree where my parents were sitting. I was enjoying picking the cherries using the provided ladder and filling up the bags that we chose and my parent were calling their friends over seas and sharing their very first experience and enjoying a cherry or two. And as I was picking I had to take multiple breaks to cool down because of the sweat and the heat. Once we were done filling up our bags close to 7 lbs. We sat waiting under the tree shade and hoping that it will cool down before we can start walking up hill to catch the trailer back. Mind you my parents have diabetes and one has kidney disease so they could only eat so much sweet fruits. When it was like hour and a half the elderly staff in a red shirt with sunglasses comes and yells at us saying “ you can’t stand around and eat all the cherries”. We felt so embarrassed and promptly went up to him and ask him what are rules as we didn’t see any posted anywhere regarding the matter. He says “ when people are handing around for two and half hour and only bringing out 2 lbs cherries, we wonder what they are doing”. None of which he said matched with how long we stayed and how much we brought out. Now you can already guess that how beautifully our day ended. Then when we went to weigh our fruits and pay I asked the staff at the cashier about how long a guest can stay and what are the limits on eating. She said 1. “if you eat too much cherries it’s a instant karma” and “ 2. “Cherry picking is not fun as it’s not nice weather like the fall”. I totally agree with her on the first one as it’s true for any fruits and specially if you have to eat the skin too. I and my family are very stressed about the matter of going for #2 when we are out as we are used to using bidet after the job. So we make sure we don’t eat or drink much outside. But as for the second statement about cherry “picking is not fun” then I’m not sure why we’re or many were there instead of going to Costco!!! The point is that they don’t have any set rules for how long one can stay and how much you can eat but rather have the audacity of confusing you with someone who stayed two and half hours and ate all their cherries and bought only two pounds. upsetting and uncalled for attitude towards...

We had a great time peach picking with the kids. The people are so kind and welcoming. They are great hosts. I had the fortune to go on a Friday and it was empty. We had the whole farm for us. I highly recommend taking the kids. They have multiple fruits such as plums, peaches, apples, pears, cherries and berries.

My recommendation is that you visit their Facebook Page which will give you the latest information or updates.

I heard they make finger licking peach donuts — unfortunately, they didn’t have at time of my visit. Next time I will get those donuts 😋

I recommend this place to have a wonderful time with the family. I will definitely go back again. This was a trip that was unplanned I found the recommendation on a NYC Magazine and I went. I enjoyed myself… I love to support farmers because I come from a multigenerational family of farmers in Puerto Rico. The breeze, air and trees make me happy and connected to God. Remember, that the only profession that you can’t live without are farmers. They are the ones that pick the foods that we put on our tables!

Tip: Always ask the locals for place to go after visiting the farm. I had the fortune to visit an amazing restaurant recommended by one of the young gentleman that are taking care of customers at the front. These people treat you like Family, they are humble and kind!...

Extremely disappointing experience. We arrived at the farm on Saturday morning at 9 AM and were informed in advance that our backpacks would need to be checked for safety when we left. We completely understood and were willing to cooperate.

When we were leaving, I voluntarily had my backpack checked and displayed its contents to the staff at the entrance. However, just a couple of meters further, a white woman demanded to check my backpack again. I explained that it had already been checked by the previous staff member, but she insisted that it had to be checked by her. Feeling puzzled and frustrated, I still opened my backpack again.

This woman not only checked it but also held my backpack with both hands and pushed her head inside, touching my personal belongings with her hands. I was absolutely stunned and couldn't react in time. We had driven for an hour and a half in over 30-degree heat to visit this farm, only to be met with blatant distrust and unfriendliness.

This kind of treatment is beyond unacceptable, especially after we had already cooperated with the initial check. It felt like blatant racial discrimination, and I hope the farm takes this issue seriously and drastically improves the quality and attitude of...