About Us
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Debbie Doubrava prepares a batch of her special recipe Cider Donuts, using pure, homemade cider in her donut mix. |
Minard Farms has been a family owned and operated apple orchard for over 100 years, located in the picturesque Hudson Valley. Derrick and Debbie Doubrava purchased the orchard in February 2003, retaining staff that have been here 20 to 30 years to assure that the quality and continuity remain the same.
"This has definitely been a change in lifestyle," Debbie admits, "And it certainly is a change for the better for all of us, especially for Erin (age 11) and Matthew (age 10)."
Debbie was a banker and Derrick a construction executive when they lived in Mattituck, a small town on the North Fork in Eastern Long Island. Both worked in Long Island.
They had been looking for farm land, an orchard, or another location that might include campgrounds, when serendipity brought them to Minard Farms. One of their favorite campgrounds, to which they had returned many times, is only 6 miles from the orchard. They had enjoyed a great day visiting the orchard, when they learned that it was for sale.
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| Derrick Doubrava and his son Matthew test drive a gator. |
Today, Derrick is the general manager of the farm, and Debbie oversees the farm stand, the Pick-Your-Own apples and pumpkins operations, and cider sales. Erin and Matt are responsible for keeping the orchard clean of garbage, and helping out wherever needed.
The farm is irrigated with water from the big pond, which at one time was the location for a railroad bed going through the area, and several smaller ponds. The farm practices IPM, Integrated Pest Management, assisting nature in managing disease and more harmful insects. They also use a planned rotation of tree plantings to assure healthy trees and an abundance of fresh delicious apples every year.