Edible Food Find: Cider Hill Farm
Photos by Michael Piazza
Cider Hill Farm, a picturesque 145-acre family-owned farm on the New Hampshire border in Amesbury, offers a stunning and expansive landscape filled with seasonal activities and sights to enjoy. During the fall season, the farm comes alive with apple picking, live music and a warm, bustling atmosphere that makes it a must-visit for families near and far.
Upon arrival, with live music playing, the farm stand stuns with an array of pumpkins, specialty gourds, deep-autumn-hued mums, hay bales and corn husks. As Program Director Valerie Rosenberg describes, “The display that our farmers put together is pretty gorgeous.”
Between late August and October, the farm’s five orchards produce over 70 apple varieties for guests to pick. While venturing towards the orchards, kids can feed the chickens and goats, ride horse swings, hop on a hayride or glide around the trike yard. After apple picking, families typically purchase homemade hot apple cider, hard cider by the glass or a cider slushie from the kiosk down below.
Anchoring the property is the farm store located in a classic white barn featuring fall produce, local products, groceries and gifts. The homemade cider donuts are made with the farm’s own cider, dusted with cinnamon sugar. The pumpkin whoopie pies with cream cheese mousse filling are hilariously massive. Hand-dipped caramel apples come in a variety of options, some with cider donuts on top.
The baking team prepares most items from scratch, including granola with seasonal twists, plus all kinds of sweet and savory pies, baked goods, dairy products and homemade small-batch kettle corn. Honey comes from the farm’s honey bees; Valerie chimes in, “Happy hives, happy farms. Those hives have been around for 40+ years.” And for decades, Cider Hill Farm has been offering weekly CSA items for pickup including fruits, vegetables, eggs from farm chickens and fresh cider.
A popular weekday lunch option is Eleanor’s Lunch Box, a nod to the matriarch on the farm. The menu features items from Eleanor’s recipe collection, with made-to-order seasonal specials, sandwiches and bowls. For weekend visitors, the farm’s food truck—The PitchFork—serves gourmet items like Farmer Ed’s Chicken Sandwich made with signature chicken salad or Cider Hill Pulled Pork with tangy slaw. The farm also hosts a rotation of visiting food trucks all season long.
The farm’s history is one of growth, transformation and family legacy. It began in 1978, when Eleanor and Ed Cooks bought Battis Dairy Farm. A few years later Ed’s son, Glenn, and his wife, Karen, bought the neighboring Vedrani Poultry Farm in 1981 and named it Carriage Town Orchards.
From there, they expanded operations growing apples, adding beehives and livestock, to name a few. By 1992, they named it Cider Hill Farm. As of 2025, Jenny and Chris Durocher now co-own the farm. Jenny has led the team for over seven years, while Chris oversees the cidery. The Cooks’ son, Chadd, began producing hard cider in 2017, continuing the farm’s tradition of innovation and community connection.
Cider Hill Farm’s team thrives by celebrating the classics while always innovating. As Valerie puts it, “We often have to find solutions in the gaps in farming.” This nimble approach allows the team to creatively adapt to the varying states of crops, from cider apples and grapes to vertically grown tomatoes in greenhouses. Nearly 70% of the farm’s energy is powered by solar, reflecting a deep commitment to environmental responsibility.
“We have a big solar footprint,” Valerie notes, “and we’d like to be 100% someday.” Cider Hill Farm is far more than just a scenic destination—it’s a vibrant story with growth, community and connection at its core.
ciderhill.com
45 Fern Ave, Amesbury
This story appeared in the Fall 2025 issue.
