Roberts family in Medina recognized as Agricultural Business of the Year

Gary and Maggie Roberts and their children run fruit and vegetable farm, cider press and farm market

Photos by Ginny Kropf: The Roberts family poses in front of their farm market on Maple Ridge Road in Medina. Maggie and Gary Roberts, center, are flanked by son Patrick at left, and daughter Jenna Bruning, right, all of whom are involved in running some aspect of their farm, which has been honored as the Agricultural Business of the Year by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce.

MEDINA – Farming is not an easy job. The work is hard and the hours are long, but Gary and Maggie Roberts wouldn’t have it any other way.

The couple run the family farm on Freeman Road and the farm market on Maple Ridge Road with daughter Jenna Bruning and son Patrick Roberts.

They are honored and delighted to have been honored by the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce as Agricultural Business of the Year.

The farm began when Gary’s grandparents, Justin and Lorraine Roberts, purchased their home and 166 acres of land on Maple Ridge Road in 1931, just across from the farm market. Gary’s sister Linda and her husband Steve Fuller live there today.

Gary and Maggie Roberts look at some of the crates of apples used to make cider at Roberts Farm Market.

Gary’s dad Orren and uncle Lee Roberts eventually took over and carried on the Roberts Farm, joined by Gary and Lee’s son Todd as the boys grew.

In 1974, Orren and Lee purchased the property on Maple Ridge Road which was H.J. Heinz pea vinery. It would become Roberts Farm Market. The first order of business was to purchase a cider press. At some point, Gary said his dad started growing plants. Gary’s sister Linda managed the operation for a long time, until around 2,000, when she decided to get into horses and a riding stable.

In the early 1990s, Gary and Todd decided to focus their main interests in different areas, and in 1996 Gary and his dad took over the fruit growing, while Todd and Lee concentrated on crops, namely corn and soy beans.

Orren eventually transitioned from growing processing fruit to high-density fresh fruit trees. From 90 acres, they expanded to 180 acres of fresh fruit trees now. Varieties include Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, Snapdragon (a  New York apple), Ruby Frost (also a New York apple developed and mostly grown in New York), as well as some standard old favorites, such as Cortland.

“Everything I learned was from my dad and the Cornell fruit team” Gary said.

Gary and the former Maggie Hall met in high school during their senior year in 1986. They were married in 1987 and had three children, Christopher, who lives in Durham, N.C., Jenna and Patrick. Gary and Maggie have eight grandchildren.

Jenna, who married Gabe Bruning and lives just down Freeman Road from her parents, has five children and is running the farm now with her dad.

Maggie said Patrick was born in 1996, and she started working at the farm market when Patrick went to school. Eventually she became manager and began to expand the market’s offerings.

A new cider press was installed and the cider room upgraded; they built new greenhouses; and added new products and services.

“I tried to gradually enlarge it without drastically changing anything,” Maggie said.

They grow most of their own vegetables, all their own pumpkins and raspberries, strawberries and blueberries. Maggie buys as much as she can in Orleans County, and the rest from Niagara, Monroe and Genesee counties.

Five years ago, she added a very popular apple cider slushie machine.

Gifts, garden décor, locally made baked goods, locally grown beef and mushroom, Gardner’s jam, cheese curds, honey and maple syrup are other items they sell.

“I tried to keep all Linda had here,” Maggie said.

Gary and Maggie Roberts stand among the many shelves of produce and gifts for sale at Roberts Farm Market.

In 2007, due to a large shortage of labor, Orren and his dad built their first labor camp to house Jamaicans they bring in to harvest the apple crop every year. In 2020, a second camp was built to expand their work force, which now numbers 37. Twelve arrive in March and 25 by the end of August. All are gone by the middle of November.

Their average harvest produces 175,000 bushels of apples annually. They use 20,000 bushels at the market for cider and sales.

As Jenna and Patrick take over more responsibility, Gary and Maggie plan to do some traveling, but not get out totally.

“The farm has been wonderful,” Maggie said. “It gives you the freedom and space to raise kids and you’re not stuck in an office all day. I enjoy meeting the customers, many of whom I know by their first name.”

“I couldn’t do any of this without our team,” Gary said. “It’s hard work, but it’s very rewarding at the end.”

He said the day Chamber director Darlene Hartway came in and told him of their award, he was making cider.

“We were surprised and grateful,” Maggie said.

Gary and Maggie thank the community for their support.

“Without them we wouldn’t be here,” she said.