Our Story

Critz Farms is a family owned business that was established in 1985. As apple growers, we established the Harvest Moon Cidery in 2011, when we decided to produce hard cider. In 2015, we started a farm brewery as well, and the Critz Farm Brewing & Cider Company was born.

Recognized by the New York State Department of Economic Development as recipients of the New York State Agritourism Business of the Year Award, our farm operation centers on diversified agriculture with a family entertainment focus. With the goal of connecting people to farming, we hold many special events throughout the year.

Critz Farms includes approximately 350 acres of land 3.5 miles south of scenic Route 20, Cazenovia, NY, in Madison County. Most of the Critz Farms lands are now permanently protected through the NYS Farmland Protection Program, to remain forever development-free and available for agricultural purposes. This beautiful Central New York farm is less than 30 minutes from the Syracuse area.

We grow a wide variety of crops at Critz Farms, including apples, pumpkins, gourds, hops, barley, blueberries, and conifer trees. Our Christmas tree varieties include balsam fir, Fraser fir, and blue spruce. Our farm products include farm fresh sweet apple cider, award winning hand crafted hard cider, farm brewed craft beer, New York cheddar cheese, pure maple syrup and other maple products, and balsam fir wreaths.

Our ales and ciders are truly handcrafted from start to finish, beginning with the cider apples, barley, and hops, grown right here on our farm. We also feature Critz Farms products in our ales and ciders, such as maple syrup and pumpkins.

Our small-batch production systems allow consistently outstanding quality and full flavor. We press apples on our 1890s cider press before fermentation and a six to twelve month aging process to produce rich, complex, and mature flavors. The resulting base cider is used to make our award-winning recipes in 200-gallon batches.

Our brewhouse features a 5 BBL system that produces about 150 gallons per batch. Our very own malted barley, Critz Farms Pale Malt, provides the base malt for every beer. We produce our own hops on the farm, and our brewing water is drawn directly from our onsite well and filtered. We excel at producing full-flavored, American-style ales brewed with the seasons.

Come enjoy the results of our small batch, handcrafted farm-to-glass process in our beautiful Tap Room, or find us in area bars and restaurants.

Matthew Critz
Owner and President

An engineer by training and an entrepreneur at heart, Matthew has built Critz Farms as a reflection of his passions. After earning his BS at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse University, Matthew started farming Christmas trees, and branched out from there. He enjoys reading and traveling in his down time.

Juanita Critz
Owner and Director

Juanita holds degrees in education from Cazenovia College and Syracuse University. She came to farming while balancing motherhood and a teaching career. Her love of children helps drive her commitment to developing educational and family friendly agritourism activities for farm visitors. Outside of work, she enjoys beach time and hanging out with her family, including her three grandchildren.

Patrick Allen
Farm Manager

Having grown up on the farm, Patrick has firsthand knowledge of everything required to operate the farm and brewery. He loves working outdoors, and skillfully manages the diverse day-to-day challenges of farming and the beverage industry. Patrick is also a multi-instrumental musician, and has incorporated his passion for music and craft beer into our latest farm ventures. Patrick and his wife Christy welcomed their son Miles into the world in April 2020.

Micheal Coons
Head Brewer

Micheal has a passion for theatre, biochemistry, and beer. He spent his undergrad studying theatre education before moving to Florida to be a high school English and theatre teacher. In Florida he learned to brew and helped open Infinite Ale Works before moving to New York with his wife Elisa. He received his M.S. in Brewing Science from the University of Nottingham, UK. He now lives with Elisa, their daughter Maxine, two cats and a Pembroke Welsh Corgi aptly named Barley.

The Critz Farms staff and crew are an amazing group of hardworking folks we consider family. Our friendly Tap Room, farm, office, gift shop, café, and cider mill staff all play important roles in providing our visitors with a wonderful farm experience. We couldn’t do it without them!

We welcome visitors to Critz Farms throughout the year, beginning in March for our Maple Syrup Celebration. Don’t miss our Apple Blossom Festival in May, and our summer activities that include pick-your-own berries and our annual Blueberry Jam. The fall brings our annual Fall Harvest Celebration, and from Thanksgiving to Christmas, we are open for Holiday Family Fun. The Critz Farms Brewing & Cider Co. Tap Room (formerly known as the Harvest Moon Cidery) welcomes visitors from March through December. 

Learn more about all the fun and exciting activities we offer.

As a farm, our celebrations, activities, and hours change by the season and day of the week. Learn what’s happening now and year round.

Farm Hours

Still have questions? Contact us for more information.