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In 2014, Joe Hurley launched Kettle Ridge Farm, a sprawling honey- and maple syrup-making operation in Victor that also hosts events and tours, so he takes note of things others might not.
Like an expanse of undeveloped land off Pittsford-Palmyra Road in a largely developed stretch in Perinton between Wegmans and Lollypop Farm.
It caught his eye about six years ago while he was out and about, just doing errands.
He wondered whether there were any maple trees on the property. A little reconnaissance revealed that the 30-acre parcel across from Hogan Road was packed with them.
Hurley already had been thinking about branching out with a second business, but the discovery really got his wheels turning.
Then in mid-2021, a for-sale sign went up.
“And I thought, ‘This is my chance,’” he said.
In late 2021, he bought the property, and recently he got approval from the Perinton Planning Board to move ahead with The Backwoods at Kettle Ridge Farm, a seasonal attraction that will include:
- A 8-by-20-foot shipping-container bar that will have outdoor seating and serve Kettle Ridge Farm mead (a fermented drink made of honey, water and yeast) and locally made beer and wine.
- A food truck.
- Live music.
- A ¼-mile trail connecting to the Crescent Trail for hikers, horseback riders and cross-country skiers.
- A natural playground.
- A weekend farmer’s market, where Kettle Ridge products will be sold, along with other local farmers’ produce.
A house that may have stood on the property for 200 years will be rehabilitated for use by Kettle Ridge workers.
The structure is believed to have been built by Maj. Nathan M. Norton, who fought in the War of 1812 and was one of the community’s earliest settlers, and his family, said Bill Poray, Perinton historian.
“I’ve been worried that something bad could happen to it, so I’m thrilled (Hurley) purchased that house,” Poray said. “These places need to be utilized more.”
A 1,300-square-foot single-story barn will be built for storage and customer restrooms.
The land is in a historic district, so Hurley will need the Perinton Historic Architecture Commission to sign off on his plans, but getting final site-plan approval from the town was the big hurdle — and he’s already tapping the maple trees.
His hope is to open in the spring. If the stars align, it will happen on April 8, the date of the Great North American Solar Eclipse, when the sun will completely cover the moon in the middle of the day, plunging the region into darkness for several minutes.
“We’d like to take advantage of the eclipse,” he said, which could bring hundreds of thousands of tourists to the area because Rochester is the path of totality.
The event will consist of food, drink, music and a trail hike led by bagpipers.
Meanwhile, “There’s a lot of clearing to do,” he said of dead trees, brush and debris. Utilities also have to be extended to the site.
Hurley hasn’t settled on days and hours of operation yet, but the goal is to have daily offerings from April to October.
Business will continue as usual at Kettle Ridge Farm in Victor, where Hurley’s son Chris is the general manager, and Hurley is the maple producer, beekeeper and groundskeeper.
Although as much as he loves that work and the outdoors, “I’m really more of an entrepreneur,” he said, which is why over time event programming has been expanded in Victor and a bed and breakfast called the Sugarhouse was added.
He would also like to incorporate an aerial park into The Backwoods at Kettle Ridge Farm, and his approved plans include the possibility.
“But that’s sort of iffy,” he said. “It would be something in the future if we did that.”
Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood.
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