The Carrot Barn

Great little fresh food store and deli. The cider donuts are a favorite and the rest of the food is pretty good too! The fresh vegetables and fruit are outstanding as well. You can’t go wrong picking up anything from this place!

Visiting Schoharie County in the autumn has become one of my absolute favorite activities in recent years. The short drive from Albany reveals pockets of small-​town life, breathtaking views of the mountains, and a host of farm-​led businesses. And while the area boasts several quality farm-​stands and shops, The Carrot Barn strikes the perfect balance, making it the best.
At it’s core, The Carrot Barn is a farmer’s market. Fueled by the diverse crops cultivated by the nearby Schoharie Valley Farms, The Carrot Barn offers a truly beautiful selection of fresh fruits, vegetables, and plants. There is something oddly comforting about purchasing produce coated with specks of dirt, realizing that what you are holding in your hand came directly from our earth. Beyond the fresh fruits and vegetables, you’ll find locally produced meats, cheeses, and yogurts. The Carrot Barn’s selection of pumpkins, gourds, and other autumnal specialties stands alone in terms of selection and quality.
If you’re in the mood for a quick bite, The Carrot Barn has you covered. The shop offers a small seating area and a menu of quality sandwiches, soups, salads, and quiche. You’re not going to find gourmet style items here, just simple comfort foods done exceptionally well. After lunch, it is essential that you pick up plenty of sweets from the on-​site bakery. I’m probably like you — when the autumn hits, all you can think of is apple cider donuts. And while The Carrot Barn offers freshly made donuts, the carrot cookies are the main attraction. Most recently, the bakery offered carrot cookies in the varieties of chocolate chip, oatmeal walnut, and, my absolute favorite, coated in standard white icing. Without question, the carrot cookie with icing is among the best baked goods in the Capital Region and truly one of my all time favorite treats.
If I could give the Carrot Barn more than five stars, I would. There is just something about this place. Perhaps it is the magic of autumn or the fresh mountain air, but there is an intangible quality about The Carrot Barn that makes it a truly wonderful operation.

I’ve eaten here several times, and I’ve never been disappointed. I recently took my wife there, and she enjoyed it as well. I had the Turkey pesto sandwich, with a bottle of cream soda, and she had the juice and salad. Excellent as always!

I have been here several times and have never been disappointed with the food. The Apple Turkey sandwich is delicious and always tastes fresh. The bread on this sandwich is a soft croissant bread that really makes it perfect. Be sure to order the WHOLE sandwich, not the half with a combo, if you want the croissant bread. I have also had a vegetable soup (can’t remember the exact name or ingredients) that was good, too. The desserts are yummy. The apple cider doughnuts are the best I’ve had! Make sure you at least try those!
There are also plenty of other items for sale here: flowers and plants, produce (some local, some not), local meat and dairy products (they have non-​homogenized, creamline milk), house items like soaps and candles, and other packaged food items (some local, some not).

I love this place. Love love love.
I don’t live upstate, but my mom does and every time I come up, we basically have to make the trip to the carrot barn (when its open for the season).
I love the food they have at their café here. It’s all so fresh and delicious, and not to mention, (mostly) healthy. Even their desserts are good! I’ve heard rave things about the cider donuts here. I did go recently and noticed that they have less seating than they have in season’s past, so it was hard to find a seat on a saturday afternoon. It’s nice that they have fresh, healthy, whole foods here, since this area is not all that great as far as healthy food options go.
They also sell fresh veggies and fruit that they grow themselves and other grocery items like dairy products, soaps, candles, etc. It’s basically like an indoor farmers market.
Everyone that works here is so nice and helpful. I know its a family run business, and you can really tell that they enjoy their jobs.

Yep… those cider donuts were truly good, lacking only the oily film left in your mouth after eating these sweet morsels. These were great.
The home accessories were morbidly overpriced, but added to the country farm atmosphere. There were quite a few non-​local products here, from Maine actually. More high-​priced fluff. With plenty of locally produced similar stuff that’s available in this great area, steer clear of these… go local.
The produce was abundant… apples, pumpkins, leafy greens, cauliflower, potatoes, all for sale. We filled our basket, and topped it off with pressed apple cider to sip warm that night.
We stopped here in the fall, but will have to visit again during the summer, as I’m sure it’s a different experience.
Take a moment to go inside.

As part of our desire to try cider doughnuts in new locations, we thought a nice sunny Fall day called out for a drive to the Carrot Barn since their doughnuts were rated the highest on a recent «4^th annual tour de donut» conducted by the FUSSYlittleBLOG.
These donuts are very good and I would have no problem recommending them. They had a good crust on the outside and a goodly amount of sugar. There was an ample amount of apple flavor along with other spices that were reminiscent of pumpkin pie. The texture was not too heavy but was more cake-​like. There was no taste of oil. Overall, good enough that I ate two in the car before we left.
The Carrot Barn has much, much more than just donuts. There are plenty of vegetables and fruit grown in the Schoharie Valley. We picked up some sweet potatoes that look nothing like what you find in the big grocery stores. We haven’t tried them yet, but I’m looking forward to doing that. They also have a few tables where you can sit and have a sandwich or other items.

The place is also known as Schoharie Valley Farms and has a separate Unilocal entry under this name. Can be kinda confusing, but it’s the same place.
I’ve been here plenty of times and am just getting to Unilocaling this place. The only negative thing I can say is that they are *mostly closed* January and February. I say mostly because you can still get meat, eggs (I think), some bread (I think) and their own winter veggies on Saturdays throughout the winter. But the main store is not stocked.
As for the positives… the Carrot Barn is a great place to get your flowers in the spring, fresh fruit and veggies during the summer, and then stock up during the fall and early winter. If this ain’t enough to bring you here, you should check out their deli and bake counter. They have a nice assortment of sandwiches and weekly deli specials that run $ 5-​$ 7. They usually have a chili and a couple of soups, too. The cider donuts, carrot cookies, brownies and assorted pies are a nice treat as well. Nothing beats grabbing a lunch and sitting in the greenhouse to chow down.
I’m not into gift/​crafts, but they also have a small but nice assortment of seeds, local honey and syrup, books, mugs, prints, etc.
All in all, it’s a quality farm run by quality people.

Best chicken salad… delicious!

I’m into it. Nice gift shop combined with a really good bakery and it’s an OK lunch destination, too. The gift shop section has a really nice variety of stuff. A lot of places in this area are a bit too kitschy for me, but Carrot Barn has a good mix of interesting stuff and surprisingly extensive choices of sauces and the like. Some really naughty candy items as well as a great, fresh produce section, too. My life partner and I had a quick lunch here after we did a bit of shopping: An unremarkable Chicken pesto sandwich, followed by two delicious apple cider donuts. They seem to put a lot of emphasis on the bakery while the main food items are just OK.
All in all a great stop if you are in the area and my favorite gift shop in this region.

Great, unique place! Part grocery store, part farm stand, part country store, part restaurant! Lots of deli-​style options: soups, salads, and sandwiches. Also a TON of dessert options.
Definitely a family owned/​run place. Pictures all over the place and an overall homey feel.
I tried the Chicken Caesar Pita and a bunch of desserts. Everything was delish! I love that many of the ingredients they use are grown right outside. And I think a lot of the meats are from local farms as well.
For an area of NY with not much going on, The Carrot Barn is an awesome place.

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Best little country store in the area, Another family owned business and most of the family still runs the place, they have everything from home baked goods to, locally made QUALITY goods and a full veggie, fruit and plant market. nice place to pick up a souvenir or dessert.