Hinchey Announces Hull-O Farms as Newest Addition to New York State’s Historic Business Registry

DURHAM, NY – Senator Michelle Hinchey today announced that her nominee, 237-year-old Hull-O Farms in Durham, has been officially designated as part of the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry. The prestigious recognition was established by the State Legislature in 2020 to honor and promote New York businesses that have operated for at least 50 years and made significant contributions to the history of their community. Designated businesses are promoted to the public through an interactive online map that features information about their history, location, and photos to inspire visits and patronage.

To celebrate the designation, Hinchey was joined at Hull-O Farms on Wednesday by Sherry and Frank Hull, their son Jared, Hull family historian Janet Hull Nelson, and other members of the Hull family as well as Assemblyman Chris Tague, Greene County Sheriff Peter Kusminsky, Greene County Tourism Director Patty Austin, Town Historian MaryLou Nahas and Dan Clifton and Nick Miller of the Durham Valley Land Trust. 

Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “Agriculture is more than a profession for the Hull family – it’s a passion that spans and connects seven generations of Hulls who, with a deep respect for the land and a dedication to sharing its gifts with the world, have sustained the legacy of Hull-O Farms for over two centuries. It is an outstanding achievement for any business – but especially a rural family farm – to remain in operation across centuries of change as Hull-O Farms has. I am incredibly proud to award this family farm with a much-deserved place on the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry. The Hulls, Sherry and Frank, and their sons, have built on the ideas and creativity of every ancestor who has worked the land before them, preserving the farming tradition, opening their doors for education about the importance of a strong local food system, and bringing a sense of stability and pride to their community. It is my hope that their designation to the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry will help more people find and support this exceptional farm business.”

Situated on 275 acres in the Northern part of the Catskill Mountains, Hull-O Farms is a seventh-generation working farm and former dairy, currently producing hay, corn, and all-natural meats as well as offering farm stay vacations and seasonal hunting opportunities.

The farm’s founding ancestors, John and Sally Hull, emigrated from England to the United States in the 18th century, where John, a farmer and patriot, served on the Continental Line fighting for the independence of our country. Since its 1786 Post Revolutionary War founding, only the Hull family has owned Hull-O Farms, making it one of the oldest farms in the country, continuously owned and operated by the same family.

Today, both the sixth and seventh generations – Frank and Sherry Hull and their sons – carry on more than 200 years of dedication to their farming heritage, managing all aspects of the farm’s operation.

Hospitality has long been a large part of the Hull family tradition, first started in 1786 by John and Sally Hull, who offered lodging to cattlemen driving herds over the great Susquehanna Trail and, in later years, to boarding house guests. Today, Hull-O Farms welcomes visitors from all over the world for extended farm stays, offering the opportunity to learn about agriculture and get involved in the daily workings of the farm, from milking the cows to feeding baby animals to collecting fresh eggs from the hen house.

In recognition of the Hull Family’s generational legacy as the stewards of Hull-O Farms, Senator Hinchey has nominated and inducted the farm as part of New York State’s Historic Business Preservation Registry.

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