At Woman's Work, we're celebrating the Year of the Female Farmer by shining a light on the women in agriculture, sharing their stories and recognizing the passion, dedication and hard work that they bring to the industry. This week, we're proud to feature Trini Swartz of Swartz Farm, whose story highlights the value of family traditions, the dedication behind farming and the legacy that continues to grow from one generation to the next.
More than Strawberries: Trini Swartz and a Family Tradition That Keeps Growing
By: Haley Schroeder
At Swartz Farm in Schodack, New York, strawberries are more than a summer crop. They’re part of a family legacy built on hard work, cherished memories, and a love for the land.
There is something special about a family farm. It is more than the crops growing in the fields or the changing seasons that shape the landscape. It is the history rooted in the soil, the memories made along the rows, and the generations of people who work together to keep a tradition alive.
At Swartz Farm in Schodack, New York, that tradition began in 1927. What started as a dairy farm eventually grew into an apple orchard before evolving into the diverse operation visitors know today, with strawberries, pumpkins, vegetables, and corn. Nearly a century later, the farm remains a family endeavor, shaped by the dedication of those who have worked the land and welcomed the community over the years.
Trini Swartz is an important part of that story. Alongside her husband, Scotty, her son Michael, and her daughter-in-law Meghan, she helps carry the family tradition forward, sharing in the work that keeps the farm growing and creates special experiences for visitors year after year.
For Trini, the rewards go far beyond the harvest. They are found in working the soil, spending time with family, and watching generations of visitors make memories of their own.
A Life Rooted in the Strawberry Patch
Trini married Scotty when she was just 18 years old. She had been working for the state for about six months when they welcomed their first son, Michael.
Like many young mothers, Trini began thinking about the kind of life she wanted to build for her family. Her mother-in-law had stayed home to raise her boys, and Trini knew she wanted to do the same.
When she was asked to help with the strawberries at the farm, she found a way to combine raising her young son with becoming part of the family's farming tradition.
She would bring a playpen into the strawberry patch so Michael could stay close while she worked. Sometimes, families visiting for pick-your-own strawberries brought their little ones along, too, settling them into the playpen while they filled their containers with berries.
It was a simple, practical solution to the everyday challenge of balancing motherhood and work. But it also became part of what made the strawberry patch special.
Here, family life and farm life naturally came together. Children spent time outdoors with their parents, little ones played nearby, and memories were made between the rows of strawberry plants.
The strawberry patch has been part of Swartz Farm for more than 50 years, becoming a beloved summer tradition for generations of families. For Trini, those experiences are an important part of her own connection to the farm and the people who return each year.
Today, Michael represents the fifth generation of the Swartz family to work on the farm, helping ensure that the family legacy continues.
18,000 Strawberry Plants and a Whole Lot of Work
One thing visitors might not realize is just how many strawberry plants the Swartz family grows: approximately 18,000.
That is a lot of strawberries, and an incredible amount of work.
Growing strawberries involves much more than planting and waiting for the fruit to ripen. The plants need attention throughout the growing season, and preparations begin long before the first customers arrive.
By the middle of April, Trini and her family begin uncovering the strawberry plants as they emerge from winter. They clean out the beds and prepare the fields for the season ahead. In May, new plants go into new beds, and the family watches for the first blossoms that signal the approaching harvest.
But even the best preparation cannot control everything.
May is a particularly critical month because strawberry blossoms are vulnerable to late frosts. Heavy rain and flooding can create additional problems, and local deer can also affect the crop. Farmers can prepare their fields, tend their plants, and plan carefully, but the weather always has the final say.
Trini knows just how dramatically one strawberry season can differ from another. She remembers 2025 as one of the worst strawberry seasons she had experienced, while 2026 turned out to be the best.
The contrast captures one of the great uncertainties of farming. The work may be much the same from year to year, but the results can be completely different. Weather, late frosts, heavy rain, and other unpredictable conditions all play a role in determining how a crop will turn out.
A successful harvest depends on countless factors, many of which are beyond a farmer's control. Patience, experience, and a willingness to adapt are essential.
And when one season doesn't go as planned, there is always another growing season ahead.
June 10: The Start of Strawberry Season
After months of preparation, one of the most anticipated dates on the farm calendar arrives: June 10, when Swartz Farm opens its strawberry patch for pick-your-own season.
For visitors, it is a chance to enjoy fresh strawberries, spend time outdoors, and welcome the beginning of summer with a favorite family tradition.
For the Swartz family, it marks the culmination of months of planning and hard work.
Yet some of Trini's favorite moments have little to do with the harvest itself. What she especially loves is seeing familiar faces return year after year.
Children who once visited the farm with their parents grow up, become parents themselves, and return with little ones of their own. The same strawberry patch that was once part of their childhood becomes a place where they create new memories with the next generation.
It is a wonderful full-circle moment.
Those returning families are a reminder that a farm can grow more than food. It can nurture connections, preserve traditions, and become part of a family's story for years to come.
For Trini, watching those memories unfold is one of the most rewarding parts of being involved in the farm.
From Summer Strawberries to Autumn Pumpkins
At Swartz Farm, there is little time to rest between seasons. As strawberry season winds down, attention gradually shifts toward the busy days of autumn.
Fall brings pumpkins, gourds, vegetables, and the opening of the farm store, stocked with products the family has grown. Visitors can explore the corn maze, take a tractor ride to the pumpkin patch, and find the perfect pumpkin to bring home.
It is a season filled with excitement, familiar traditions, and opportunities for families to make new memories.
Behind all that activity, however, is a tremendous amount of work.
Trini, Scotty, Michael, and Meghan work together to carve more than 400 pumpkins, arranging them in the field and lighting them on Halloween so people can drive by and enjoy the display.
It is a remarkable family effort, requiring hours of preparation, plenty of teamwork, and a shared commitment to creating something special for the community.
The pumpkins are more than a seasonal attraction. They reflect the same spirit that runs through every part of the farm: a willingness to work hard, do things together, and give visitors something memorable to enjoy.
From fresh strawberries in early summer to glowing pumpkins on Halloween, every season brings its own traditions and its own list of things to do.
And behind every experience is a family working hard to make it happen.
The Work Behind the Harvest
Farming is demanding, and Trini is quick to recognize that she has a wonderful team beside her.
She credits Scotty, Michael, and Meghan for the support they provide throughout the year. Together, they share the many responsibilities involved in running the farm, helping one another through the changing seasons and the challenges that come with them.
Family is at the heart of everything Trini does. She is proud of her husband, her two sons, her two daughters-in-law, and the life they have built together. She is also proud that she can continue doing the physical work she enjoys.
There is one thing she wishes more people understood about farming: just how much work goes into it.
On a farm, the work doesn't always fit neatly into a schedule. The plants still need attention when the weather is unpleasant, and crops cannot simply be left unattended because someone needs a day off. There are always responsibilities waiting, whether the day brings sunshine, rain, heat, or cold.
Farming requires long hours, physical endurance, flexibility, and the ability to adapt when conditions change. It also means accepting that, despite the best planning and the hardest work, some things will always remain beyond your control.
Visitors might see a basket of freshly picked strawberries, a field full of pumpkins, or families enjoying an afternoon at the farm. What they may not see are the countless hours spent preparing the soil, caring for the plants, monitoring the weather, and working through the difficult days that make those experiences possible.
Trini understands the commitment farming requires. She has seen the work that goes into maintaining the strawberry patch and helping the family farm thrive through its many seasons.
For her and her family, it is simply part of what needs to be done.
A Well-Earned Break Before Spring Returns
By November, another long growing season is winding down. The farm store closes on November 1, giving Trini and Scotty an opportunity to step away from the daily responsibilities of the farm and enjoy a well-deserved vacation.
After months of planting, harvesting, welcoming visitors, and preparing for each new season, a little time to rest is important.
But on a family farm, the break is only temporary.
When spring returns, the work begins again. The fields need attention, the strawberry plants need care, and another growing season gets underway.
For Trini, this seasonal rhythm is part of the life she loves. Farming can be demanding and unpredictable, but it also brings a deep sense of satisfaction.
When asked what she loves about her job, her answer is simple: everything.
She understands the long hours, the physical demands, and the uncertainty that comes with depending on the weather. Still, the opportunity to work outdoors, care for the land, and be part of the family business continues to bring her joy.
As Trini puts it, “There is nothing better than getting your hands on the soil and in the dirt.”
It is a simple statement that captures so much about her outlook on life. For Trini, farming is more than a job. It is a connection to the land, a commitment to her family, and an opportunity to spend her days doing something she genuinely loves.
She takes pride in what her family grows and in the experiences they create for the community. And she remains grateful for the opportunity to be part of a tradition that continues to bring people together.
A Legacy That Continues to Grow
Since opening in 1927, Swartz Farm has continued to grow and evolve through the generations. Originally a dairy farm, the property later became an apple orchard before expanding into the diverse farming operation it is today, offering strawberries, pumpkins, vegetables, and more.
While the crops have changed, the values at the heart of the farm have remained much the same: hard work, dedication, family, and a commitment to carrying on a tradition season after season.
Trini is an important part of that continuing story.
Through her work alongside her family, she helps sustain the traditions that make Swartz Farm special. She has seen the strawberry patch become a familiar summer destination, watched children grow up and return with families of their own, and shared in the work that makes each new season possible.
Her contribution is woven into the memories visitors take home, even when they may not realize how much work happens behind the scenes.
It is there in the strawberries picked at the beginning of summer, the pumpkins carried home in the fall, and the Halloween display created through the combined efforts of the family. It is there in Michael's role as the fifth generation of the Swartz family to work on the farm and in the traditions that continue to bring people back.
For Trini, the farm represents far more than the crops growing in its fields. It represents family, hard work, community, and a way of life that has brought meaning and satisfaction to the people who have built it over generations.
As one season gives way to the next, the work continues. The fields will need tending, the strawberries will bloom again, and another autumn will bring pumpkins and familiar faces.
And through it all, the Swartz family will continue doing what it has done for generations: caring for the land, working together, and welcoming people to share in the simple pleasures of farm life.
Because at Swartz Farm, the harvest is about more than what grows in the fields. It is also about everything that grows around them: family, community, and the memories that last long after the season ends.
