In 1891, William F. VanBenschoten planted cauliflower seeds on his mountaintop farm overlooking Margaretville, marking the beginning of cauliflower cultivation in the area. The crop thrived, and when VanBenschoten found a market for it in New York City, his neighbors followed suit. While the cauliflower industry in the Catskills declined by the late 20th century, it was a significant part of the region's economy from the early 1900s through the 1940s.