Take any road through Dutchess County, head in any direction, and eventually, you'll pass a farm. More likely, several. Agriculture is a driving economic force in the Hudson Valley, and a way of life. To get the complete Hudson Valley Farm Fresh experience, avail yourself of the many opportunities to enjoy its bounty. Many family-owned farms welcome you to pick-your-own produce, make purchases from their farm stands, or join them during family-oriented festivals. Vineyards will invite you to taste their vintages from local grapes, and perhaps stay for a picnic or concert. Reserve your spot NOW for the Dutchess County Farm Fresh Tours, beginning September 2nd through October 29th on Saturdays and Sundays. Explore quaint Hudson Valley towns, pick apples, tour distilleries, visit farm animals and more on a variety of tour itineraries. Book your spot before they sell out!
Take any road through Dutchess County, head in any direction, and eventually, you’ll pass a farm. More likely, several. Agriculture is a driving economic force in the Hudson Valley, and a way of life. To get the complete Hudson Valley Farm Fresh experience, avail yourself of the many opportunities to enjoy its bounty. Many family-owned farms welcome you to pick-your-own produce, make purchases from their farm stands, or join them during family-oriented festivals. Vineyards will
We're in the thick of county fair season, EscapeMakers! Go take a ride on the ferris wheel, peruse antiques and artisanal goods, listen to live music, say hello to some four-legged friends, and get your deep fried everything just outside New York City! Take a look at the fairs near you (below) and plan your escape today. ESCAPE TO A LOCAL COUNTY OR STATE FAIR via ESCAPEMAKER.COM Booneville Oneida County Fair, NY 7/25 – 7/30 -- Lodging info Jersey State Fair, NJ 8/4 – 8/13 Delaware County Fair, NY 8/14 – 8/19 -- Lodging info The Vermont State Fair, VT 8/15 – 8/29 Little World’s Fair, NY 8/18 – 8/20 -- Lodging info Dutchess County Fair, NY 8/22 – 8/27 -- Lodging info The Great NY State Fair, NY 8/23 – 9/4 Luzerne County Fair, PA 9/7 – 9/11 -- Lodging info The Big E, MA 9/15 – 10/1 Orange Country Fair, CT 9/16 – 9/17 Long Island Fair, NY 9/16, 17, 23 & 24 For more info on county fairs, u-pick farms, wineries, craft beer trails, day trips and agritourism getaways, visit EscapeMaker.com!
We’re in the thick of county fair season, EscapeMakers! Go take a ride on the ferris wheel, peruse antiques and artisanal goods, listen to live music, say hello to some four-legged friends, and get your deep fried everything just outside New York City! Take a look at the fairs near you (below) and plan your escape today. ESCAPE TO A LOCAL COUNTY OR STATE FAIR via ESCAPEMAKER.COM Booneville Oneida County Fair, NY 7/25 – 7/30
There's no better time than summer to get out there and plan an outdoor adventure! Did you know that exciting treasure hunts await just outside your door? One amazing way to get out there and explore your surrounding areas -- the Hudson Valley, Catskill Mountains, Finger Lakes and more -- is geocaching. Haven't tried geocaching before? Geocaching.com, guide to all things geocache, defines the game as a "real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location." It's simple! Sign up at Geocaching.com -- even simpler, download the Geocaching App -- and you can follow virtual treasure maps wherever you are to uncover clues and items planted in plain sight all around you. You can even make a day trip or weekend getaway out of it! Need inspiration? We've got you covered... Take Metro-North Railroad up to Westchester County and explore the number of hidden geocaches in the area. Maybe even leave your own! Rent a car near the Croton Harmon train station and explore the area, which is rich with agriculture, sweeping landscapes and farms to visit. While enjoying your treasure hunt, stop by and visit Hilltop Hanover Farm & Environmental Center -- bucolic, 187-acre farm with pastures, crop gardens, historic buildings and forests dating to the 1600s. Pick vegetables, have a picnic, and hike the woodland trails! After that, head a couple miles down the road to out Meadows Farm and load up on sweet corn, fresh vegetables and herbs at their farm stand to take home with you. Finish up your adventure at Faraway Farm Alpacas -- located on a beautiful hilltop farm. You can schedule a visit to meet the alpacas and friendly Icelandic horses. Learn about
There’s no better time than summer to get out there and plan an outdoor adventure! Did you know that exciting treasure hunts await just outside your door? One amazing way to get out there and explore your surrounding areas — the Hudson Valley, Catskill Mountains, Finger Lakes and more — is geocaching. Haven’t tried geocaching before? Geocaching.com, guide to all things geocache, defines the game as a “real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices.
In Letters to a Young Farmer, the first book from Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Westchester County, some of the most influential farmers, writers and leaders of our time share their wisdom and insight in an anthology of 36 essays and letters. Stone Barns' seeds were planted in the 1990s by the Rockefeller family, together with conservation planners, organic farmers and many others who came together to set a common vision and purpose for the land. Their goal was a working farm practicing resilient, transparent, four-season agriculture and open to the public as a hub of learning, creativity and experimentation. They envisioned a place where people could connect with the land and farmers; a place that would help to inspire people to grow and eat sustainably produced food. For more info on visiting Stone Barns and the surrounding area for a day-trip or weekend getaway from NYC, visit www.visitwestchesterny.com.
In Letters to a Young Farmer, the first book from Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Westchester County, some of the most influential farmers, writers and leaders of our time share their wisdom and insight in an anthology of 36 essays and letters. Stone Barns’ seeds were planted in the 1990s by the Rockefeller family, together with conservation planners, organic farmers and many others who came together to set a common vision and
It all began in 1998 when Ken and Kimm Schick bought an old dairy farm with over 200 acres in Fultonville, NY. They came from Northwestern NJ, a farming community that was slowly being sold off to developers and built up. They went to upstate NY to escape the noise and traffic that came with this development and get back to the country living and fell in love with this piece of heaven that has since become Hummingbird Hills Winery. They are the first active winery in Montgomery County and are proud to say that all of their wines are produced right at the winery. The fruits used to produce the wine are also grown right on the farm: grapes, elderberries, apples and let’s not forget Dandelion! Hummingbird Hills offers several specialty wines, such as Eldeberry Delight, Lions Tooth Blend, several varieties of apple and many delicious grape wines. They use as little preservative as possible to bring out the natural flavor of the grapes or fruit in the fermenting process. The vineyards do not use chemicals on or around the grape vines. The fields having once been cow pastures were well fertilized and there are some weeds to contend with. Their name Hummingbird Hills comes from their love affair with the hummingbirds and they have many that keep them company at the winery. Their tag line is “Escape from the Normal” and they mean it. Hummingbird Hills Wine is not like most wines you will taste, they have many unique blends and flavors. The atmosphere is very rustic and homey; you will enjoy spending an afternoon among friends pulled up to the bar. Learn more at www.hummingbirdhillswinery.com. VISIT: Visit the winery in Central New York for a weekend getaway! The winery is open Saturday and Sunday from 11am
It all began in 1998 when Ken and Kimm Schick bought an old dairy farm with over 200 acres in Fultonville, NY. They came from Northwestern NJ, a farming community that was slowly being sold off to developers and built up. They went to upstate NY to escape the noise and traffic that came with this development and get back to the country living and fell in love with this piece of heaven that has
Hardscrabble Cider is a micro farm-cidery founded in 2014 in North Salem, NY. The cidery, currently the only one in Westchester, is the brainchild of three nature-loving brothers with firm horticultural backgrounds – Alex, Kevin and Ben Covino of Brewster, NY. Farmers, scientists and businessmen all around, the brothers found inspiration in the words of local hero, Theodore Roosevelt, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are”; and (Mother Nature willing) apples they have a plenty. Their family, who has a history in commercial tree farming, acquired a local apple orchard in early 2011, Harvest Moon Farm and Orchard in North Salem, NY. The brothers, having all recently graduated with Horticulture degrees from the University of Rhode Island, immediately took to the new operation and began revamping the farm, planting thousands of apple whips and consolidating for more growing space. The entire family, along with an extremely dedicated crew, works together tirelessly to run this orchard and expand its offerings each year. The hard cider operation is the newest expansion as of Summer 2015, and has launched Brothers Covino to the forefront of the craft cider scene here in New York. Hardscrabble Cider is the epitome of a hand-crafted, farm-to-bottle beverage. All stages of the process take place on the farm – from growing, picking and cleaning the apples, to pressing, fermenting and bottling the final product. The cider is pressed from a blend of all 10 apple varieties grown on site. Fermentation is meticulously monitored and filtering takes place several times to create the cleanest, freshest taste possible. In the end, the cider is hand-bottled and capped and then batch pasteurized to ensure stability. Their process makes for a handful of long days but also makes, as they like to say, “Cider worth drinking.” Learn more
Hardscrabble Cider is a micro farm-cidery founded in 2014 in North Salem, NY. The cidery, currently the only one in Westchester, is the brainchild of three nature-loving brothers with firm horticultural backgrounds – Alex, Kevin and Ben Covino of Brewster, NY. Farmers, scientists and businessmen all around, the brothers found inspiration in the words of local hero, Theodore Roosevelt, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are”; and (Mother Nature willing) apples
Bovina Valley is a collection of regional, family-run businesses that have come together with a shared heritage and common purpose. Dating back to 1817, the 30 cow Jersey dairy farm, Cowbella, is home to 5th, 6th, and 7th generations of Danforths to have grown up and live on the farm. Shannon Mason grew up as the 6th generation on the Danforth Jersey Farm when it was run by her Grandpa George. After his passing in 2004, the farm called her back from city life to her roots. The Jersey herd she inherited is one of the longest running in the country, and she started Cowbella Creamery on the farm in 2010 to share the amazing qualities of Jersey milk with her neighbors. Love for her children and family drives her, the legacy given to her by her ancestors inspires her, and she is passionate about preserving what her 200 year old dairy and all small dairies give and represent in our world. Dan Finn returned to his roots in the Catskills in 2000 and reconnected with his family’s heritage of award-winning cheesemaking. Largely self-taught, the lure of cheese making was calling out to Dan through that old family history, and the desire to make a small farm viable again in these challenging times. The fond memories of growing up surrounded by Bovina’s once thriving dairy community is a recurring theme in his adult life. His Great Grandfather had a reputation for his White Rose Cheddar cheese making in the early turn of the century and left a legacy of award-winning cheeses. VISIT: Visit the bovine ladies in the Great Western Catskills for a weekend getaway! Open Sunday 9AM - 5PM, or by appointment. PUBLIC TRANSIT: AMTRAK to Hudson Station + car rental for 1 hr 20 minute drive.
Bovina Valley is a collection of regional, family-run businesses that have come together with a shared heritage and common purpose. Dating back to 1817, the 30 cow Jersey dairy farm, Cowbella, is home to 5th, 6th, and 7th generations of Danforths to have grown up and live on the farm. Shannon Mason grew up as the 6th generation on the Danforth Jersey Farm when it was run by her Grandpa George. After his passing in
Women's History Month may be coming to a close, but the celebration of women cannot and should not be limited to one month out of the year. This evergreen celebration is as important now as it has ever been, and for those of you looking for special ways to remember and honor strong females past and present, we've got a few ideas for you...day trips, weekend getaways and the perfect spring escapes! Plan a getaway to the Finger Lakes to visit the National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, NY. The Hall of Fame is the nation's oldest membership organization dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the achievements of great American women, including inspirations like Maya Angelou, Julia Child, Hilary Rodham Clinton, Betty Ford, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Helen Keller, Coretta Scott King, Annie Oakley, Rosa Parks, Janet Reno, Eleanor Roosevelt, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, Edith Wharton, Oprah Winfrey and so many more. Make a whole weekend out of it by booking EscapeMaker's Craft Beverage Package in the Finger Lakes! Discover New York State's Women's Heritage Trail, filled with historic sites and museums that celebrate the achievements and history of women in NY. Visit the Hudson Valley's Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site in Dutchess County; the Matilda Joslyn Gage Home just outside of Syracuse, celebrating Gage who was a noted speaker and writer on woman’s suffrage, and an abolitionist; the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Museum in Chautauqua County; or visit the national historic landmark, the Susan B. Anthony House, in Rochester. Or, celebrate women in agriculture by visiting some of the female-led farms and producers across the state and in New York's citywide Greenmarkets. Meet two of the Hudson Valley's finest: Elizabeth Ryan of Breezy Hill Orchard in Dutchess County and Beth Linskey of Beth's Farm Kitchen in Columbia County;
Women’s History Month may be coming to a close, but the celebration of women cannot and should not be limited to one month out of the year. This evergreen celebration is as important now as it has ever been, and for those of you looking for special ways to remember and honor strong females past and present, we’ve got a few ideas for you…day trips, weekend getaways and the perfect spring escapes! Plan a getaway
For those of you who weren't able to make it to Union Square Greenmarket for EscapeMaker's 2nd annual Maple Fest, you were missed! But for those of you were were able to attend and returned home with gallons and gallons of local maple syrup, you might be wondering...what to do with all this sweet, sticky goodness? Although the New York Maple Weekends are over, there are a few festivals still going on in Vermont (check the event calendar) and a few of them in or near towns off Amtrak's Vermonter, like the 51st Annual Maple Festival in St. Albans! And even if Maple Weekends are coming to a close in and around New York, the liquid gold is still flowing! We've got a few ideas for what to do with it: Maple Glazed Carrots: In a large skillet, combine 3 lbs sliced carrots, ¼ cup maple syrup, 2 tbsp butter, ½ cup water, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Boil, then reduce heat and simmer 12-15 minutes.(Crown Maple) Maple Stout Float: Divide 1 pint maple ice cream into 4 pint glasses. Pour beer (24 oz stout divided) slowly into each glass until full. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of maple syrup in each glass. Grab spoons and enjoy! (Vermont Maple) Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette: Place ½ cup balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup maple syrup, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, salt and pepper (to taste) into a blender. Pulse to combine, then add 1 cup olive oil in a steady stream with the motor running. (Crown Maple) Banana-Nut Pancakes: Combine dry ingredients (1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 2 1/2 t baking powder, 1/2 t baking soda, 1/2 t salt, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans) in a large bowl and toss to mix. In a separate bowl, beat 2 eggs until frothy, then whisk
For those of you who weren’t able to make it to Union Square Greenmarket for EscapeMaker’s 2nd annual Maple Fest, you were missed! But for those of you were were able to attend and returned home with gallons and gallons of local maple syrup, you might be wondering…what to do with all this sweet, sticky goodness? Although the New York Maple Weekends are over, there are a few festivals still going on in Vermont (check
DID YOU KNOW over half of the country’s maple syrup comes from Vermont and New York State? Celebrate the maple sugaring season this March at a Maple Weekend, Open House or festival near you via Amtrak, Metro-North, Zipcar or bus! Hudson Valley, New York: Crown Maple at Madava Farm Maple Weekends: 3/18-3/19 & 3/25-3/26 www.crownmaple.com White Oak Farm + Hilltop Hanover Farm Maple Weekends: 3/18-3/19 & 3/25-3/26 www.whiteoakfarm1.com Soukup Farms Maple Weekends: 3/18-3/19 & 3/25-3/26 www.soukupfarms.com Finger Lakes, New York: Wellspring Forest Farm & School Maple Weekend: 3/18-3/19 www.wellspringforestfarm.com Catskills, New York: Roxbury Mountain Maple Maple Weekends: 3/18-3/19 & 3/25-3/26 www.roxburymountainmaple.com Vermont: Smugglers’ Notch Resort MapleFest: 3/18 – 4/2 www.smuggs.com/maple Woodstock Village Green Maple Madness: 3/25 – 3/26 www.woodstockvt.com/upcoming-events St. Albans, VT Vermont Maple Festival: 4/28-4/30 www.vtmaplefestival.org Town of Poultney MapleFest Craft Fair: 3/25-3/26 www.poultneyvt.com Sugarhouses Statewide Maple Open House: 3/25-3/26 www.vermontmaple.org/openhouse
DID YOU KNOW over half of the country’s maple syrup comes from Vermont and New York State? Celebrate the maple sugaring season this March at a Maple Weekend, Open House or festival near you via Amtrak, Metro-North, Zipcar or bus! Hudson Valley, New York: Crown Maple at Madava Farm Maple Weekends: 3/18-3/19 & 3/25-3/26 www.crownmaple.com White Oak Farm + Hilltop Hanover Farm Maple Weekends: 3/18-3/19 & 3/25-3/26 www.whiteoakfarm1.com Soukup Farms Maple Weekends:
