It’s always a treat to dine outside, but even more so when the scenery consists of gently rolling hills, green pastures, and other bucolic vistas that, apart from being scenic, produce the food on your plate. This is what you can expect at a local farm dinner—along with tables of like-minded individuals eager to dine on a menu that celebrates Hudson Valley bounty through a chef-prepared meal (and glass of wine, or two). And with such a varied range of regional farms, producers, and purveyors, whose offerings change by season and by year, no two farm dinner experiences are alike. Here are a few to catch this summer.
Bovina Farm & Fermentory Dinners and Picnics
2951 County Road 5, Bovina; bovinafarmfermentory.com
This working farm and brewery offers multi-course, family-style dinners throughout the season with hearty menus of recipes made from ingredients found in their gardens and from nearby farms. Dine by candlelight at a communal table with a convivial community, and enjoy in-house beer pairings with your meal (nonalcoholic beverage options are available, as well). Dinners run $120 per person and although their July 20 event is sold out, there are still seats available for August 31. If you miss out on the dinner series, you can still claim a spot at their summer picnic parties, featuring a casual early-evening picnic spread followed by a main course and dessert ($75 per person; July and August dates will be listed online soon).
Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming Farm Dinners
362 Glynwood Road, Cold Spring; glynwood.org
Farm dinners at Glynwood offer an intimate experience among the acres of historic pastures and bucolic farmland. Plus, the organization is a nonprofit with programs aimed at reducing food insecurity by connecting the public with accessible farm-fresh food, so your good time is for a good cause. This year, three farm dinners are scheduled between summer and fall. The first, July 30, honors food journalist and multimedia specialist Stephen Satterfield. An August 13 event called Wild & Foraged features local wild-grown foods and a conversation with the Outside Institute founder Laura Chávez Silverman. The final scheduled event, Toast the Season, takes place October 9 and celebrates the rich flavor of New York’s vast craft beverage industry. Tickets start at $200 for each. Overnight stays are available on a limited basis.
Taliaferro Farms Farm to Table Events
187 Plains Road, New Paltz; taliaferrofarms.com
Set at the foot of the scenic Shawangunk Ridge, this second-generation, family-run organic farm in New Paltz offers a series of on-site dinners prepared by CIA-trained chef David Cruz. Each three-course meal incorporates locally grown ingredients and regional craft beverages, including Bad Seed Cider with your appetizer and Fjord Vineyards wine with dinner, as live music fills the air. Guests are given a guided tour of the farm in between appetizers and the main course. Menus are posted a month in advance and are based on seasonal availability. Dinners run $125 and upcoming dates include June 28, July 27, August 31, September 14 and 28, and October 26.
Sang’s Dinner at Milea Vineyard
450 Hollow Road, Staatsburg; mileaestatevineyard.com
Milea Estate Vineyard invites guests to an exclusive dinner event set among the vines of Sang’s Cabernet Franc Vineyard—which sits across three acres of hillside plantings and is named after co-proprietor Sang Milea. (Fun fact: Milea’s 2021 Sang's Estate Vineyard Cabernet Franc earned a rating of “excellent” from Wine Enthusiast magazine.) The event, Sang’s Dinner, takes place on July 20 from 7-9 pm, and for $175 per person guests enjoy a multi-course menu of wood-fired cuisine paired with Milea’s wines.
Farm2ChefsTable Events
Chef Nichoas Leiss created Farm2ChefsTable as a way to encourage exploration and conversations around Hudson Valley farms and food through dinners made from locally sourced ingredients. These events are a celebration of the growers, artisans, and the overall bounty of the region through farm-to-table feasts.
On July 14 from 5-9:30 pm Feast on the Farm, an “ask me anything dinner,” takes place at Catskill Wagyu at Hilltop Farm. This small family-owned farm in Accord raises purebred Wagyu beef and American bresse chickens. The five-course meal offers plenty of time for conversation in between bites of hyperlocally sourced dishes.
The following week, Farm2ChefsTable heads to Goshen Green Farm for an Upstate Art Weekend Soiree on July 19 from 7-9:30 pm, celebrating the popular arts fest through the culinary arts. Nosh on small plates and snacks while browsing an exhibit of 15 local artists displayed throughout the farm, including in its greenhouse, barn, and fields.
One of the most highly anticipated traveling farm dinner events organized by Farm2ChefsTable is Oscine, located at the historic Bull Farm 1856. The event consists of a TBA menu of Hudson Valley-sourced cuisine, with the option for a pre-dinner foraging workshop led by Deep Forest Wild Edibles, during which guests can see and learn about the wild plants, fungi, and edibles featured in the evening’s meal. Dinners are $215 per person and available dates include June 8th, July 13th, August 10th, September 14th, October 19th
For a more casual yet still-upscale experience, the Oscine Tavern dinners will be taking place at Goshen Green Farm, where a five-course meal cooked open-fire runs $135 per guest with an optional beverage pairing. Several dates are available throughout the season for this event, which can be found online.
Catskill Wagyu at Hilltop Farm: 2739 Lucas Turnpike, Accord
Goshen Green Farm: 3301 NY-207, Goshen
Bull Farm 1856: 347 Bull Road, Rock Tavern
To keep on your radar
Stonewood Farms Sunday Harvest Dinners
The popular Sunday Harvest Dinner series is the Milbrook-based farm’s signature fundraising effort, during which guests enjoy a seasonal menu by a guest chef. However, due to the intimate setting of these events, they sell out quickly; this summer's events have sold out, but a waitlist is available—or you can learn more about upcoming dinners by signing up for their newsletter.
