Upstate Gay Beer & Wine Weekend

We’ll do our best to ensure that you are warm and well-fed, but there a few other things that you may want to bring with you.

• A sweatshirt to wear in the evening – it’s October, and that means potentially warm days and cool nights
• Boots (It’s likely to be muddy on the farm)
• Yoga Mat (for big 80’s yoga, of course)
• Beer, Wine & Spirits, to be enjoyed responsibly by those age 21 and over

Will I get dirty?

Maybe. You will have access to a variety of activities indoors and outdoors on a working dairy farm. Please be sure to pack appropriately.

Who’s Coming to Upstate Gay Beer & Wine Weekend?

Anyone that’s a fan of fall foliage, Upstate farms and locally made spirits! We’re creating a space that is LGBTQ+ affirming, so anyone that jives with our community is welcome. Just note that you must be 21+ to register.

How do I get to Sprout Creek Farm?

The farm is located 90 minutes north of New York City in Poughkeepsie, NY and is conveniently accessed by car via the Taconic State Parkway. There is plenty of free parking onsite at the farm. You can also access Sprout Creek Farm via Metro North Railroad, and shuttle service from the Poughkeepsie Train Station to the farm is available for an additional fee when you complete your registration.

Where will I sleep?

You’ll be assigned a bunk when you arrive for registration at Sprout Creek Farm. If you book your registration as a group, we’ll be sure to assign you a bunk near to your friends. If you have a special request for whom you would like to bunk with, you can include their name when you register for the event. Please note that the cabins may be co-ed and the restrooms/showers are gender neutral.

What if it rains?

Hey, weather happens. The event will go on rain or shine with plenty of indoor/outdoor space at the farm as well as our three tasting sites.

Do I need to bring any money with me to the event?

Your registration includes all activities and meals, although there is a small store and visitor center onsite should you wish to purchase cheese or other souvenirs to remember your visit to Sprout Creek Farm. You can also bring money in order to purchase spirits from our three tasting sites.

Can I purchase alcohol on site at Sprout Creek Farm?

There is no bar onsite. If you’d like to have an adult beverage you are welcome to BYOB.

So, What is Sprout Creek Farm?

We’ve been working with our friends at Sprout Creek Farm for more than five years to host events for the LGBTQ+ community.

They believe that a person cannot practice the art and science of farming without the land and the animals to provide the foundation for his/her livelihood. In turn, the land and the animals cannot be a farm without the farmer. With this in mind, the agricultural aspect of Sprout Creek Farm aims to achieve a balanced partnership between the staff, the land, and the animals in order to provide the nucleus for the organization as a whole. As stewards of the land, the team at Sprout Creek Farm focuses on:

• Providing a strong foundation for the market, creamery, and educational programs so they may best fulfill their own missions.
• Having a minimal impact on the environment while still making the best use of its resources.
• Providing an atmosphere for experiential farm-based education with the farm as the teacher.
• While striving to achieve these goals, the farm endeavors to balance its dual identity as a sustainable working farm as well as an educational resource.
• By participating in the Upstate Gay Beer & Wine Weekend you are helping to support the farm and its educational mission.

The Animals at Sprout Creek Farm
Farm animals are more than producers of milk and meat. They are teachers and companions, friends and partners in the mission of education to which Sprout Creek aspires on a daily basis. Animal husbandry is the term used to describe the care and maintenance of animals in agriculture. Sprout Creek farmers ensure quality care and maintain a high quality of life standard for each and every animal. Most animals are named and known. All are deserving of the utmost respect and every animal has a purpose.

The Gardens
Gardens are an essential element of every farm and especially important to Sprout Creek’s mission of education. Vegetable gardens at Sprout Creek are tended by our knowledgeable staff and by program participants young and old, using varied methods, but always organically grown from seed sprouted in our modestly sized greenhouse. Surrounding the buildings varied perennials bloom all spring and summer offering another horticultural opportunity for program participants. Vegetables and herbs are harvested by campers, students, and adults enrolled in programs to be used in culinary classes offered as an integral part of their stay at Sprout Creek Farm. Produce is also available in limited quantities in the Sprout Creek Farm Market from June through October.

The Environment
The environment is the envelope in which we live; the truest context for all human, animal, plant activity, it is the center we call home. Sprout Creek Farm highlights both the wild and the domestic as co-operators, partners in the effort to sustain life. Education is essential for us to learn how to be better partners, to learn what it means to care for the environment, to re-learn the language of the planet.