Family Fun Farm Days *
Saturdays: August 16, 23, 30, 2008
Sundays: August 17, 24, 31, 2008
Reconnect to the region’s rich agricultural heritage and explore the Renaissance City of Beacon when you pick up the Dutchess County Farm Fresh Link shuttle at the Beacon Station for stops at Sprout Creek Farm and Barton Orchards.
You’ll start your day with a visit to Main Street Beacon, a renaissance city on the 
Hudson and home to a growing arts movement. Visit the area’s many galleries, eateries and specialty stores, or learn about glass-blowing at Hudson Beach Glass, located in a historic 1890 firehouse. Between the two farm visits you’ll have the opportunity to explore the city’s restored historic districts. Take advantage of one the many fine eateries for lunch, or buy a picnic lunch and picnic in the park or by the Hudson River. Sample and shop Beacon Farmer’s Market (10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sundays only) featuring an eclectic array of arts, crafts, and local produce.
Your second stop will be a tour of Sprout Creek, a 200-acre working farm complete with cows, goats and more. A model of sustainable agriculture, it’s also known for its hand-crafted cheeses produced by a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America. 
Sample the creamery’s mouth-watering creations made from the rich and creamy milk of the herd of
grass-fed Jersey, Guernsey, Milking Shorthorn and Brown Swiss cows . These artisanal cheeses are
made in the age-old tradition
of European farmstead cheese which is made using a method that merely enhances the innate qualities of the milk. Give the buttery
Toussaint or a young
Barat a try! Sprout Creek’s cheeses differ from cheeses made and ripened in the same way in another region. It is all about soil, seasons, grasses, breeds of cows and perhaps their mood while being milked!
End your day with a visit to Barton Orchards. Pick your own fruits and vegetables, 
and enjoy the many family-friendly activities including hayrides, a petting zoo and live entertainment. If you dare, explore the larger-than-life corn maze, and be sure to check out the 214 year-old white oak tree, the centerpiece of this 122 acre orchard, in the heart of the Hudson Valley.
The Dutchess County Farm Fresh Link shuttle will stay with you all day, transporting you to the various locations and bringing you back to Beacon Station for the return trip home. Reservations for the Dutchess County Farm Fresh Link shuttle are required in advance by calling 800-445-3131 and selecting "0" for an operator. Reservations must be made at least 48 hours in advance. Once you've made your reservation, purchase your rail and shuttle ticket any Metro-North station with a ticket office, at all full-service ticket machines (except Beacon Station), or online through WebTicket at
www.mta.info
.
Some activities may require an additional fee. For more information about these itinerary stops and other agricultural and culinary destinations throughout Dutchess County, please visit
http://farmfresh.dutchesstourism.com
.
*Dutchess County Tourism has the right to substitute a farm or related itinerary stop to ensure the quality of the overall program and the individual getaway experience.
PRICE:
From Grand Central Terminal or Harlem-125th Street:
adults, $24.00
seniors, $17.50
children 5-11, $3.50
children under 5, free
Save an additional 5% on railfare when you purchase this package through
WebTicket
.
PACKAGE INCLUDES:
Discount round-trip rail fare and shuttle transportation to/from Beacon Station and all venues included in the package.
TRAVEL INFORMATION:
Be sure to get a customer letter prior to your trip. Take the Hudson Line to Beacon Station. The bus will meet the train departing Grand Central Terminal at 8:50 a.m., arriving at the Beacon Station at 10:13 a.m.
When you get to Beacon Station, your bus will be waiting on the land-side of the station. It will be the bus with a sign that reads “Dutchess County Farm Fresh Link.”
www.sproutcreekfarm.org
www.bartonorchards.com
www.cityofbeacon.org
www.mta.info
WebTicket
