The Journey
I grew up at my family farm which was located several miles away from what we now call Meadowbrook Farm Catskills.
This property was owned by my grandparents, Eugene & Rose Peigelbeck for over 55 years. As a child I always felt that every time I came to this property it was something magical. We spent many years as a family here, bailing hay for our sheep farm, swimming and fishing in the Catskill Creek .
It was on one of my trips to visit my mom that I met my husband Steven. It was soon after that, I really wanted to get back to my roots and I envisioned my life here again.
We purchased a farmhouse dating back to the 1800's, near the family property and over time my grandparent's property became a major topic of conversation.
With my husband Steven by my side, we felt inspired to create something beautiful and that was really the beginning of
Meadowbrook Farm Catskills.
Life happens, time passes, and my siblings and I had relocated out of state. The family was pretty paralyzed not knowing what to do with the land so the property sat as if waiting to be woken from its slumber. What was once the apple orchard had been completely choked out by invasive vines. The old barn we would pass near the entrance had partially collapsed beyond repair and the old trails were all grown in and no longer passable.
We started to discuss what we envisioned for Meadowbrook Farm Catskill, and it was clear that
preservation, sustainability, and experiences were at the top of our list as we began to move forward with the project.
Preservation- Meadowbrook became part of the Agricultural District in Greene County. As more farmland keeps getting swallowed up or sold off it makes us realize how precious this land is. We will do everything in our power to protect this beautiful land and educate others on how we all SHOULD take a part in this vital role.
Sustainability is a journey not a destination!
We really thought about creative ways to make the farm sustainable, so we decided not to put all of eggs in one basket. Farming is really hard work and due to changes in climate we have to be flexible with what crops we can plant each season. Our biggest accomplishment thus far has been our Sunflowers. We will continue to grow our Procut Sunflowers and will add on another 20 varieties to choose from. We really knocked it out of the park with the quality and we hosted our 1st Sunflower & Sangria Festival this past August. In one word, we just will describe it as humbling with all of the people that came to the Festival. We have already set our dates for 2024, which will be August 16th, 17th & 18th. Our next event will be our Tulip Walk, which will be April 27th. & May 4th.