Just a few years after purchasing her grandparents’ property in Leeds, Angela Worth and her husband, Steven, have turned Meadowbrook Farm Catskills into a major attraction.
The farm’s first-ever Sunflower & Sangria Festival, August 18-20, drew a crowd of about 3,000 people, Angela said.
“It was very humbling,” she said. “We weren’t really expecting that many people.”
The event featured live music, hayrides, cornhole, food vendors, sangria and of course, sunflowers. The Worths grow more than 20 varieties of sunflowers, and each festival goer was able to harvest 2 sunflowers, with the option of purchasing more.
The farm represents a significant pivot in the couple’s life – Angela had a successful career running preschools and daycare centers in New Jersey, and Steven has worked in law enforcement for over 30 years. In the midst of the pandemic, Angela decided she wanted a change.
The Worths purchased the 120-acre property that had been in Angela’s family for 55 years and decided to try their hand at farming.
In addition to growing more than 125,000 sunflowers, the Worths also grow 14,000 tulips in 30-35 varieties, zinnias, and 1,200 pumpkins. Customers may pick their own flowers, purchase them from the farm stand, or from various shops around the county including Hickory Hill Market in Windham and Catskill Chocolate Co.
The next phase of Meadowbrook Farm Catskills will be establishing it as a venue, Angela said. While not their initial intention when building the barn, the couple has fielded so many requests about booking weddings, they have decided to pursue it. In addition to the barn, there is a tented area for events, and soon there will be a 5,300 square foot patio and a bar crafted from a 28-foot corn silo. Meadowbrook Farm Catskills will host its first official wedding next month, Angela said.
Other plans on the horizon include holding a fall harvest festival, a tulip festival in the spring, planting fruit trees and producing their own honey.
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Topics: Success Stories
