ChristineMcBrearty-Hulse exchangedguidanceforgoatswhen,fiveyearsago,sheretiredfromacareerasaschoolcounselortolaunchHulseHillFarm. Thefarmsteadat5928stateHighway28inFlyCreekfeaturescashmeregoats,bed-and-breakfastaccommodationsandafarmstorewithlocallycraftedgoods. “IretiredlastJune…butIstarteditasaparallelcareer,knowingthat,whenIretired,I’dbeyoungandIhadapassionforfarming,soItransitionedintothisasmynextcareer,”McBrearty-Hulse,56,said. McBrearty-Hulse,aCooperstowngraduate,saidherpassionforfarmingformedoverdecades. “Wemovedhereintheearly‘70sor‘80s,soIcameinasafifth-grader…andwhenIcamehere,myintroductiontogettingsociallyacclimatedwasgettinginvolvedin4-H,”shesaid.“Ididrabbitsandmysisterdidpigs.Itwasagreatlearningexperiencethatgavemeatonofskills.ThenIwenttocollegeanddidtheeducationalthingandcamebacktotheareathinking,‘Ireallydowantanimals,’soIstartedwithafew,thenstartedbringingthemintoschool.Isawtheinteractionwithkidsand,justasyoudowiththerapydogs,youcouldgetyourpointacrossandteachsomanythingsthroughthatinteractionwithanimals.Ibecamereallyinterestedinthatasaschoolcounselorandusedthatinmyapproach. “Fromthere,Ipursuedthatwiththefarm,anditbecameafarmstayforfamilies,offeringthemthatexperience,”McBrearty-Hulsecontinued.“AndIsawthatparentsreallywanttheirkidstohavethatexperienceandlearnaboutanimals,becausetheycanusethatanywhereinlife.” Thatmentality,McBrearty-Hulsesaid,hasledtogrowthonandoffthefarm. “We’vehadvisitorscomenumeroustimesandtheyknowalltheanimalsandwegettheminvolvedwithchoresatwhateverleveltheywanttobeinvolved—watering,buckets,gatheringeggs,cleaningstalls,”shesaid.“Wesawthefamilies,thenthenextstepwasthinking,‘WhatcanIdoforthelocalcommunitywithafarmthat’ssoclose?’Ourfarmisoneoftheclosest,outsideoftheFarmers’Museum,tothevillageofCooperstown.ThereisatrailfromMainStreet—2.1miles—bytheschooltousandthatisopenforfolkstohike…soit’sfieldtrips,andthatwillbepursuednowthatwe’reoverCOVID. “Youcandoeverythinghereonthefarmasasubject—English,science,vegetablegrowing,fecalsampleswiththegoats,sustainabilityandtraceability,fibereducation,”McBrearty-Hulsecontinued.“Ihaveagazillionteachingunitsinmyheadthatapplytoanylevel.Andthisyear—we’vealwayshadstudentshelponthefarm—we’restartinganapprenticeprogram.It’sreallymoreforstudentstoexperienceandseewhattheycantakefromfarming:working,butalsoenjoyingit. McBrearty-Hulsesaidthefarmstorerepresentsgrowth,too. “Thatcamelater;westartedwiththefarmstayexperience,thenfromthereweopenedupthefarmshopbecausewehadproducethatI’dbeengivingway,”shesaid.“Wefeatureotherfarmersandlocalartisansinthereand,ifIseesomeonedoingsomethingreallyneat,I’mallforthemhavingtheirproductthere.” HulseHill’seclecticofferings,McBrearty-Hulsesaid,haveyieldedavariedclientele. “Ithinkthat,becausewe’resodiverse,peoplehavedifferentnichesthattheylike,”shesaid.“We’replantingpaw-pawtrees—they’renativetoNewYorkstateandCornellhasbeenworkingwiththemforalongtime—so,forpeopleintogardeningorhorticulture,wehaveasliverofthathere;wegrowourownfoodandofferamodernhomesteadwitholdpracticesandnew,sosomepeoplelookatthatandgetsomethingoutofit;withthefiber,t
