A surprise in a local bakery leads to another surprise.

This year, I skipped Thanksgiving and went to Denmark where Noma has transformed the national food experience over the past 10 years to be more than just pickled herring (but yes, also pickled herring!). Farm to table is front and center there, with families of restaurants designed to focus intently on different parts of a farm and its products. A bakery to employ the grains and, oh, how the country knows good bread! A dairy or creamery for milk, cheese and ice cream. Meats,

Dette Flies 13 Main Street Livingston Manor, NY (845) 439-1166 (shop) (607) 498-4991 (conditions report) detteflies.com @detteflies Dette knows fishing and they hand-picked a Vedavoo pack for the fisherperson on your list. Vedavoo products are designed for the outdoor adventure. Whether exploring small brook trout streams or taking a hike through one of the many wooded trails in the Catskills, these packs are built to last with the explorer in mind. With features such as deep

Main Street Farm 36 Main Street Livingston Manor, NY (845) 439-4309 mainstreetfarm.com @mainstfarm You can fill any stocking to the brim here. Catskills provisions from honey to syrup, from pancake mix to Bjorn Corn, from Cabin Porn to a pine sachet. How about a pillow with a favorite Catskills zip code or one that professes love for hiking or fishing? Shady Acres granola? Literally a ton of delicious choices starting at $5 at Main Street Farm where "eating is an agricultural

Willow + Brown 36 Main Street Livingston Manor, NY (845) 439-1088 willowandbrown.com @willowandbrown Stylish Carolin Brown features a delicious sweater gift this holiday season! This West End Knitwear three-button cardigan was made in Ireland from luxurious, soft 100% merino wool. It’s warm and soft and hardy for the winter. Great for layering. Natural, organic and easy to care for. Plenty more in store for you at Willow + Brown. XOXO Farm Girl #farmgirlsshoppingguide #holida

Upstream Wine & Spirits 34 Main Street Livingston Manor, NY (845) 439-1328 upstreamwine.com @drinkingupstream 'Tis the season for celebration, and Upstream Wines has a sparkling wine for every occasion -- about 30 of them, in fact! Whether you're hosting or party hopping, be sure to have some special bubbles on ice (or in a snow bank)! Prices start at $14 for Upstream's house Prosecco, and skooch that up to $120 for a Magnum of grower Champagne. Mmmmm at any price! If you men

Morgan Outdoors 46 Main Street Livingston Manor, NY (845) 439-5507 morgan-outdoors.com @morgan.outdoors These solar-powered wonders -- the Luci EMRG Lamp -- need just a few hours in the sun to power up and softly brighten your indoor or outdoor space. The red light is great for preserving night vision or for emergencies; the white for brightening tougher jobs. Super-cool lamp that inflates easily. Small enough to carry as a flashlight. The Luci EMRG Lamp is $14.95 at Morgan O

Dear 54 Main St Livingston Manor NY www.dearny.net @dear.shop.ny This 100% alpaca cardigan from Arc by Angela Dimoff connects with her Bolivian roots is oversized, warm and sexy for the most stylish doyenne on your list. It's only available in the store, so be careful or you might find some other gifts here too. The cardigan is $750, but you get a 15% discount if you tell Dear's shopkeeper, Stephanie, that Farm Girl sent you! XOXO Farm Girl #farmgirlsshoppingguide #holidaysh

Somewhere In Time Farm 108 Somewhere In Time Lane Parksville, NY (845) 807-8702 somewhereintimefarm.com @somewhereintimefarm When you give a gift of fresh veggies, you also help a farmer. This holiday season you can make your favorite veggie lover veggie happy with a gift certificate for $25. They can go pick their own crudités at Somewhere In Time's weekend farmstand in Livingston Manor (see Insta for times). Go hog wild and give a month of veggies for $100. Fresh, crisp, gr

Nest 34 Main Street Livingston Manor, NY (845) 588-5316 Nest-Store.com @nestcatskills Made of cowhide and cozy wool, these unique Norwegian boots will warm someone's tootsies this holiday. $280. Nest also offers a finely curated selection of gifts for the home, as well as clothing and jewelry. XOXO Farm Girl #farmgirlsshoppingguide #holidayshopping #shoplocal #shopcatskills #farmgirlsguide #gettinglostandfound #catskillsrenaissance #townofrockland #livingstonmanor #sullivanco

The town of Rockland has an embarrassment of riches. Two well-stocked hamlets, twin fly fishing rivers and plenty of secrets to discover. With so many dominant hamlets, no one really even mentions Rockland by name. The hamlets include Anderson, Beaverkill, Craigie Clair, De Bruce, Deckertown, Grooville, Hazel, Joscelyn, Livingston Manor, Lew Beach, Morsston, Parkston, Rockland and Roscoe. It's quite a family of destinations! Where do we go from here? From Rockland, head to th

36 Main St., Livingston Manor, NY (845) 439-4309 mainstreetfarm.com @mainstfarm Main Street Farm is a curated local grocery with a café. It’s also the town hub. See your friends, get something to eat, find out what’s going on. The proprietor, Jon Westergreen, scours the countryside and beyond to bring you the most delicious, pure and interesting selections. Have you ever thought about the “TO” in farm-to-table? Jon is it. MSF is here to remind you, “Eating is an Agricultural

39 Main St., Livingston Manor, NY (845) 439-4399 thekaatskeller.com and thekaatskellermenu.com @thekaatskeller An open-air, wood-fired pizza kitchen with a bocce court and a fire pit lures locals and visitors alike to set up camp at one of their styled picnic tables under strings of antiqued lights that mimic the stars. The bar upstairs spins tunes and ladles out local beer and signature cocktails. The pizza is delicious and the Beaverkill trout cooked on an aromatic plank is

109 Debruce Road Livingston Manor, NY (845) 439-4476 furfinfeathersportshopllc.com Want to dive deep into the great outdoors? Ready to hunt or fish? Take a step through the doors of this intimidating corrugated metal building into a friendly oasis. For many years, FFF has been outfitting the newbies and the seasoned with fishing rods, bait, flies, guns and ammo. Don’t forget your hunting or fishing license! XOXO Farm Girl #farmgirlsguide #farmgirl #xoxofarmgirl #gettinglostan

1345 Shandelee Road, Livingston Manor, NY (845) 482-4301 Have you ever tried raw milk? It’s time. Stop by this farm, get a glimpse of dairy farm life and pick up a gallon. It’s so good. It's also really good for making cheese. I buy a gallon whenever I pass by and turn it into the most amazing mozzarella for friends. The farmers work hard and are nearly always within earshot for a quick hello as you put your name on the checkout list and leave your cash in a bucket. XOXO Farm

13 Main St., Livingston Manor, NY (845) 439-1166 (shop) (607) 498-4991 (conditions report) detteflies.com @detteflies The oldest family-run fly tying shop anywhere (since 1928). You need some of these flies and a place to tell your tales. They’ll listen. My fishing friends have always been awed by this place, to near drooling. And that was when they had a 250-square-foot shop. They moved from their long-time home in Roscoe to this new, sparkly mecca in 2018. It’s a veritable

46 Main St., Livingston Manor, NY (845) 439-5507 morgan-outdoors.com @morgan.outdoors Morgan Outdoors has virtually everything you need to take to the trails — hiking shoes, stylish outdoor gear for any weather, backpacks, hiking sticks and supplies to keep the kids and you happy along the way. Bear bell? Yup. Maps? No one has better ones. Most importantly, Lisa Lyons, the store’s owner who is there most of the time, has the best advice on where to go and how to get there. Li

36A Main St., Livingston Manor, NY (845) 439-1088 willowandbrown.com @willowandbrown Carolin Brown welcomes you, smiling over this unique clothing-meets-kitchen shop (with a florist in the back) that reflects her passions and good taste. Men and women’s items, both new and vintage, as well as affordable jewelry and accessories line her shop. A stalwart doyenne of the Manor’s renaissance, Carolin rebuilt the store after an explosion decimated it and nearby businesses in 2012.

672 Old Route 17, Livingston Manor, NY (845) 439-1232 catskillbrewery.com @thecatskillbrewery In a big red barn with a platinum Leeds certification, a Tesla charging station and native plants growing on the roof and in the parking lot, Catskill Brewery has established itself as a leading Catskill beer maker with a taproom replete with bearded baristas, tasting flights of the latest brews and growlers for the taking. You can even pick up some branded glasses and t-shirts featu

34 Main St., Livingston Manor, NY (845) 439-1328 upstreamwine.com @drinkingupstream A town hub -- like a water cooler, but with wine -- Upstream boasts a well-curated selection of wines and spirits from the local area and beyond. Meg is as friendly as she is gifted at picking a good bottle, and she typically knows what you'll like even better than you do. In addition to local goods, Upstream has a niche collection of organic and biodynamic wines. Every bottle has a little ta