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Sunbeam conditions: Strong on the south porch this afternoon. Barn shade fills in after two.

Hudson Valley, New York

Susan's Sausage Farm

One foster dog who needed more room than an apartment could give. A leaky barn, a long view, and a farm that grew into mornings of water, feed, yard check—then unlocking the door for neighbors who became regulars.

The longer version

How it came together

Susan started with one dog who needed more room than an apartment could give. The farm was already here—an old dairy parcel with a barn that leaked in three places and a view that made the work worth it.

She fixed the roof before she fixed the sign. Volunteers showed up for fence weekends. The county extension office helped with water lines. The café was not the plan; the café was what happened when too many people asked where they could sit down.

Today the farm runs on a simple rule: the dogs eat first, the gates close at night, and the fields rest two days a week so the grass holds.

Same checklist every morning—just more coffee cups and mud boots in the mix than the old dairy ever saw.

Day to day

How we work

  • 01

    Small groups, steady hands

    We keep groups small so the dogs are not overrun. Handlers train on body language and leash protocol before they lead a visit.

  • 02

    Menu follows the season

    The kitchen changes with what local suppliers have in season—no pretending it is August when the fields say April.

  • 03

    The store matches the kitchen

    We sell what we make or source with the same standard we use behind the counter. If we would not serve it, we do not shelve it.

Milestones

Timeline

  1. 2009

    Susan brings home the first foster dachshund. The back porch becomes the default meeting spot.

  2. 2014

    Neighbors start stopping by with coffee. The pasture fence gets a second gate.

  3. 2018

    The Wiener Dog Café opens in the old equipment shed after a winter of wiring and permits.

  4. 2022

    Sauce-age jars go from the kitchen counter to labeled retail shelves in the farm store.

  5. Today

    The same morning checklist: water, feed, yard check, then unlock the barn for visitors.

What does not bend

Values

Careful handling, honest food, and fixing what we have before we chase the next shiny addition.

  • 01

    Careful handling

    The dogs set the pace. Humans read the room—leash protocol, quiet arrivals, and no crowding the gate.

  • 02

    Honest food

    Ingredients you can read, portions that make sense, and a kitchen that stays cozy instead of theatrical.

  • 03

    Fix before you add

    Maintenance on roofs, fences, and water lines before the next bright idea. The barn has to work in February, not just look good in June.

We relish in it.

Ready to walk the gravel, meet the crew, and argue politely over which sauce belongs on which sausage?

Visit us