Woodstock Farm Sanctuary — Local services in Town of Rochester

My husband and I celebrated our anniversary with a short stay at The Gray Barn recently. We cannot wait to go back! First, the minimalist Barn is beautifully designed and built to showcase the idyllic views outside the vast windows. We were in the peak autumn color time, and the views were spectacular - golden leaves, a gentle stream, mountains in the distance and goats...what could be better? We appreciated the vegan breakfast and the common area for sipping hot tea and relaxing after dinners out. We took a farm tour with Leigh in the morning, and this was a great experience. The animals have their own appeal, and seeing them up close was fun. Leigh does a very good job of educating visitors about the cruel realities of animals raised for food and other goods, but she does not preach or guilt people for their ignorance or choices. This is a fine balance, but I can imagine that the non-confrontational message works best to help people learn and hopefully make some changes in what goes on their plate. I would feel comfortable bringing children to the sanctuary. We are vegan, but I think any animal lover would feel right at home at this place. The area is perfect for exploring the surrounding areas, just watch for deer on the dark, curvy wooded roads. Overall, this was a wonderful experience - the inn is gorgeous, modern and spotless; Leigh is a wonderful host; the rest of the staff is welcoming; and, you will learn something while you have fun. Highly...

Booked a private tour (worked better for our schedule) to meet the residents. We are transitioning our 3-year old from vegetarian to vegan and I wanted him to meet the animals to have context. Anna was gentle, informative, and very responsive to our son's desire to meet the pigs. She knew which animals liked interactions and helped create an enjoyable experience for him. He came home to tell his other mom all about how cows play soccer, turkeys like grass, and Snoopy the pig liked belly rubs.

I think it is very important to see farm animals that are happy and feel safe. They are not shell shocked like so many farm animals are; instead their personalities shine through just like our cats and dogs at home. The animals are truly are given a sanctuary to heal and live their best lives. I hope everyone can meet these animals in such a safe and peaceful space.

Thank you to the animals for sharing part of their day with us....

Couldn't disagree more with the other review about rudeness, all of the staff seemed kind and very advocating toward plant-based diets and veganism. They clearly say to be watchful of "little ones" (kids) because some animals like shiny things (like eyeballs) and kids are at eye-level, some animals are also unpredictable. They also repeated caution at each enclosure for the rescued animals (who were all very sweet!). If anyone was yelling I doubt it wasn't for good reason.

Side note: Vegans don't have to be kind to anyone and have plenty of reasons to be angry. We are forced to watch humans destroy the world and animals in it everyday. To expect people to be kind just because we care is completely asinine, and to make a comment that we are angry because we lack dead flesh in our stomachs is both tactless and extremely rude. Please think before...