The Plan Bee Living Farm School
Learn to brew from the soil up, on a working Hudson Valley farm.
At Plan Bee, our beer starts in the ground. Barley from our own no-till fields, hops from our own yard, wild yeast carried in by the bees that gave this farm its name. The Living Farm School is how we share that whole world with the people who feel the same pull toward good beer, good land, and doing things the honest way.
This is hands-on learning on a real 25-acre farm, taught by the people who run it. No lecture halls. Just soil, grain, fermentation, and a barn that has been standing since the 1830s.
Farm-to-Glass Brewing Apprenticeship
Our first apprenticeship welcomes a small group to learn brewing the way we do it here, following the full cycle from field to fermenter to glass. Over a season on the farm, you will grow into the craft alongside us, and the cohort will finish by brewing a beer together and sharing it at a public release day.
It is completely free, and no brewing experience is needed to join.
What you will learn
The farm brewery model. How land, agriculture, and beer come together in New York, and how a farm brewery actually works.
Grain and hops. Growing, tending, and harvesting the ingredients, with an eye on soil health and pollinators.
Brew day. A real, hands-on brew using ingredients from the farm.
Fermentation and quality. The science and the craft of turning ingredients into beer.
Building your own. Licensing, the business of a small New York brewery, and what it takes to start one.
A collaboration brew. A capstone beer brewed by the whole cohort and shared with the community.
Who this is for…
This program is for people who have wanted a way into the craft beer world and never quite found the door.
So much of brewing sits behind the cost of formal programs or the luck of knowing the right people. We wanted to open that door wider. Career-changers, dreamers, students, folks who love good beer and good land and have been waiting for a chance like this. If you have the curiosity and the willingness to get your hands dirty, you belong here.
Total beginners are genuinely, enthusiastically welcome.
The Details
Cost: Free
When: About 6 classes across Spring through Fall 2027, roughly one a month
Class length: About 3 hours, Saturday or Sunday mornings
Final class: A collaboration brew day, scheduled with the group, up to 8 hours
Where: Plan Bee Farm Brewery, 115 Underhill Road, Town of Poughkeepsie, NY
Cohort size: Small 6 to 8 people total, so everyone gets real hands-on time
Experience needed: None
Our Story
Plan Bee is a husband-and-wife farm brewery built on the belief that beer can come from the land right under our feet. We farm with regenerative, pollinator-friendly practices, brew in a restored 1830s barn, and share this place with our community through music, gatherings, and now, teaching. The Living Farm School is our way of passing on what we have learned to the next generation of brewers and land-lovers.
Peace & Love,
Emily & Evan Watson
Frequently Asked Questions
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Not at all. This program is built for beginners. If you are curious and willing to learn, you are exactly who we are looking for.
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Nothing. The apprenticeship is free to participate in.
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Yes. Because this is a craft beer program, participants need to be 21 or older.
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We understand life happens. We are looking for people who can commit to attending most of the sessions. If you have questions about the schedule, just ask us on your application.
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Classes are held at our farm in the Town of Poughkeepsie. If getting here would be a challenge for you, tell us on your application. We would rather help you solve it than lose you over it.
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We read every application and look for genuine interest and fit, not credentials. We reach out to the strongest applicants for a friendly conversation before finalizing the cohort.