right now. and you tend to get lost in this doom and gloom. it's all you hear about-- how bad this virus has gotten, all the civil unrest in society.

and it gets overwhelming. it almost feels like you can't escape it, you can't get away from it. so for me, this respite is just a much needed break. [music playing] one of my favorite quotes is-- cover the world, before it covers you. the world-- the globe-- this planet that we live on has so many magnificent places to see, so many incredible things to offer. so in these unprecedented times, it's important to be mindful that, just because you can't go away, doesn't mean you can't get away. and some of the best adventures are quite literally

located in our own backyards. [birds chirping] the area long occupied by the mohican indigenous people was first purchased by the dutch in 1662, and formally chartered as the city of hudson in 1785. what's so striking about the street is the architecture. i mean, this looks picturesque, man, it looks like a movie set. situated between albany and new york city, and positioned off the head of the hudson river, once a bustling whaling port. which, if you look hard enough, you can see has left its mark. but today, this village is an easily accessible escape to anyone looking for space, fresh air, and like all new yorkers-- a caffeine fix. so this is the spot, huh, to come to get coffee? kamal johnson: yeah. - get it to go? yeah, it's super accessible, family-owned. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: there's no franchising-type places around here? kamal johnson: yeah, no-- that's actually not allowed in the city limits, which

is great for a local business. yeah, you really do get that sense of community here, and that small town feel. i mean the energy here is great. hello. so you're originally from hudson, new york-- columbia county? yeah. growing up here, it was always close knit. you knew everybody in the city. your closest friends were the people that you lived next door to. and i think what's kept me here, is it's a city that-- you can make immediate impact johnny "bananas" devenanzio: and kamal johnson knows a thing or two about impacting his community. off to city hall. yes. i got to say this is my first time being in a mayor's office. but i spent a lot of time as a child in the principal's office, so i kind of feel right at home. kamal johnson: yeah, i used to spend a lot of time in the principal's office as well, as a kid. i was a class clown, so i was always getting in trouble. and one of my teachers called me the mayor of the classroom. so, as a joke one day, i made a sign that said kamal for mayor,

and i hung it up in the classroom. from then on, i always thought-- i wonder if that could ever be a possibility. and that's like kind of where my political career was born. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: how old you say you were? kamal johnson: i'm 35. the first african-american to hold this office, and the youngest in the history of our city. hey, look at this guy. hey. what's going on? you know everyone. seems like you're the mayor around here. i mean, i think this dispels a lot of notions about new yorkers being not friendly, and rough and tumble. i mean, everyone we run into has been just courteous and nice. just that community feel and i think this establishment has done a good job at that. kristan keck: and we moved here because we wanted to raise our son in a community and be in a community where we had impact, and we were all building it together. kirby farmer: we want to support the local community in all aspects, including farming. and anybody that's raising to the standards that we expect, and our customers deserve,

we want to support that. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: you're like, i'm going to make the best damn corn you've ever tasted. i'm about to start eating the entire cob by itself. that's so good. come sunset, craft cocktails and approachable fine dining fare are plentiful at william farmer and sons, courtesy of kirby farmer, kristin keck, and their dedicated team. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: covid has completely changed life as we know it. how has that affected your restaurant here, and what changes have you had to make to adapt to this quote unquote new normal? kristan keck: one of the things that we're really fortunate for, is that we live in a beautiful place with land and space. and we can take advantage of it, and-- we can actually showcase it. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: i mean, this amazing outdoor fire pit-- this seating area-- was this something that you had acquired prior to the pandemic? kirby farmer: we've had the space, but we really have only used it kind of sparingly. the dining room has always been our main focus. if you would just walk through the doors-- not at the moment, we're not hugs-- but we used to be all hugs.

yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. you know, just make you feel welcome. it's really, in the long term, just about trying to all come through this and-- come out stronger on the other end. yeah. - and the mayor is not bad. i hope so. mayor is not bad at all. here to be the mayor. that's what i said. i was like, talking about a baptism by fire. actually-- [music playing] this thanksgiving, it is time to celebrate new traditions. and ace is the place to get your thanksgrilling done. now i have two questions-- - yep what is thanksgrilling, and chef jason, how did you get in my backyard? well, i slept on your couch last night, thank you for that. and thanksgrilling is a trend ace created years ago to really help you think outside the oven-- take you on that adventure in your backyard and really create your entire meal on the traeger. so this challenges the notion that a turkey must be prepared in the kitchen. - yep. you're not able to socialize with your friends, and at the end, you're not going to be serving up a raw bird. that's right, and-- not only can you cook a 10 pound turkey, but you can cook all of your side dishes, and even dessert. feeding your friends and family-- quite the feast. chef jason morse: mix in a little bit of oil, a little bit

of italian seasoning. listen to that sound. right. probe your bird. perfect. here we go. now, set it and forget it. grill and chill. grill and chill. my man. you know only male turkeys gobble? i didn't know that. i didn't either. it's a random turkey fact. i googled it. every day in business brings something new. so get the flexibility of the new mobile service designed for your small business. introducing comcast business mobile. you get the most reliable network with nationwide 5g included. and you can get unlimited data for just $30 per line per month when you get four lines or mix and match data options. available now for comcast business internet customers with no line-activation fees or term contract required. see if you can save by switching today. comcast business. powering possibilities.

chef jason morse: the turkey is basted. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: yep. - on the grill. - yep. - are we done? - we are not. i'll tell you, the beauty of traeger is, we've got the wifire app. you got that wrong, it's wi-fi. - wifire. - wifire is a thing? wifire is an actual thing. the traeger app is going to let us track everything-- doneness, temperature, time, all of that. really giving us more time to just relax and hang out. so not only is there an app-- yep. but there is also a flavor station. flavor station. that's where the traeger pellets go. we have a special blend called reserve blend pellets. created for ace hardware. oak, apple, cherry-- really delivering smooth, even, wonderful wood-fired flavor for your entire meal. we've got our mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts--

are we grilling these too? - we are. you can go to acehardware.com. we have a grill playbook that's going to show you how to choreograph an amazing meal. when to add your turkey, veggies, side dishes-- you can take a selfie of me, taking a selfie of you. hold on, i'm still on the traeger app, let me get off this real quick. get off the app. how's the turkey look, by the way? it looks fantastic. ok, ready-- smile. [music playing] [nature sounds] johnny "bananas" devenanzio: natural beauty and sweeping landscapes aren't limited to the midwest. in fact, new york state, and the hudson valley specifically, are renowned for their fertile farms producing a vast variety of agriculture and livestock. and so it begs the age old question, what is on the menu for tonight? susan jaffe: ok, so today we have some farm fare. we have chicken sausage. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: ok. susan jaffe: sweet italian, hot italian. we have some grilled chicken breasts, on the far end.

some local veggies, from our csa. so, bon appetit! johnny "bananas" devenanzio: what we are looking at, right now, is the essence of farm-to-table. with the exception of the seltzer, and the mustard. i think, i don't know like a 20 minute footprint. so that's how you make your carbon footprint smaller? because i always thought you have to wear smaller carbon shoes. well you could try that, but i recommend you eat the chicken. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: an afternoon lunch with susan jaffe, her husband marc, and their children, taylor and teddy, gives all new meaning to the term farm-to-table. this is like heaven to me, i got i got to admit. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: but their family owned and operated snowdance farm, located in livingston manor, off the catskill mountains, had its humble beginnings in the concrete jungle. how far are we from new york city? marc jaffe: about two hours. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: two hours. your family is from new york city? marc jaffe: yep. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: all right, who let you guys out? marc jaffe: i was a corporate thoroughbred where i was trained to do one thing, and they treated me very well to do it. and everything else in my life was outsourced.

and susie was pretty much the same, and someone else was raising our child at the time for us. and then 9/11 happened. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: so 9/11. marc jaffe: 9/11. susan was eight months pregnant with theodore. my mother-in-law, her mom, worked at the world trade center. i had lots of friends at the world trade center. my offices were south of canal. it was just a very stressful time. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: eye opening. correct, and we moved out here. this was our country house at the time. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: and then this became your permanent residence? marc jaffe: this was it. release the hounds! go sheep! go sheep! come on. go sheep. go sheep! johnny "bananas" devenanzio: corporate america to livestock farming. that must be some sort of a transition. tell me a little bit about that. it was a difficult transition. some transition. taylor jaffe: oh! that was an action shot. susan jaffe: we were used to just the proximity of people, so that was a shock. because of where we, are it's just so isolated and remote. that's when got it in his head that we would be farmers. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: and what

was it about livestock and meat-- what made you settle on that? marc jaffe: basically what we employ is rotational grazing. taylor jaffe: is the fence off? teddy jaffe: yeah. marc jaffe: there are some permanent paddocks, there's some permanent fencing, but the vast majority of it is this portable electric fencing that allows us to move the animals around. oh, these are electric fences? these are electric fences. oh good thing you told me. ah! teddy jaffe: where we are, we get a good amount of rainfall. they have more grass than they can eat. susan jaffe: so it was just a matter of finding out what would work for us. and we started off with chickens. hello hello. ladies. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: how long does it take a chicken to lay an egg? like nine months? taylor jaffe: that'd be an unsustainable farm. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: yeah, i was going to say. they're laying an egg a day. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: an egg a day? taylor jaffe: an egg a day. oh this one's warm. just laid. no way. yeah. susan jaffe: for those of us who choose to eat meat, you have to be responsible about the meat you eat. that's just my philosophy. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: yeah. susan jaffe: and you have to take care of the animal, because, guess what-- it is part of that sustaining circle

where, if you take care of the animal, and you treat it right, and it eats well and drinks well, it's a healthier animal. that means it's a healthier you. wow, she's eating. teddy jaffe: did we ever feed the turkey? not yet. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: one of the amazing things about locally grown produce, livestock, is-- the people who buy it, can put a face and a family to where this came from. teddy jaffe: and with that, when i'm doing some of the farm chores, you just think about those people. colgate graduate. yeah. duke sophomore. what's life been like growing up on a farm? taylor jaffe: it's nice working with these guys. teddy jaffe: it builds character. it's hard to make a complaint. teddy jaffe: i really like being in the country. the city's-- that's not my quality of life, right now at least. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: i really do feel like people who live in the city for long periods of time, or their entire lives, they're missing out on so much. and it's almost like, this is where we're meant to be, and what we're meant to do. susan jaffe: yeah. [music playing] johnny "bananas" devenanzio: chef,

would you believe that i've never prepared a thanksgiving feast before? chef jason morse: no, not at all. ace makes it easy. they had an associate deliver my grill, set it up. yeah, from free assembly and delivery, to everything on one grill-- low effort, high reward. now you're speaking my language. right. what i love about this traeger is it's not just for thanksgiving, right? i mean, you could use this year round whether it's warm or cold outside. yeah, now we've got the main course, we've got the sides, we're missing dessert. this is our pumpkin pie cheesecake, on the traeger. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: you had me a pumpkin pie. chef jason morse: time to set the table. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: this looks absolutely amazing. chef jason morse: but, tasting is believing, so we need to get this party started. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: let's go guys! come on, this food ain't going to eat itself. this is, hands down, the perfectly done turkey i've ever tasted. all right, now, i got to say, this is my kind of thanksgiving. or shall i say, thanksgrilling. all of the above cheers. cheers.

and there you have it- [music playing] woah. wireless on the most reliable network nationwide. wow. -big deal! ...we get unlimited for just 30 bucks. sweet, i get that too and mine has 5g included. that's cool, but ours save us serious clam-aroonies. relax people, my wireless is crushing it. that's because you all have xfinity mobile with your internet. it's wireless so good, it keeps one upping itself.

do you want to shake this? johnny "bananas" devenanzio: do i? sophie newsome: i think being a woman-owned distillery, i come from a completely different angle. most distillers are men-- who's going to make the biggest, baddest whiskey. yeah. all right, rhubarb mard. i don't care about any of that. i care about it being really delicious. i'm in trouble. i can see that. that's good. cooper's daughter spirits, established in the town of claverack, is the brainchild of sophie newsome, her fiance rory, and rooted in what is now a nationally historically-registered farmhouse, was further realized by her mother louise and father stuart. this building really speaks to the amount of history that's in this area. stuart newsome: we did a three year renovation. it was full of junk. every animal you can think of was living in there, believe me. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: wow. it's like every man's dream up here.

so my first job was to take the floor out, and dig down, and lift the building out of the ground. we didn't take any walls away because i wanted to save the barn. i added walls, but i didn't take anything away. from what it sounds like, it would have been easier to demo it, and build a new one from the ground up. - you can't build character. - that's what i mean. you just can't do it. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: and while the building dates back to 1810, the product they're producing within it was developed through actual real life dating. rory tice: sofia and i met in plattsburgh, new york, where we went to school. and i think it was right then when we started our first infusions of products. sophie newsome: our kitchen used to just have tons of jars with different spices and fruits. you're basically like a mad scientist or a chemist. sophie newsome: after that i kept saying to him, why don't we actually make this into a real business. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: yeah. rory tice: that's one of the beautiful things about having a craft distillery, is we're not locked into one production cycle. so we can be free to create and deviate more than a traditional large manufacturing facility.

there's some alcohol in that. rory tice: absolutely. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: infusing their vodka with fruit from local farms-- what is that smell? rory tice: you're smelling the production of apple vodka. we're surrounded by tons of orchards. we get fresh, fresh juice just about every week. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: and bourbon blended with syrup from maple trees tapped in their own backyard. sophie newsome: we work with dozens of local farms who produce flowers, like rose petals. she loves me, she loves me not. she loves me! woo! sophie newsome: so, we're really supporting as many farms as we possibly can. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: among them, marilyn cederoth's oasis, cedar farms. marilyn cederoth: so this is too bloomed to sell-- too bloomed to sell. but the petals are good and they are fragrant. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: oh those are fragrant. sophie newsome: as long as they smell good-- johnny "bananas" devenanzio: wow. sophie newsome: --which is going to translate to good flavor, that's all we care about. and we flavor post-distillation, so our spirits have these beautiful colors to them. like the rose liqueur is pink from the rose petals itself.

johnny "bananas" devenanzio: look how pretty that is. there seems to be a lot of incredible innovation that's taking place here. sophie newsome: it's the perfect place to be, at the source of the best ingredients to make our spirits. being part of the farm-to-table movement, but bringing it over to farm-to-glass. farm to glass. - yep. - that's a new one. yep. or farm-to-cask, if you talk to stuart. depends who you're talking to. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: is it unusual for a distillery to fabricate their own barrels? stuart newsome: it's very unusual, yes. the only other distillery that we know of, is jack daniel's. there she is, coming from the uk, what made you want to relocate your family here to the hudson valley? louise newsome: there was a little stuff along the way. we came from los angeles to nyack, new york, which is 20 miles north of manhattan, right on the hudson river. we were there until we bought this property, which was in march, 2015. we were very lucky to find this property. shophie newsome: yes, this is the most beautiful place on earth.

i'm home. louise newsome: we're part of a larger group. so when people come to the hudson valley, they're coming here to experience the landscape, and the things that are produced here. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: you know, everyone has the role that they play here. and it's that culmination of all the different roles that you play that's made this place so special. raise them up. cheers! cheers! rory tice: oh we can do that all night. yeah, really. can you see my wall of smiles? when i first started using genesys technology i was kind of embarrased at all the love

and attention i got from my customers. people are so moved by how much i understand about them. they start including me in their lives. that's helen and her friends. i arranged a wellness retreat for them. look at those ladies. such wisdom. mmm. but it's really genesys that helps me understand people and what they truly need. i'm just glad i can help.

johnny "bananas" devenanzio: you can't come to the hudson valley and not explore the waters for which the region is named. bon voyage! the original name of the hudson river is muh-he-cun-ne-tuk, and that means the river that runs both ways. so are we in freshwater or saltwater right now? bill carter: right now, this is brackish water. so because it's brackish water, does that mean that you see both salt- and freshwater sea life here? absolutely. there was a fish that jumped in the background you get that? at what point then was this river renamed after henry hudson? bill carter: henry hudson was working for the dutch, looking for that northwest passage. but it wasn't until the english saw how important this part of the world was, that they decided they're going to name it the hudson river, because hudson was an english subject. right there, ahead of us right off the bow, that is pollepel island, home of bannerman castle. like why is that island not getting any closer?

we're going to need to step on it here. the tide's coming in. there's not just a surprise around every corner, there's living history. from 1901 until his passing in 1918, francis bannerman constructed the castle on pollepel island, as a means to house army surplus and munitions. bill carter: frank bannerman vi, he was the father of the army navy store. this is the man right here. that's the man, that's him. bill carter: so this castle was built as a warehouse. it was a safe place to have his gunpowder, and a safe place to store cannons, and munitions. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: this is like his man cave. his wife was like, listen honey, you're not keeping any of that crap in here. you go take it to the island. chartered boat trips-- that's the way, bill. and kayaking excursions with bill carter of storm king adventures get you to the island. bill carter: for me a perfect day getting out early, and hiking the mountain. and then in the afternoon, come down, and cool off by taking a nice paddle.

johnny "bananas" devenanzio: but once you've tied up, neil caplan of the bannerman castle trust provides a treasure trove of context. neil caplan: it has a lot of european influence. there's moorish influence, there's scottish influence, because he's a scottish patriot and an american patriot. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: you know, he must have been a pretty incredible guy, because here we are, a hundred years later, and his legacy lives on. neil caplan: this island is infectious. people come here and get the bannerman bug. and the history is so fascinating, and it's set right smack in the middle of the hudson river. you can't get a better place than this. it's just amazing. johnny "bananas" devenanzio: there's lots of research that says getting out in nature is very therapeutic for the soul, and i encourage anybody to get out here and enjoy the beauty that is the hudson valley. there is something unique-- there is something just spectacular about this region. a undiscovered yet discovered gem. it's got everything that you could ask for and more. it's completely blown me away.

nothing but blue skies as far as the eye can see, i mean, puffy pillowy clouds, this lush landscape. this is the hudson valley. bill carter: absolutely. in business, setbacks change everything. so get comcast business internet and add securityedge. it helps keep your network safe by scanning for threats every 10 minutes. and unlike some cybersecurity options, this helps protect every connected device. yours, your employees' and even your customers'. so you can stay ahead. get started with a great offer and ask how you can add comcast business securityedge. plus for a limited time, ask how to get a $500 prepaid card when you upgrade. call today.

[music playing] i'm sara gore, and this is open house. this week, we shine the spotlight on distinctly designed homes that impress and delight, including this architectural gem on long island's east end. and we're at this unique estate in sunny bel air.