HWS News
30 April 2025 • Alums Feast, Farm and Ferment in the FLX
Registration is now open for a 3-day course on food, wine, beer and agritourism in the Finger Lakes Region.
From June 8–11, a new course for lifelong learners invites participants to experience the Finger Lakes Region by engaging with the people, stories and enterprises that bring the area to life.
Titled Feast, Farm and Ferment: Exploring FLX Food, Wine, Beer and Agritourism, the course is part of Liberal Arts by the Lake, a noncredit program that gives alumni, parents, community members, and other lifelong learners the opportunity to take an HWS course. Participants experience all the hallmarks of an HWS education, such as experiential learning, small-group discussion and instruction from our Princeton Review-ranked top faculty in the nation.
Associate Professor and Co-Chair of Business Management and Entrepreneurship Craig Talmage will lead Feast, Farm and Ferment. With Talmage, participants will meet the entrepreneurs and business owners shaping the Finger Lakes food and beverage industry, including many Hobart and William Smith graduates.
They’ll also go beyond the tasting rooms to explore the marketing strategies, place-based branding, and community-driven innovation that has fueled success in the Finger Lakes Region.
Talmage says he’s excited to share what’s happening at the intersection of community, culture and craft.
“The Finger Lakes is a living classroom to explore how local food and beverage businesses are not just selling products—they’re telling stories, building community and helping us reconnect to place,” he says. “Through the lens of neolocalism and third places, we’ll examine how these enterprises foster belonging, collaboration, resilience and regional pride in authentic, meaningful and tasteful ways.”
Learn more about Talmage’s research, including his recent publication in The Academic on breweries and community impact here.
The itinerary includes visits to Billsboro Winery, Big Alice Brewing, Lake Drum Brewing, Fox Run Vineyards, Vinifera Wine Bar, Lucky Hare Brewing and Watershed Brewing.
“Aside from creating high-quality marketable products, producers are becoming more involved in the customer service industry and facing new challenges post-pandemic,” says Jenna Pultinas ’08, co-owner of Lake Drum, which she founded with partner Viktor Pultinas ’08 in 2014. “At Lake Drum, we focus on creating an experience and a sense of community, along with a diverse portfolio that gives us staying power.”
The cost is $1,395 per person, covering all meals, beverages, and access to all program events. Participants are responsible for their own lodging and transportation to Geneva. On-campus housing is available for $65 per night.
With only 16 spots available, registration is first-come, first-served. Register now to secure your place.
Feast, Farm and Ferment runs adjacent to HWS Reunion 2025, June 6-8, making it a perfect opportunity to extend your stay in the Finger Lakes.
