Our Story

Brickhouse Farm is lived in by the Pindar Family, owners of the largest hops growing operation in the world.

Several different families continue to operate Brickhouse Farm as a small scale mixed livestock and crops farm.

Jen answers an ad in the Washington City Paper for a dog walking job and begins her career in pet care. She helps grow one of the oldest and most successful dog walking companies in Washington, DC.

While an undergrad at the University of Maryland studying pre-veterinary medicine, Jen gets a second job at Friendship Hospital for Animals, a state of the art 24 hour animal hospital. A dog walker by day and a vet tech by night, she is full-on living her dream of working with animals. Who needs sleep??

Jen moves to Albany, NY and begins working as a vet tech at Parkside Hospital for Animals. Her experience in animal medicine and handling continues to grow.

Jen and Mike meet each other, fall in love and soon after get married.

Jen and Mike's daughter Astrid, is born. The two and four legged pack continues to grow.

More employees are hired. Jen and Mike begin making hard cider in the first floor apartment of their townhouse. The rest of the three story townhouse is absolutely covered in dogs.

After many Zillow searches and long drives, Jen finds the Brickhouse in Sharon Springs, NY. It is their dream house and they make an offer.

The Guidice family moves to Sharon Springs during a blizzard and one of the coldest winters upstate New York has ever seen.

Jen and Mike begin planting apple trees and restore goats and sheep to the barns. They have more chickens than they know what to do with. Brickhouse Homestead is reborn.

After the dust settles and all of the boxes are unpacked, they begin boarding dogs in their 1799 colonial house. The dogs LOVE farm life.

Dogs continue to be boarded at the Bed & Biscuit in Albany and at the farm in Sharon Springs. All of the clients request the farm over the B&B because what dog doesn't want to go to a farm?? The house is once again completely covered in dogs.

We begin work on the historic barns on the property, converting them into a cider house and dog boarding facility.

Work on the barns is finished and we begin pressing our first batch of cider and are now able to accommodate more dogs in a beautiful, newly renovated space. Brickhouse Farm Boarding is born.

Every day more and more happy dogs get to experience the good life at Brickhouse Farm. The sheep flock is growing fat and healthy on green pasture and the apple trees are rooting deeper and reaching higher. More fences continue to be pounded and new projects are dreamed up almost daily. Tomorrow will bring more hard work, fun adventures and a sound night sleep for everyone. It's a good life.