Most Hudson Valley dispensaries are retailers first: they buy from dozens of licensed cultivators and arrange the results on a shelf. Green Goat Cannabis Shoppe at 3 Cherry Hill Road in New Paltz works the other way around. It is the storefront of Green Goat Gardens, a farm operation that holds a New York microbusiness license (OCM-MICR-25-000231, as listed on its website), which allows a small company to cultivate, process and sell its own cannabis under one roof. The flower in the cases comes from the company's own fields north of town, and the people who planted it are the people who run the shop.
That farm-to-counter story, more than the calm interior that earned it the "spa-like" label in local coverage, is what makes Green Goat worth knowing about.
Goats first, cannabis second
The name is literal. According to reporting by HudsonValleyOne, Green Goat's cultivation happens on part of a farm in St. Remy, in the town of Esopus, whose history reaches back to 1762 and whose parcel covers roughly 100 acres. The cannabis now grows on ground where goats were once herded. The New Paltz Oracle, SUNY New Paltz's student newspaper, describes the grow site as a converted goat barn about ten miles from the store, and the company's own materials describe the farm as roughly twenty minutes north toward Kingston.
The timeline was fast. HudsonValleyOne reported that planting began in July 2025, the first harvest came in that October, the state signed off on the store on December 24, 2025, and the doors opened four days later, on December 28. That puts Green Goat among the newest licensed shops in Ulster County, and its debut menu was built around a single season's harvest.
The three founders behind the counter
Green Goat is run by a trio of lifelong Ulster County residents, according to the Oracle:
- Eric "Sticky Ricky" Versen, the farm director, who oversees cultivation and production.
- Nicole Digilio Kross, the operations director.
- Bradley Allred, the retail director.
HudsonValleyOne notes that Digilio Kross and Allred have been friends since junior high, and that the two of them designed and built out the retail space themselves. The company's website frames the business as a collective of Hudson Valley natives with more than two decades of experience between them. In interviews the founders described New York's regulatory environment as chaotic, with rules shifting frequently during their build-out, which is a useful reminder of how much small license holders have had to absorb to get open.
Sensory cubes and tax-included prices
Two operational details come up in nearly every write-up of the shop.
The first is the sensory cube. New York rules keep loose flower locked away from customers, so Green Goat displays its buds in locked, tethered cases fitted with a magnifying glass and aroma slots. The point, per the Oracle and HudsonValleyOne, is to let shoppers inspect structure and smell terpenes before buying without anyone handling the product. If you have ever been handed a sealed jar and asked to guess, the approach will make sense. Our guide on what terpenes are and why aroma matters explains what you are actually sniffing for.
The second is out-the-door pricing. The price on the tag already includes New York's cannabis taxes, so the number you see is the number you pay. The Oracle reported that the policy was designed with cash transactions in mind, which suggests it is worth confirming payment options by phone before your first visit rather than assuming a card will work.
A smaller detail that says something about the founders: instead of accepting tips, the shop donates customer tips to the Ulster County SPCA, according to the Oracle.
What the farm puts on the shelf
Because nearly everything flows from one farm, the menu is narrower than at a large multi-brand retailer. Press coverage lists sun-grown flower and pre-rolls in both indica- and sativa-leaning varieties as the core, with Blue Dream named in HudsonValleyOne's report as a sativa-side recommendation. The company also publishes Certificates of Analysis for its products, which is worth checking if you like to compare cannabinoid and terpene results; our explainer on reading a New York dispensary label walks through what those documents show.
For non-flower products, Green Goat has leaned on local partners rather than wholesale catalogs. The Oracle reported partnerships with Harney Brothers, the Millerton tea family's cannabis line, for infused beverages, and with Soft Power Sweets, which is affiliated with Lagusta's Luscious, the New Paltz chocolatier, for THC and CBD gummies and chocolates. The founders also told reporters they planned to add consumption accessories from local makers.
If you are curious why outdoor-grown flower tastes and behaves differently from indoor product, our piece on sun-grown vs. indoor cultivation in New York is a good primer, and fall is the season when shops like this one turn over fresh harvest; see our Croptober guide for context.
Hours, ordering and visiting
- Address: 3 Cherry Hill Road, New Paltz, NY 12561
- Phone: (845) 633-8765
- Hours: HudsonValleyOne reported 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday as of January 2026. Hours at new shops change, so check before driving.
- Online ordering: available through the shop's ordering site linked from greengoatgardensny.com.
- ID: adults 21+ only, with valid government ID.
The interior has been described by Chronogram as spa-like, and press accounts mention a large goat-head logo painted on a wall, illuminated display cases and a separate consultation area. The company's website also displays a second-place badge from Chronogram's 2026 reader awards.
How it compares with other New Paltz options
New Paltz was slow to get licensed retail, and the field is still small.
Big Gas Dispensary, on the site of the former New Paltz Stewart's Shops gas station, opened in April 2024 as New York's 100th licensed dispensary and Ulster County's first, according to the Oracle. It is the more established option and carries a broader multi-brand menu.
Chronogram's 2026 dispensary guide also reported that Farmer's Choice Dispensary planned a 5,000-square-foot New Paltz store focused on local and independent products. We have not confirmed its opening, so check the High Today dispensary directory for current listings.
The practical difference is breadth versus provenance. A multi-brand shop gives you more categories and price points; Green Goat gives you a short list of products whose grower you can name.
Who Green Goat suits best
Green Goat makes the most sense for shoppers who care where their flower came from and want a quieter, consultation-style visit: New Paltz locals, SUNY New Paltz faculty and older students, and weekend visitors heading toward the Shawangunk Ridge. Craft-minded buyers who follow small New York farms will find it a natural stop; our roundup of small New York growers worth knowing covers the wider scene.
It is less suited to anyone hunting for a specific national-style vape brand or a wide concentrate selection, since the menu is built around one farm's output and a handful of local partners. For a regional comparison, see our list of the best dispensaries in the Hudson Valley, and check High Today's deals page for current promotions in the area.