Sunwalker Farms grows its own cannabis, processes and packages it, and sells it from a counter on Eastern Boulevard in Canandaigua. It's a working example of what New York's microbusiness license was designed for. Owner Curt Boshnack is a service-disabled U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and his shop was the first cannabis dispensary to open in Canandaigua and the first microbusiness-licensed dispensary in the Finger Lakes, according to the Finger Lakes Times.
A Marine's route into farming
Boshnack served six years in the Marine Corps, working in IT and embassy security, and later worked in IT as a civilian. He told Spectrum News in March 2026 that he left that work because he "couldn't sit at a desk anymore." The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) lists Sunwalker Farms, Inc. as a service-disabled veteran-owned business. Its microbusiness license, OCM-MICR-24-000012, was issued March 3, 2024. Retail sales began on March 29, 2025, according to the state's license data, and the shop marked its first anniversary with an all-day 21+ party on March 28, 2026, with local bands and food vendors.
The farm's stated mission goes beyond retail. Sunwalker's website says it aims to support the community "through sustainable agriculture, veterans' outreach, and horticulture therapy." The site describes hiring veterans and others into farm work as part of that mission.
Greenhouse to jar: how the license works here
Boshnack described the business to Spectrum as "four businesses in one": a microbusiness can grow, process, package, and sell its own product, but only within strict size limits. Sunwalker cultivates in a modest greenhouse on the outskirts of town. OCM records classify its cultivation as mixed-light, meaning sunlight supplemented with lamps. The website emphasizes "sustainable, eco-friendly farming practices," with a soil-first philosophy summed up as "balanced soil nurtures balanced wellbeing," and "organic methods." Note that no cannabis can carry a USDA organic certification, so "organic methods" describes how Sunwalker grows, not a certification.
The greenhouse explains why the menu is narrower than at a big-box store. Everything starts from one small growing operation. If you want to know more about light-assisted growing, our explainer on sun-grown vs. indoor cultivation covers how greenhouse flower compares, and this month's Croptober guide explains why fall is when fresh harvests reach shelves.
Google reviewers quoted on Sunwalker's site mention flower, resin, edibles, and a large glassware selection. Several say the staff know a lot about the wider Finger Lakes cannabis industry. One reviewer notes that the budtenders also work on the farm, which matches the farm-to-counter model. The store posts a Certificate of Analysis page so you can check lab results, offers personalized consultations, and has an Android app for ordering ahead. The online store requires age verification, and we couldn't see its live inventory, so we haven't listed strains or prices here.
Reputation and community events
The review widget on Sunwalker's site showed a 4.9-star Google rating across 469 reviews at the time of writing, which is unusually strong and consistent for a small shop. Common themes in those reviews are a personable, welcoming staff, competitive prices, and the farm-to-counter story itself. Spectrum reported in May 2026 that the space hosts live music. Crush Beer & Wine Tours has also included Sunwalker on a cannabis-trail tour modeled on the region's wine tours.
Boshnack is also pushing for New York to finalize rules for on-site consumption. The 2021 law allows it, but the OCM hasn't issued final regulations. He argues it would make cannabis farms tourist stops in the way that wineries and breweries already are. Until that changes, nothing may be consumed on the premises.
The team is small. Spectrum reported four employees in March 2026, and Boshnack described the work as covering growing, processing, packaging, and sales. That helps explain why reviewers say the staff know the product in detail: the people at the counter often work in the greenhouse too. For the first-anniversary party, the shop partnered with local vendors including KD's Cookie Jar, Lucky Duck's Mini Donuts, and 546 Chicken and Waffles. Those events are the best way to meet the growers if a greenhouse visit isn't possible.
Location, hours, and an address note
Sunwalker gives its address as 101 Eastern Blvd, Canandaigua, on the Routes 5 and 20 commercial strip east of downtown. The OCM record lists the same storefront as 39 Eastern Blvd, Unit 101, so use either in your map app. The hours are long for a small-town shop:
- Sunday through Thursday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Friday and Saturday: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The phone number is (585) 412-6363. The site also invites visitors to "explore thriving plants" and meet the growers. Call first, since the greenhouse is at a separate site from the store.
Fitting it into a Finger Lakes day
Many visitors will come to Sunwalker as part of a wine-country day, so plan where you'll consume your purchase. New York doesn't allow cannabis use in vehicles, Sunwalker can't allow consumption on site until state rules change, and many wineries, breweries, and rentals ban it on their property. Hotels and short-term rentals set their own rules, so check before you book. If you're on a guided tour, ask the operator about its policy on stops and purchases.
Timing helps too. The store opens at 9 a.m. every day, earlier than most tasting rooms, so it works as a first stop on the way to the lake. October is harvest season for New York's outdoor and greenhouse growers, and fresh flower can reach small farm-to-counter shops quickly. Ask the staff what was harvested most recently.
If you're driving, treat cannabis as you would wine: designate a driver or wait until you're settled for the night. Combining cannabis and alcohol makes the effects of both stronger, which matters on a day of tastings.
Other Finger Lakes options
Canandaigua now has a second licensed shop: OCM records list Good Life Collective Fingerlakes at 230 South Main Street, which opened in April 2025, on the lake side of downtown. In Geneva, High Points Dispensary has been open on Canandaigua Road since March 2024. Those stores carry a broader mix of statewide brands. Sunwalker's appeal is that much of what it sells was grown nearby by the same people behind the counter. High Today's look at craft cannabis in New York covers similar small growers around the state, and the High Today directory lists more Finger Lakes shops.
Who should stop in
Sunwalker suits wine-country visitors adding a cannabis stop to their trip, locals who want to know who grew their flower, and anyone who wants to support a veteran-owned small farm. Shoppers who want a long list of national-style vape brands may find more choice elsewhere. For weekly specials, check High Today's deals page.