Farmers Choice Dispensary wins New Paltz cannabis award

Farmers Choice Dispensary, which runs farm-stand-style cannabis shops in New Paltz and Fishkill, has been named Cannabis Dispensary of the Year by the Consumer Ratings Institute. The recognition underscores how the retailer’s farmer’s-market model and strong customer reviews have helped it stand out in New York’s cannabis market.

Why it matters: - Farmers Choice Dispensary is betting that a farm-stand atmosphere can differentiate cannabis retail in New York. - The award from the Consumer Ratings Institute gives outside recognition to a customer experience built around freshness, familiarity and local sourcing. - The company’s 4.9-star rating across 189 reviews suggests the model is resonating with Hudson Valley shoppers.

What happened: - Farmers Choice Dispensary earned Cannabis Dispensary of the Year for New Paltz, New York, from the Consumer Ratings Institute. - The dispensary continues to operate in New Paltz and Fishkill. - Both stores are licensed by the New York Office of Cannabis Management. - The company says both locations are open daily and offer order-ahead with pay-at-pickup service.

The details: - Farmers Choice Dispensary says its shops are designed to feel like a classic New York farm stand instead of a typical dispensary. - The stores use wooden crates, hand-lettered signs and Farm Hands who know growers by name. - The company describes itself as “a farm market first, a dispensary second.” - Farmers Choice Dispensary stocks lab-tested cannabis from licensed New York producers. - Product selection rotates regularly so shoppers see new items on each visit. - Sharif Jamal said the goal was to make the stores feel like “a great Saturday at a farm stand, not a clinical retail experience.” - Michael Benincasa, chief creative officer at Mercury Project Design, said the redesign aimed to move beyond the “sterile, jewelry-store aesthetic” associated with dispensaries and create a warm, immersive farmer’s-market destination.

Between the lines: - The recognition reflects a broader retail strategy: make cannabis feel local, approachable and community-driven. - The store design and language are doing as much work as product selection in shaping the brand. - Strong ratings and a design-first identity can help a dispensary stand out in a crowded, regulated market.

What's next: - Farmers Choice Dispensary says it will keep serving customers from its New Paltz and Fishkill locations. - The company is positioned to keep leaning on freshness, local sourcing and a farm-market experience as its main draw.

The bottom line: - Farmers Choice Dispensary is turning a cannabis purchase into a farm-stand experience — and the award suggests that approach is working.