A Recent Visit to Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture
One of my favorite places to visit in the Hudson Valley is Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture, located in beautiful Pocantico Hills, New York. It is a fantastic place developed by David Rockefeller Sr. and his family. Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture is a working farm, an educational center, a restaurant, and a café, all with a shared mission: to celebrate year-round farm-to-table agriculture and promote the connection between farming and eating. They are committed to the ideas and principles of community-based food production, which includes nurturing the land and staying as local as possible in everything they do. The mission of this nonprofit farm is to teach and promote sustainable, community-based food production. Open to the public all year long, visitors can learn about this organic farm and all its special techniques of producing crops and livestock. Plus, you can enjoy the food raised at Stone Barns by shopping at their Farm Market, having a bite to eat at Blue Hill Café, or by making advance reservations for a meal at Blue Hill at Stone Barns restaurant, run by my friend, Dan Barber. It’s simply excellent!
1 Stone Barns Center in Pocantico Hills, utilizes these magnificent interconnected Norman-style farm buildings, which were originally built by John D. Rockefeller in the early 1930s for use as a dairy farm.
2 After his wife, Peggy, died in 1996, it was David Rockefeller's wish to turn the property into a nonprofit center dedicated to sustainable agriculture, a cause Peggy had embraced throughout her life.
3 This is the large education center, which was once the hay barn and to the right, where the cows were once housed, is part of Dan Barber's fabulous Blue Hill at Stone Barns.
4 The two silos originally were used to store feed for the cows. Today, one is a sitting area, or reading room, and the other is sometimes used as a coat closet for the restaurant. Their architecture and acoustics are amazing.
5 The heart of Stone Barns is the farm, itself. The farmers there grow over 200 varieties of produce year-round. Outdoors, they farm 6.5 acres of vegetable fields and gardens.
6 The produce, like these heirloom tomatoes, grow beautifully without the use of pesticides, herbicides, or chemical additives.
7 In their quest to create a healthy and sustainable food system, the primary amendment to the soil is nutrient-rich compost made right there on the farm.
8 Stone Barns is a place where farmers are scientists and researchers, cultivating promising new seeds and heirloom varieties of vegetables.
9 Working with the seed division of Cornell University, they are experimenting with a type of corn called New England 8-row flint corn.
10 It is very similar to an ancient Italian variety called otto file which, when ground, makes excellent polenta.
11 Upon the hillside, they are growing hops for local beer brewers and also a selection of table grapes.
12 The grapes were just beginning to ripen.
13 The Apiary - Bees see in the ultraviolet spectrum and at Stone Barns, the hives are painted bright colors, which may help the bees to identify which hive is theirs. The bold colors also reduce solar gain, keeping the hives cooler in the summer.
14 This location for the hives provides early morning sun, afternoon shade, wind protection, and proximity to water. It's also right near the vegetable field, where the bees can busy themselves and pollinate the crops.
15 There are 23-acres of pasture and Finn-Dorset sheep are the primary grazers. The sheep are rotated to fresh pasture every few days to help keep the grasses healthy.
16 There are about 1,200 hens at the farm that lay approximately 6,000 eggs per week. They raise Rhode Island Reds and White Plymouth varieties for eggs and for broiler chickens.
17 Summer camp was in session and the eggs from this hen house had already been collected that day by the children.
18 Bourbon red turkeys are being raised for Thanksgiving birds. They take orders in advance.
19 Stone Barns Center harvests their poultry in a state-inspected slaughterhouse and butchering facility just feet from the pastures where they lived. This is easier on the birds than a ride to a slaughterhouse.
20 The farm also raises Berkshire pigs, a heritage breed of pork. They’re hardy, reproduce well, and thrive outdoors, both on Stone Barns pastures and 40 acres of woodlands.
21 The meat of the Berkshire pig is darker than commercial pork and has a higher fat content, making for great flavor. At Stone Barns, very little of the pig goes to waste as they also make sausages and delicious charcuterie products.
22 Year-round farming is possible because of this 1/2-acre minimally heated greenhouse facility. The retracting roof panels allow for outdoor exposure on nice days.
23 Every inch of space, every seedling, and every clump of soil is intensely managed here 365 days a year. Plants grow right in natural and cultivatable dirt floors
24 Seeds are started in flat trays and are set upon little black hoses that have warm water circulating through them, making for speedier germination.
25 A very serious compost tea brewer
26 Adjacent to the green house is the garlic drying room. These are mostly hard neck varieties and have quite a pronounced aroma.
27 There are also many varieties of onions being cured after harvest for better storage.
28 And there's even a special room where herbs are dried for the Stone Barns' tisanes, or herbal tea infusions. The aroma was incredible here!
29 Baby chicks are hatched and raised here.
30 When they are mature enough, these pullets will join the rest of the flock.
31 This is the Dooryard Garden, a hands-on teaching garden that demonstrates growing techniques practiced at Stone Barns Center. It helps to educate visitors how to create beautiful, healthy, and productive gardens of their own.
32 Right next to the Dooryard Garden is the Farm Market, held every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
33 If you don't bring you own reusable bag, you can purchase an attractive burlap one, like this.
34 You can visit the farm and buy just-picked Stone Barns produce.
35 The Farm Market is very popular and draws a large weekly crowd.
36 This week there were beautiful chiogga beets and cabernet onions
37 There was also a beautiful salad mix, carrots, and French filet beans.
38 Peppers, potatoes, and basil
39 And, of course, farm-fresh eggs!
40 Beautiful sunflowers for sale
41 Fragrant and soothing tisanes
42 There is also quite an assortment of meat to choose from.
43 And delicious baked goods form Red Barn Bakery, who is committed to baking with the freshest local and organic ingredients.
44 Pies both sweet and savory
45 And lots of cookies
46 The Stone Barns Center gift shop offers many fantastic items, like this locally grown wool from their own sheep.
47 And these warm woolen socks made with wool from their Finn-Dorset sheep
48 They even sell their very own Stone Barns Center mulch and compost.
49 Blue Hill at Stone Barns is open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday and for lunch on Sunday.
50 But, you can grab a bite to eat at the Blue Hill Café Wednesday through Sunday from 10:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
51 You can order from an assortment of delicious daily offerings.
52 Fresh Hudson Valley fruit
53 The shelves are filled with Blue Hill products.
54 Honey from their bees
55 And wonderful baked goods to take home with you.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
WOW!!! Martha, are you ever going to do anything like that at your farm? It would take a lot of work and workers.
The barns in your area are made better, bigger, and are more beautiful than the houses some people live in.
But, I'm just wondering and have for a long time...do you know any poor, normal, average everyday people, like myself? I know you don't know me, but is there even one out there that you do know? Everyone seems to be rich, famous, or both.
But, back to the farm, that is a good thing David Rockefeller is doing.
Thank you for the tour, and especially the info on the bee hives. Will you be painting yours? I thought that white would reflect heat better than a darker color. Maybe the next Blog you do on your bees, you could cover that.
Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | August 12th, 2011 at 12:35 am
What a great place, I was in that area a few weeks ago and I am sorry I missed it. I loved the socks. I just was in a restaurant in Roanoke, TX - Classic Cafe and the chef had a garden and it was so neat to go out and visit the garden. Cantaloupe and a wonderful fig sauce all came from the garden.
Posted by: ga447 | August 12th, 2011 at 2:37 am
2 years ago i planned our visit to NYC so that we could go to the harvest fest at stone barns. we were lucky enough to have our NYC friends drive us there, the city folks loved it, too. there's great food, live music, activities for whole family. definitely worth the visit!
Posted by: liisamarja | August 12th, 2011 at 3:47 am
Good morning Martha,
What a wonderful outing. What an incredible way to give this land and beautiful barns an important and continuing life.
Posted by: Sharon | August 12th, 2011 at 5:25 am
Always enjoy your posts, but this one had me googling tangent ideas every 5 pictures. I guess that is the 21st century learning experiance. Carry On!
Posted by: Susan | August 12th, 2011 at 10:00 am
Hi Martha, OMG! This sure is a great place to visit to learn all about organic farming, purchase wonderful vegetables, meats, eggs, bakery items, etc.,etc.,etc.! Thank you so much for all of these fabulous photos of everything available there! I sure would love to visit that wonderful farm-I'll have to add it to my long list of your favorite places to see in New York. All of the stone buildings are beautiful and some of them are similar to your beautiful stables. I love your Bedford farm the most. but I would consider Stone Barn Center for Foods & Agriculture #2 on my list. What wonderful people John D. Rockefeller and Peggy and David Rockefeller are to come up with such a terrific place for all people to visit, learn, and enjoy! It seems to me that more and more people are deciding that organic foods are so important to eat to be healthier! Terrific! Now I need to go see how sweet little Sharkey is doing after being stung by bees! Sure hope you and your animals have a great day and weekend! Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | August 12th, 2011 at 10:04 am
Hi Martha,
I knew you introduced us to this fabulous place a few years ago so I did a search. It was October 27, 2007 at the peak of the harvest season and among other reasons for your visit was to judge pies in a contest they were having. You said you tasted every one of them! I say tough job but somebody’s gotta do it, eh? I thought so then and I still think it, this place is something else and David Rockefeller is someone to admire. You really make me want to visit New York to see all of this neat stuff you blog about. I figure even if I can only see some of it, that would be a good thing. Have a nice weekend! Trish
Posted by: Trish | August 12th, 2011 at 10:48 am
I always wonder how food is priced. Is organic more or less than commercial. Why and how are eggs priced. I also wonder should meat such as what is displayed on the price board picture 51 be more costly or less growing Stone Barns method?
Thanks.
Posted by: Margie | August 12th, 2011 at 11:05 am
Wow, amazing farm. I can't believe how much they have going on there. What a treat to go there! Thanks for the pics. Makes we want to book a holiday just to check this out!
Posted by: Frances | August 12th, 2011 at 12:21 pm
Thank you, Martha, for showing us such an incredible teaching farm with all its far reaching benefits. I agree with the other posters in that Mr. Rockefeller did a very good thing and now you've shared with us! I'm inspired to search out and support local efforts.
Posted by: Bobbie | August 12th, 2011 at 12:31 pm
Trish- Here's Martha as pie judge at the 2006 Stone Barns Harvest Fest: http://www.flickr.com/photos/schneiderclan/3107101575/
Posted by: Doug Schneider | August 12th, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Ssshhhhh - don't let the world know about our secret Westchester treasure!
Posted by: wagonmaker | August 12th, 2011 at 1:26 pm
Martha,
Thanks for sharing this blog very interesting.
Posted by: KLBrown | August 12th, 2011 at 1:35 pm
To Doug Schneider:
Nice picture of Martha at the Stone Barns Harvest Fest and it looks like her camera guy Gary Nardilla in the background. Thanks for sharing!
To wagonmaker:
Haha - too late and now more than ever, I want to go there! It's a treasure alright. Trish
Posted by: Trish | August 12th, 2011 at 3:51 pm
I have always thought that people who put love,care, and thoughtfulness in to farming would create food that has a powerful energy. This is the food we want to be nourished by. This is the food that feeds not only your tummy but your soul. Sounds like a wonderful place that is making this kind of magic!
Posted by: She Said G Said | August 12th, 2011 at 5:02 pm
That's living! Enjoying nature's bounty and it's beauty. Whether a million dollar farm or my own vegetable garden,(it's a milliom to me) there is nothing like "fresh" home grown. Always enjoy your blogs. Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Roberta | August 12th, 2011 at 9:42 pm
Thanks for the great pictures. We just returned from Stone Barn yesterday. Our son is doing an internship at the Blue Hill restaurant. He is proud to be a part of this operation. He volunteers one day a week in the greenhouses, working with young men and women who see this as a spiritual experience.
Posted by: Denise | August 12th, 2011 at 10:27 pm
Thanks for another great trip and I didn't have to leave my chair. But, I have added this one to my bucket list. What a fantastic place and being a retired educator, I love the education going on at this farm!
Posted by: Sharon Key | August 13th, 2011 at 11:30 am
Thank you Martha for showing us such an incredible teaching farm with all its far reaching benefits. As usual the pictures you included are breathtaking.
Posted by: Adam | August 13th, 2011 at 10:38 pm
I love the passion for terrific cooking that a poly-culture farm culture creates! Madison, Wisconsin is like that, France is like that. Stone Barns is doing a wonderful public service sharing exquisite food teaching people how to be healthy via terrific "real food."
Posted by: Karen | August 14th, 2011 at 12:47 am
Dear Martha,
Your show and books teach us many good things about cultures in our life so thank you very much!
I would like to send to you my treasures books in .pdf through email if possiable? you will enjoy read it in your ipad?
THanks you.
Posted by: swuaidi | August 16th, 2011 at 6:24 am