Stone Barns Center

The Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, New York is a picturesque farm, one that would make any visitor want to forget his desk job and take up farming. It is an environmentally sustainable, organic farm with historic barns on Rockefeller family land that holds tours and programs to demonstrate how food is grown and raised. Blue Hill at Stone Barns is the restaurant that is the ultimate eater’s paradise. They serve an eleven course farm meal, with vegetables and meats harvested from the farm that day. The restaurant’s chef is Dan Barber, one of New York’s top chefs. You can also grab a light lunch on the farm at the Blue Hill Café, which shares the restaurant’s kitchen. The phone number for the farm is (914) 366-6200, and the website is www.stonebarnscenter.org.

David Rockefeller and his daughter Peggy Dulany, had the vision to build Stone Barns Center in remembrance of Peggy Rockefeller, David’s his late wife, who was an avid farmer and used to raise cattle on the land that is the Stone Barns Center. In dedicating the center, David said

”The most critical factor in farmland preservation has to be the promotion, support and encouragement of local farmers. As factory-style farms grow even larger, and our food supply originates in ever more distant places, we dangerously diminish the role of local food systems. Regaining that local connection is vital to the sustainability of our communities, the preservation of our environment, and the safety of our food supply. This is her legacy and now the mandate of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture.”

The farm is fairly small compared to a conventional farm. Ellen, our tour guide, showed us the main points of the farm in a 2 hour tour. Our group was so interested in all that she had to say, we might have continued wandering if it wasn’t 90 degrees with high humidity that day. I suggest wearing a hat and sneakers on your visit. Our first stop was the Blue Hill Restaurant, which was neat, watching all the chefs busily preparing lunch for the café and dinner for the restaurant. Three of the people on our tour had eaten dinner at the restaurant the night before and said it was the best dinner they have ever had. It was eleven courses with no menu, just fresh farm food that was available that day.

Stone Barns sits outside New York City on the Hudson River and its purpose its to teach children, adults and aspiring organic farmers how to farm in all four seasons in New York’s climate. The center has children’s camps to teach children the methods of organic farming and how to raise livestock. It is very different from conventional farming where only one crop is grown year after year, and subsequently needs to be sprayed with herbicides, insecticides, and conventional fertilizer. The children learn that good healthy food is all about the soil. If the soil is healthy, the food will be healthy.

I spoke to one mom whose 8 year old son was in the camp at the Center and she said, “our family now has a garden at home because of him,” which was wonderful to hear because that is the objective of Stone Barns Center. I definitely plan to return to eat at the restaurant, since I only had time to savor an excellent light lunch at the café with farm fresh panna cotta and raspberries on top for dessert.



To see pictures from my visit - click here.