Stable Stalking: Blue Hill at Stone Barns
Our stable stalking is certainly not limited to those stables that house horses.
On a recent Sunday drive in Pocantico Hills, New York, we decided to detour to one of our favorite spots, the two Michelin star Blue Hill at Stone Barns. The fresh November morning offered up the bluest of skies and we could just catch the last of the brilliant red foliage – but the real draw was to see the farm prepare for winter.
But first, a quick backstory. In the 1890s, John D. Rockefeller began to purchase land along the Hudson River waterfront inland, eventually amassing an estate of close to 3,600 acres. The Standard Oil founder decided to build his family estate, Kykuit, closer to Sleepy Hollow, New York, but his heir John D. Rockefeller Jr. continued the tradition of purchasing property and preserving their gorgeous vistas for future generations. In the 1930s, Rockefeller Jr. decided to construct a series of interconnected stone dairy barns, but as the decades passed, the property fell into disuse, until the Seventies when David Rockefeller’s wife Peggy decided to try her hand at raising cattle on this portion of the property. After her death, Rockefeller wished to honor his wife’s legacy, and he donated 80 acres – a parcel that included the stone barns – to the creation of what would become the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture.
This place is like crack for anyone who fancies themselves a casual gardener or future farmer, or for anyone who just loves a wholesome meal. After touring the grounds, hiking some of the trails that run around neighboring properties, and meeting Princess the Pig, we tucked in for a glass of wine at the bar, a nibble at the cafe, and then wandered over to one of the day’s many educational events. A typical November day at the farm may include meeting the rams, discovering beekeeping, foraging for mushrooms, tasting carrots, or get down to the nitty gritty of composting and healthy soil.
Needless to say, the day wouldn’t have been complete without a stop at Stone Barns’ country store. Stock full of gardening books, the softest sheepskin throws, ceramics, woven baskets, and candles galore, it was hard not to fill up our canvas totes with the dreams of future gardening endeavors. Two Kobo candles and a Phaidon book later, it was back on the road and goodbye to a glorious spur of the moment road trip.
Update: As of August 2020, chef Dan Barber will be stepping away from the kitchen and converting Stone Barns into a guest chef residency program, which means chefs from all over will be able to interpret the beautiful farm’s homegrown bounty.
