It's Escapes Month here at Apartment Therapy, so I thought I'd share a really great escape we took last weekend to Stone Barns in Westchester County. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture was established in 2004 by David Rockefeller and his daughter, Peggy Dulany, in memory of their wife and mother, Peggy Rockefeller.
It is 80 sprawling acres of many things, including a non-profit farm, an educational center, and a super fancy partner restaurant, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, all planted within buildings on the Rockefeller Estate, which dates back to the 1890s.
We went up early and just missed the 10 am egg collecting, but there was a lot of good wandering around to do, and the livestock tour at noon was the highlight, followed by lunch outdoors at the cafe. The three main things that I find incredibly compelling about this escape are as follows:
1. The architecture and design of the old buildings and the new greenhouses are all stunning. There are a ton of lovely ideas here to aspire to in your own home or garden.
2. All the food that is grown, both animals and plants, are terrifically well taken care of and all destined for the restaurant or market. Seeing a working farm up close like this, where the animal lives are both cherished and put to the service of the waiting chefs is unusual and valuable for children.
3. The food is amazing. The little cafe puts out an awesome, simple lunch with food from the farm, prepared by the Blue Hill chefs in the restaurant next door. We've only had the cafe lunch with children, but a visit to the restaurant proper in the evening is a special treat. Remember, this is the same chef, Dan Barber, whose Blue Hill in New York drew President Obama and his wife on their first "date night" after being elected.
>> The Stone Barns Center
>> David Rockefeller's dedication letter for the center
>> Stone Barns @ Wikipedia
Enjoy!
MOVIES
(All Images: Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan)
Veronica & Keith's Handmade Chic 
Before & After: A Bathroom Goes From Pinky Peach to Sleek and Chic
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Hunslet Dinner Plate
A Beginner's Guide to Superb Stir-Fry: Quick, Healthy Meals from a Wok
Easy Pitcher Cocktail Recipe: Strawberry Basil Margaritas
Comments (10)
Not to mention how wonderfully cool and dark it is in these great old stone buildings. Great escape (from the heat) for sure.
We LOVE Stone Barns and Blue Hill. It's so serene and a delight to all the senses. It's right down the road from us and we hike there all the time. Rockefeller State Park is adjacent to Stone Barns Center, so you can continue your walk through the park. I purchase my eggs, chickens and sometimes pork here, in addition to fruits and veggies at the Farmers Market. My kids have been going to Farm Camp ever since it started about 5 years ago. They even get to cook in Blue Hill's kitchen. It's a terrific camp.
Sitting in the old silos and looking uuuuuuuup is a great experience! Its a pretty place--and has loads of great classes and programs almost every day, not too mention a great farmers market. But it is a bit too faux-country perfect. You can get a similar experience a little farther north at Muscoot Farm, which has animals, lots of program, a good market on Sundays, and nice hiking trails--but a very pedestrain snack bar. (You can get a nice meal 5 minutes away in Katonah.) http://muscootfarm.org/
This place is INCREDIBLE, especially if you're a "foodie"
One of my favorite places outside NYC. I love visiting Blue Hill Stone Barns...the farm, the grounds, the cafe, and the restaurant! It is also wonderful to see with the fall foliage.
I live so nearby - had I known, we could have met.
It is one of my favorite places to go.
pve
I'm taking a group of friends here for a 30th birthday celebration this fall. Thank you for some of these extra tips on things to check out!
I have been there couple times and it is amazing. If you have the time definitely take the tour, it will make the trip a unique one.
Had a WONDERFUL birthday dinner there. Wine pairings are excellent. The experience is definitely worth it (however pack your wallet...)
Stone Barns holds a special place in our hearts; we got married here. The whole thing was amazing; the scenery, the food, the people. I will never forget the 20-hours-in-the-oven chicken that just fell off the bone and came off the fork as if it were moist salmon, nor the rounds of "ohhh!" as each table discovered the melted chocolate in the middle of the brownie. We now live in MA, but we must go back someday!