While Westchester and Greenwich are most associated with the equine variety, there's farms for just about everything in New York's northern suburbs: thoroughbreds, apples, pumpkins, corn—even organic goat cheese and maple syrup fetching $18/bottle. The Hudson Valley has garnered global renown for its cultured agricultural communities, influenced heavily by an influx of creative professionals from Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn and the big city sophistication they brought along with them. A burgeoning cultural scene has wooed celebrity residents and helped spurn a farm-to-table dining movement, helping to position the region as a gastronomic epicenter rivaled perhaps only by Napa Valley.
Agricultural properties in Dutchess and Columbia counties are available across myriad price points. Here is a sampling of some currently on the market:
AMENIA | 460 Sinpatch Road | $1,900,000
An award-winning dairy for over a century, historic Riverknoll Farm occupies 173 scenic acres of rolling pasture in the heart of Oblong Valley (namesake of the popular indie Millerton bookstore where Lena Dunham tweeted this picture). A picturesque 1870s farmhouse crests a sunny hilltop, beckoning views across field and meadow framed by Webatuck Creek and the jagged Berkshire foothills, joined by an extensive complex of barns and the farm's original c.1770 carriage house. Amenia is also conveniently the northernmost community served by Metro North, with direct service to Grand Central Terminal provided via Wassaic and Tenmile River stations. Those silos could hold some serious brine for your artisan pickle operation, don't you think?
CHATHAM | Pitt Hall Road | $3,500,000
Incomparable views and seclusion define this serene Columbia County retreat, situated on a dead-end road nearby the Old Chatham Country Store. A Gambrel-roofed Colonial farmhouse is entered via Dutch door, opening to 3,500 square feet of bright, inviting interiors, with wide-plank wood floors and colorful, tasteful appointments. The property's big red barn dates to the 18th century and is flanked by a unique tile silo. Nearly half of the property's 170 acres remains uncleared woodland, with additional building sites standing by as you grow your family, business or whatever else your imagination conceives.
RED HOOK | 166 Milan Hill Road | $1,895,000
We believe with reasonable certainty that whatever Old McDonald had looked nothing like this. This surreal farm estate comprises 268 acres of pond, stream, waterfall, open meadow and panoramic vistas of pastoral landscape. The chic c.1800 main residence has been artfully expanded and renovated, realizing a striking creative vision landing somewhere between Williamsburg and Warren Street on the style spectrum. Modern retrofits invite efficiency and sustainability, with geo-thermal heating and cooling, solar panels and other modern systems installed. A silo, string of barns and caretaker's quarters add character and practicality. All this conveniently located near Rhinebeck and Red Hook villages, along with city access via the Taconic Parkway or Amtrak Rhinecliff station.
See more of 166 Milan Hill Road
HOPEWELL JUNCTION | 171 Beekman Road | $874,999
Apple Hill Farm is the southernmost listing we'll be presenting in this post, which coupled with its price point presents an incredible opportunity for weekenders or full-time residents looking to live in area less rural than its northern counterparts. The c.1835 Federalist main residence sits on a shady hilltop surrounded by 11 lush acres of mature fruit trees, which provide plentiful ingredients to prepare in the home's enviable chef's kitchen—complete with double dishwashers, a six-burner Viking range, farmhouse sink and designated marble baking station. Crystal chandeliers, wide-plank flooring and a toasty fireplace rekindle memories of days gone by you probably know only from stories. A finished attic and spacious four-story barn with stables and paddock provide endless space for growing any hobby or talent into a cottage industry. It's easily accessible to Westchester and Manhattan via car and train; for the active biker, the Dutchess Rail Trail connects Hopewell Junction with surrounding communities and Walkway Over the Hudson.
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