Jennifer Gould

Jennifer Gould

Lifestyle

Mogul sees organic farm as first step to reviving lost towns

Entrepreneur Michael Bruno, who made a name for himself as the founder of antique auction site 1stdibs.com, has opened a Hudson Valley farm stand, Blue Barn Organic, that sold out in the first few hours.

Peddling produce is the first step in a project that includes a 70- to 90-room hotel slated to open next year, as well as a roadside rotisserie and Babcock’s Bar, which will be inside “a little house with a garden in the middle of town, almost hidden, speakeasy style,” according to Bruno.

It’s all part of his plan to transform the blighted towns of Tuxedo and Sloatsburg into the “gateway” to the Hudson. Bruno is hoping to attract the bicycling hordes headed to nearby Harriman State Park.

The hotel will also have a poolside restaurant with 100 seats outside and 60 seats inside “to relax after a day of biking,” along with a bike shop, coffee shop, juice shop and gym.

“Nothing has really happened in Tuxedo since the ’50s. For us, that’s a good thing,” Bruno said.

The farm stand is in Sloatsburg at 78 Orange Turnpike. It’s open on weekends and includes a walk-in refrigerator, greens, herbs, a rose garden, pastries, coffee, a grill and a newsstand.

“It’s as cute as can be,” Bruno said. “This is all about the great bounty of the Hudson Valley.”

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