New Windsor residents listened, asked questions and commented on a proposed farm to table business project during the regular town board meeting on Wed., June 1.

Blooming Hill Farm, located in Blooming Grove, is owned and operated by Guy Jones and his three sons, Austin, Travis and Skyler.

Blooming Hill Farm has proposed to New Windsor to move their current operation to a former 187 acre apple orchard property located on Shaw Road, previously owned by Robert Minard. Blooming Hill Farm looks to continue serving farm grown food, host private and special events and plant crops and produce at this new location.

According to Minard, Blooming Hill Farm was one of three offers that had been made on the property. Blooming Hill Farm’s offer was more favorable to Minard as they looked to keep using the land for farming which is what he had hoped for the property.

Prior to the farm’s creation, Guy Jones worked as a lawyer in Albany. It was in 1982 that Guy left his law practice behind and founded Blooming Hill Farm. In the early days of the farm, Guy would grow vegetables and other produce on vineyard land that was not being used.

From there, Guy would wake up early and travel to New York City to sell his grown vegetables at Union Square Greenmarket and then return home after dark.

Interest in Guy’s vegetables and produce grew amongst restaurants in the city and they asked Guy and the farm to grow specialty vegetables for their businesses, which helped support the farm. Eventually, Guy decided to establish a more localized farm base in Blooming Grove. Today, Guy and his three sons have continued to live and work on the farm.

Austin, Guy’s middle son, thanked New Windsor Supervisor George Meyers and the town board members for inviting them to speak on the project. In a letter to the town, Blooming Hill Farm expressed their interest in the Minard property and laid out their plan for the property and their intended usage. “Our intended use for the property would really be an expansion of our current business,” said Austin. “We would only build on a small amount of the total acreage of the property and the majority would be left for agricultural use or as open space.”

A site plan, available upon request from the supervisor’s office and from Austin, outlines new additional roads on the property that will lead to a proposed event space, farm stand and restaurant with new parking on-site. Additional roadways will lead to proposed housing units for farm hands and caretakers. According to Austin, Blooming Hill Farm will look to keep most of the apple trees on the property.

Before the public comment period, Meyers shared that the current property is designated as a cluster homes site. Cluster homes are residential properties built close to one another. In 2009, 103 homes were proposed and in 2014, 172 were proposed. No construction has occurred on the property. In order for Blooming Hill Farm to move forward with this proposed project, the business will need to send a petition to the town attorney for a zoning change. If the zoning change is approved, a public hearing will be held at the town board meeting, then at the New Windsor Planning Board meeting and from there will continue the process to make the zone available to Blooming Hill Farm.

Public comments from several residents raised concerns about the traffic impact on Shaw Road due to its present difficult with visibility and possible increase in volume. Sound levels were also brought up as the project proposes a venue space that could include outdoor music.

Another resident asked if Blooming Hill Farm would be raising any livestock on the property to which Austin replied that the farm only works with fruits and vegetables.

During the course of the meeting, most of the comments and feedback from the crowd expressed interest in this proposed project rather than another housing development.

“I simply want to add my voice in support of the project that you’re proposing,” said Bernard Kahn. “I think it’s a much better approach for using that property than anything else that’s been on the books so far.” “Your project I think for the neighborhood and the area, I don’t think you could ask for anything better,” said Chris Messler.

Before concluding, Meyers re-emphasized, that Blooming Hill Farm will need to petition to the town for a zoning change. If the zoning change is approved, a public hearing will be held at the town board meeting and at the New Windsor Planning Board meeting.

Once a public hearing has been scheduled, a notice will be sent out to the residents to notify them of the change and to follow along with the public hearing process.

Blooming Hill Farm is located at 1251 State Route 208 in Blooming Grove. They can be contacted at 845.782.7310 and more information can be found at bloominghill.farm.