After months of uncertainty over the future of Sisters Hill Farm, the Sisters of Charity of New York announced Wednesday, Oct. 14, that they have selected prospective buyers committed to preserving the nearly 30-year-old agricultural operation, with longtime farmer David Hambleton remaining involved.
The announcement marks a significant turn for the Stanfordville farm, which has supplied fresh produce to hundreds of families, trained aspiring farmers, and become a gathering place for the community since its founding in 1999.
“Most importantly, the buyers are committed to continuing Sisters Hill Farm as the thriving working farm and CSA that has served this community for nearly three decades, with Farmer Dave continuing to play an important role in its future,” the congregation’s leadership team wrote in a letter to farm members Wednesday.
The prospective buyers were not identified, and the sale has not been finalized. The congregation said it is still negotiating a purchase agreement and did not disclose a price, a closing date, or what role Hambleton would hold under the new ownership.
Peter Giner, the property’s listing agent, said preserving the farm remains a priority for those involved in the sale.
“I can tell you all the parties that are involved in the negotiations want to continue the farm,” Giner told the Herald.
“We haven’t finalized anything yet,” Sharon Dosin, chief operating officer of the Sisters of Charity of New York, told the Herald, adding that “there are negotiations in place.”
“I’m excited that the Sisters have found a buyer who is committed to continuing the mission of Sisters Hill Farm — growing healthy food which nurtures bodies, spirits, communities, and the earth,” Hambleton told the Herald. “I’m grateful for the Sisters and the legacy we have shared, and I look forward to embarking on this new chapter.”
The announcement offers the clearest indication yet that Sisters Hill could survive the departure of the religious congregation that established and sustained it for nearly three decades.
The news follows months of concern among farm members after the Sisters of Charity announced in July that they would sell their entire nearly 70-acre Stanfordville property, including the working farm and a 10-bedroom house formerly used as a summer retreat.
The congregation was seeking approximately $2.5 million for the property, James Rowe, its director of communications, told the Herald at the time.
The Sisters of Charity have owned the property since 1917. They hired Hambleton in 1999 to establish what became Dutchess County’s first community-supported agriculture, or CSA, farm. Under the model, members pay in advance for shares of the harvest and collect vegetables throughout the growing season.
Today, the farm serves about 400 CSA members and donates a portion of its harvest to people in need, according to previous Herald reporting. Under Hambleton’s leadership, it has also become a training ground for aspiring farmers who travel from across the country to learn regenerative agriculture and the workings of an established CSA.
The property’s sale is part of a broader transition for the Sisters of Charity, which is winding down its congregation amid declining membership and an aging religious community. The process, which the Sisters call “completion,” involves determining the future of their properties and seven ministries.
Rowe told the Herald in July that the congregation had approximately 122 members, down from about 1,400 in the late 1960s.
The Sisters initially considered subdividing the property to sell the main house and several surrounding acres separately from the farm. But the plan would have required additional infrastructure, including a separate driveway, and the congregation ultimately determined that selling the entire property made greater financial sense.
In Wednesday’s letter, the Sisters said they had prioritized finding buyers who understood the farm’s significance beyond its real estate value.
“From the beginning of this process, our greatest hope has been to find someone who recognizes that Sisters Hill Farm is much more than a piece of property,” the leadership team wrote. “It is a place where the values of stewardship, care for God’s creation, nourishment, education, and service to others have flourished for almost 30 years.”
The congregation said the prospective buyers share those values and are enthusiastic about carrying the farm’s mission forward.
Significant questions remain, including whether the commitment to preserve the agricultural operation will be reflected in legally binding terms of the sale, how the property will be managed under new ownership, and whether the existing CSA and apprenticeship programs will continue unchanged.
The Sisters said they expect to introduce the prospective owners to the farm community in the near future and share more about their plans. They also thanked farm members for the outpouring of concern and support since the property was listed.
“As the Sisters of Charity continue our journey toward completion, it brings us tremendous joy and peace to know that the seeds planted so many years ago have the opportunity to continue growing and bearing fruit for generations to come,” the leadership team wrote.