With Gratitude for James Ford

All of us at Stone Barns Center mourn the loss of James Ford, our founding executive director and a longtime board member. James was a valued colleague of my father and co-founder of the Center, David Rockefeller, for many years. He oversaw the planning of what became Stone Barns Center and Blue Hill, and through that experience came to embrace resilient agriculture and gastronomy as passion projects. He had the incredible foresight to introduce us to the Barbers, spurring so much of the work that has taken place across this campus since our founding, and developed the program offerings that served as the foundation of our efforts to change the food system. He delighted in spending time in the restaurant and on the farm.

James married his wife Rebecca in the courtyard at Stone Barns, and his sons David and Daniel have been part of the Stone Barns Community since they were born. His love for and commitment to this place set the stage for the impact we have been able to achieve over the past 15 years. We are deeply grateful to him for all he did to ensure the success of the entire Stone Barns family, and we will miss him dearly.

Peggy Dulany
Chair, Stone Barns Center Board of Directors