Communities
Stone Bridge Farm is a community within, made up of, and connected to other communities. Our longing for connection with one another is profound and often unmet in this day and age — so much so that the Surgeon General of the United States declared an epidemic of loneliness in 2023.
No one person, place, or institution can single-handedly address our profound sense of isolation from one another, but each person, place, and institution can make intentional choices to lean into the particular, local connections that each one of us does already have — no matter how tenuous or fractured they might feel.
This page is a living, evolving list of the connections that the community of Stone Bridge Farm shares with other communities. If you or your community would like to connect with us, we’d love to hear from you, and we invite you to connect with our partner communities through the links we’ve included below.
Our Parish
Christ Episcopal Church in Newton is the closest Episcopal parish to Stone Bridge Farm. Our Farm Administer Katie Hoyer was raised in the historic congregation, and one of our Founding Farmers, the Rev. Tricia Lyons, supported the church in the summer before they called their Priest-in-Charge, the Rev. Chris Streeter — who himself was a student at Virginia Theological Seminary where Lisa and Tricia live and teach. Residents of the farm attend Sunday services and we count parish members among our Helpers. We are excited to continue to pray, dream, and plan for our partnership with the parish.
Our Diocese
Stone Bridge Farm is located within the geographical bounds of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark, led by our Diocesan Bishop, the Right Reverend Carlye J. Hughes — who is also a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary where Founding Farmers Tricia and Lisa live and work! Lisa and Tricia led a Learning Day for the Diocese in October 2023, and we continue to communicate and pray with Bishop Hughes and the Diocese in discernment for how God calls us together.
Our Church
What do we mean when we say that the residents of Stone Bridge Farm are a community of Episcopalians? What are Episcopalians?
Episcopalians are Christians who are baptized, confirmed, or received into the Episcopal Church, the only US-based member of the global Anglican Communion. Episcopalians are historically descended from — and contemporary denominational partners of — the Church of England and the Scottish Episcopal Church.
Stillwater Hunt Club
This intergenerational group first came to Stone Bridge Farm when Katie’s grandfather Art was still farming the property, and they have been learning and loving this land for decades. Since the 2023-2024 season, Kenny, Jimmy, Greg, Austin, and Brody have also become dedicated and invaluable helpers to us, generously offering their time and talents to help us tend to the trails, the pastures, and even to quite literally mend fences!
For the 2024-2025 season, we are hoping to both meet scientifically-based deer harvesting quotas to support the local environment (which is adversely impacted by rampant deer overpopulation) and at the same time further our mission of working with the land to nurture our neighbors by donating venison to Hunters Helping the Hungry.
Sparta Community Food Pantry
In the summer of 2024, Stone Bridge Farm donated 120 pounds of produce grown by resident Lydia to the Sparta Community Food Pantry.
From their website: “The Sparta Community Food Pantry Inc., is a charitable 501c3 organization dedicated to helping those in need. Through the dedication of our staff members, volunteers, partners, and benefactors we strive to improve the lives of everyone who needs help within the community.”
Northeast Search and Rescue
In the summer of 2024, our neighbor Jim introduced us to Michaela, an Emergency Room nurse and volunteer member of Northeast Search and Rescue. Michaela (and her dogs!) are members of this extraordinary all-volunteer non-profit emergency response team. The two- and four-footed members of their K-9 search units train monthly in advance of emergency call-outs, and they are always seeking new training locations. Of the 138 acres that make up Stone Bridge Farm, more than 80 acres are thickly forested, and the rocky terrain provides an extensive and stimulating training environment for dogs and humans alike. We are proud to support NESAR and their life-saving work by serving as one of their training locations.
Our Towns
The borders of Stone Bridge Farm extend into two townships: Stillwater and Frelinghuysen. Both towns are historic rural communities with their own distinct characters, stories, and attractions. Taking a left turn out of the farm’s driveway leads you towards the Frelinghuysen Forest Preserve — hundreds of acres of open-access public land — and turning right leads you toward the historic village of Stillwater, where you can grab a bite to eat at the Stillwater Café.
Our Counties
Stone Bridge Farm is not only a meeting place for two townships, but two counties: the town of Stillwater sits on the southern border of Sussex County, and the town of Frelinghuysen on the northern border of Warren County. Both rural counties are abundant in natural beauty, creative and innovative local projects, and opportunities for discernment, ministry, and discovery.
where two or three
are gathered
We believe that a community is more than the sum of its parts.
We believe that when two or three are gathered together in God’s name, God is present there.
We don’t believe that you need to believe what we believe for a gathering to invite God’s presence, and to become an instrument of God’s will: the working out of good in a broken and hurting — but still beautiful, still beloved — world. But what, exactly, does that look like?