Beekman's 'Joe The Grower' in bankruptcy, may lose farm
His attorney recently wrote him notifying him that he must come up with close to $10,000 by the end of the month or else risk being forced to forfeit the farm.
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A Beekman farmer trying to save his farm of 25 years from foreclosure and has few resources to do so, but is not giving up just yet.
Joe Giangrande — aka "Joe The Grower" — showed News 12 the disabled truck at his farm on Route 216 that he has been using as his home.
"I had another tree service guy try to help me get back on my feet," he said, "so he had an old truck and gave it to me. He said, 'Here, you can live in this for now.'"
Giangrande said he has about $200 on hand, with tens of thousands of dollars' worth of bills, back taxes and repairs.
He does not have the money to fix his crumbling house on the property, nor replace his failing equipment.
He is several months behind on his mortgage and a year behind on his property taxes.
His attorney recently wrote him notifying him that he must come up with close to $10,000 by the end of the month or else risk being forced to forfeit the farm.
"I do have hope and I think it's possible [to rebound]," he said. "I need people to shop here at my farm and buy wood."
Until about 2015 people came to the farm regularly for Giangrande's flowers, vegetables and snacks.
Then came a falling out with his business partner, hurricanes, the Covid-19 pandemic and a series of family tragedies.
"It's not easy," he said, "especially when you lose your dad, your mom and your child. It's horrible."
All he sells now is wood that has been donated to him.
Rolling hills of unsplit wood dominate the scenery that was once covered with colorful flowers, a snack bar and neatly kept greenhouses.
Several neighbors who remember visiting the farm as children say now, when they pass by, all they see are old, rusty vehicles, debris and of course, the wood.
"Everytime I drive by, I'm like 'Wow, that's a lot of wood. What's he getting ready for? Like, do I need to get wood?,'" one longtime resident said with a laugh.
"I hope he's doing well," Beekman salon owner Stephanie Hughes said. "I know he has that sign that sign that offers coffee and donuts, but bro, are you really offering that? Like, what are you doing?"
When asked whether he would consider selling the farm before it can be sold at a foreclosure auction, use the proceeds to pay the debts and start over, Giangrande said he is not there yet.
"Having a little pocket of cash is not going to do anything," he said. "I would be so sad."Beekman town officials declined comment for this story.
