Take a Video Tour of Jon Stewart's Colts Neck Farm

Originally published Jan. 12, 2017.

COLTS NECK, NJ - On Tuesday night, the Colts Neck Planning Board gave approval to comedian Jon Stewart and his wife Tracey's plans to convert Hockhockson Farm in Colts Neck into a farm animal rescue sanctuary. Jon and Tracey Stewart purchased the farm at 228 Rt. 537 East for $14 million last year, and they hoped to open it as an animal sanctuary this year.

But delays in the approval process meant the farm animal sanctuary will now likely open in 2018. The Stewarts still need final approval from the Monmouth County Planning Board and the state Department of Environmental Protection before they can continue with their plans. But you can take this video tour of the beautiful, 45-acre Hockhockson Farm today.

The 1770s-era farmhouse itself includes 9 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms. The property has two cottages, a pool, a pond with a deck overlooking it, six barns with 16 stalls, five pastures and a five-car garage. If you've ever driven past Hockhockson in the summer months, you might have seen a stand out on Rt. 537 selling flowers, fruits and vegetables.

The Stewarts are planning many changes for the property: They plan to build a visitor's center, a greenhouse, a parking lot big enough to fit 60 cars and a turf field for overflow parking. About 20 hired farm hands will likely live in the existing two cottages, which have two bedrooms each.

An exterior shot of the 1777 farmhouse, from its listing on Realtor.com.

Jon Stewart originally wanted to build a production studio on the property, but that has been abandoned. The farm will hold up to four large-scale fundraising events per year, with up to 200 people. Hockhockson's neighbors originally expressed concerns about noise, overflow parking and bright lights from the property.

They plan to keep up to four horses, six cows, two to four pigs, six to 10 sheep, six to 10 goats and up to 50 chickens that would live there — all rescued farm animals. School groups will be invited to tour the farm and meet the rescued livestock, all of which likely would have been slaughtered. Tracey Stewart is a vegan. She's written best-selling books on animal rights.

Stewart and his wife currently live in Red Bank, and own a 12-acre working farm in Middletown. They originally wanted to turn the Middletown farm into an animal rescue center, but instead turned to the Colts Neck property.

Past Patch coverage of Jon Stewart's Colts Neck Farm:

Tracey and Jon Stewart's Colts Neck Farm Sanctuary Approved

Jon and Tracey Stewart's Colts Neck Farm Proposal Hits a Few Speedbumps

Yet Another Delay for Jon Stewart's Colts Neck Farm Proposal

Jon Stewart Wants to Buy Colts Neck Farm, Turn it into Animal Sanctuary