During the American Revolution an officer passing through New Jersey described it as “the garden of America.”  Another called it “a land of milk and honey.”

Only seven decades ago New Jersey officially adopted the Garden State nickname, and just last year the state declared Central Jersey to be a new tourism region known for its farms, vineyards, craft beverages, and farm-to-table dining.

This harvest season promises to be a great one, with fall festivals, apple- and pumpkin-picking, live music, wine tastings, and Oktoberfest-style local beer. Just an hour from New York City and Philadelphia, discover the beauty and bounty of Central Jersey.

While in Central Jersey be sure to partake of our local wineries and craft beverage makers, farm-to-table restaurants, historic sites, and very special places to stay overnight. Check out our interactive map to find lots of exciting things to do here.

At DiscoverCentralNJ.com you’ll find farms and orchards to please everyone, including families, friends, young couples, and seniors. Harvest festivals generally require the purchase of tickets, either in advance or on-site. Our favorite festivals can be found at these farms, listed in order of opening weekend:

• Norz-Hill Farm’s Family Fun Fall Festivals in Hillsborough start September 14 on weekends (10 to 6), expanding to include weekdays in October (noon to 5). Enjoy hay wagon rides, a corn maze, u-pick pumpkin patch, Kids’ Corner, and a food stand. They also offer Scare Farm, a popular Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night experience September 27 to October 27. Buy tickets in advance here.
• Terhune Orchards and Winery, near Princeton, attracts thousands of visitors every year to a 250-acre family-owned and operated farm. Starting September 14, autumn brings Terhune’s Fall Family Fun Weekends, Saturdays and Sundays 10-5 through November 3, featuring live music, pick-your-own pumpkins, pumpkin painting, country food, pedal & play tractors, corn stalk & hay mazes, adventure barn & children’s activities, and farm animals. Admission discounts are offered with advance purchase.
  

  In the petting zoo at Abma’s Farm.

• Abma’s Farm in Hillsborough starts fall festival activities September 21 through November 2, weekdays 3-4:30 and Saturdays 9-4. Admission ticket needed for hayrides, corn maze, pumpkin picking, petting zoo.  Geared towards families, couples, friends, and casual groups. Kids under 24 months free.
• Etsch Farm in Monroe begins their fall festival featuring their 19th corn maze season on weekends September 21 through October, featuring hayrides, barrel train, bakery trailer, and pumpkin patch.
• Hidden Spring Lavender & Alpaca Farm has its annual festival on Saturday September 28 from 11 am to 4pm to celebrate National Alpaca Farm Day showcasing the beauty and wonder of these unique animals. Enjoy family-friendly activities, live music, food, demonstrations and more. Advance tickets required.
• Snyders Farm in the Somerset section of Franklin Township offers a family-oriented Farm Festival weekends starting October 5 through October 27, from 11am to 6pm. Activities include pumpkin picking, hay rides , corn maze , sunflower trail , giant slide, lots of activities, food trucks , local breweries, and great photo op areas.
• East Jersey Old Town Village in Piscataway is offering a free family-friendly Fall Harvest Festival on two weekends, October 25-27 and November 1-3, from 10-6 on Fridays and noon to 6 Saturdays/Sundays.
  

  Old York Cellars offers comedy and wine-paired dinners on rotating fall Saturdays.

You can also find autumn festivals at the areas many wineries and breweries, including:

• Oktoberfest on September 14 at Ashton Brewing in Middlesex, with German food and music with Danny Alderman Trio, from 2-10pm.
• Oktoberfest on September 20-22 at the Druery Brewery in Lawrence, during regular hours: Brats and pretzels; wear lederhosen and reap benefits!
• Oktoberfest on September 21 at Lone Eagle in Flemington, from noon to 10pm, with live music, food, new beer releases.
• Oktoberfest on September 21 at Sunken Silo in Lebanon, with live music and food from Metropolitan Seafood (2:30 to 7:30pm).
• Oktoberfest on September 21 at River Horse Brewing in Ewing, live band, Oktoberfest Harvest Lager and Hipp-O-Lantern Pumpkin Ale, from 6-10pm
• Oktoberfest and anniversary party on October 5 at Flounder Brewing in Hillsborough starting at noon, with the Dave Betz Polka Band (21+ only) from 6 to 9pm.
• Harvest Festival on October 6 at Federal Twist Vineyards in Stockton with the Reel-to-Reel Band, children’s crafts, ice cream truck, grilled food, and more. Noon to 6pm.
• Harvest Wine Pairing Dinners ;by Chef Jose on Saturday October 12 and 26 at Old York Cellars, Ringoes; reservations required, limited seating in the cozy Vista Room
• Harvest Festival on October 13 at Unionville Vineyards in Ringoes with Antimo’s Italian Kitchen Food Truck, vineyard walks, and wine to toast a great vintage, noon to 5pm.

Even without festivals, many other Central Jersey farms offer a bounty of fresh food and experiences you will enjoy this time of year.

• Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse in Milford produces 100% grass-fed, raw cows’ milk cheeses, pastured meats, and rustic breads baked in a wood-fired oven. Their farm store is open daily except Tuesdays. Tours on Sundays, weather permitting.
• Cherry Grove Farm is a sustainable dairy farm and creamery on 480 acres in Lawrenceville, making award-winning farmstead cheeses from grass-fed raw cows’ milk. The Farm Store is open daily from April through December.
• Gorgeous Goat Creamery in Stockton offers Goat Happy Hour on Fridays 4-6 pm (weather permitting) through September, along with Goat Hikes and Farm Tours every weekend through Thanksgiving. Purchase tickets online.
• Griggstown Farm Market near Princeton sells its famous “Griggstown chicken” and other farm products using all-natural methods. The market sells seasonal fruit pies, pot pies, poultry sausages, quail eggs, and fresh seasonal soups. Store open daily.
• Hidden Spring Lavender and Alpaca Farm is offering “walk with an alpaca” tickets on Saturdays. Although the lavender blooming season has passed, their on-farm store is chock full of bouquets, buds, oil, lotions, creams, and more.

While you are in the area, be sure to enjoy New Jersey’s canal region, which features the 70-mile long D&R Canal State Park, traversing the entire region and is a great place to walk, bike, and paddle. Known mainly to locals, the D&R Canal State Park is the second-most visited state park in New Jersey, passing near or through quaint villages such as Millstone Borough, Rocky Hill, Lambertville, Stockton, and Frenchtown. To celebrate the park’s 50th anniversary this year, the D&R Canal Watch has organized a bike-walk-run event on October 26. Learn more and register at Tour de Towpath.

World-famous Princeton is home to Princeton University and a dozen farm-to-table restaurants, plus a vibrant shopping district. Its centrally located Palmer Square offers live music every Saturday from noon to 2pm through November, and on Sundays in October from 1 to 4pm. Across town, you’ll also find music and art events at the Princeton Shopping Center. The downtown is even more exciting than before with the newly reopened Triumph Brewing in the old post office, and the brand new, 180-room Graduate Hotel.

Historic Flemington is Hunterdon County, NJ’s beautiful county seat, with something for everyone. Stroll its tree-lined streets, where 65% of the borough is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Surrounded by 1,600 farms, the offer a weekly farmer’s market on Saturdays at the old Stangl factory is popular among locals and visitors, and you can enjoy weekend excursions on the historic Black River & Western Railroad. Flemington is home to 450 businesses, including artisan coffee shops, farm-to-table restaurants, antique shops and boutiques, and craft beverages.

Just a short drive or train ride from New York and Philadelphia, Central Jersey has much to offer visitors, especially under the sunny skies and cool breezes of harvest season.  We hope to see you soon!

For more information about everything to see and do in Central Jersey, visit discovercentralnj.com.  This article is supported in part by a grant from New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism.

“Community Supported Agriculture” (CSA) is a fancy term for having an ongoing relationship with your local farmer.  When you buy into a CSA, you’re providing predictable funding to your farmer while receiving a weekly box of locally grown produce for your family. In some cases, you pick up the box on the farm, but increasingly farms will deliver to your porch.

“Our motto is ‘better food, better lives,’ says 23-year-old farmer James Klett of Fairgrown Farm.   “We truly believe in the importance of healthy, local food.” Fairgrown is growing rapidly by delivering produce to customers’ homes within a 10-mile radius of Hopewell in Mercer County.  They deliver their own crops, but also the produce of a network of Central Jersey farms.

Sustainability is a key priority for Fairgrown, and an inspiration for the farm’s name.  “Farming has an incredible impact on the environment, and it’s a priority to us that the way we farm strengthens the land, instead of damaging it,” says Klett. “We build our soil, diversify our ecosystem, and never use potentially harmful chemicals.”

Fairgrown Farm will deliver its first boxes on May 2, 2022 and is taking delivery orders now. Through a special arrangement, you can Discover Central New Jersey’s “CentralNJ” promocode for a $20 savings on your order. Don’t live within ten miles of Hopewell? You can find Fairgrown at the weekend Farmers’ Markets in Hopewell or Montgomery.

Other Central Jersey farms have their own unique takes on CSAs.  Synders in Franklin and Norz-Hill in Hillsborough allow you to pay as you go and choose what you want. Even without a “CSA”, Terhune Orchards in Lawrence will deliver online orders to local addresses, an option they started during the pandemic.

Von Thun Farm in Middlesex County is an example of a CSA where you visit the farm or a convenient pick-up location each week to get your box of “picked today” produce. The Von Thun family has been farming the same land for a century. Get more details and sign-up on their website.

CSA customers “receive weekly recipes and guidance on how to prepare, use, and enjoy those crops found in your share,” according to Von Thun. “We love hearing how kids who never liked vegetable have started eating them once they tried fresh, local ones!”

Even if you decide a CSA is not right for your family, why not make 2022 the year that you get to know the farmers in your local area. One of the great advantages of living in the Garden State is access to farms and farmland.

When you buy directly from a local farm, your farmer’s gets every penny you spend rather than 10 cents on the dollar when you shop in a supermarket. Without long-distance shipping, the environmental impact is lower, too. Most importantly to your family, you’ll enjoy healthier, fresher, and tastier food.

The website Nourish Life puts it this way: “When you give your money to a local farmer, that money goes to the local economy. It goes directly into the farmer. He pays the farm workers, they go into the local stores, and they send their children to the local schools. All the money stays local. That helps us sustain our livelihoods and give everybody the freshest food possible.”

Those are good reasons to join a local CSA in 2022.

 

To access the interactive agritourism map click HERE.

Wholesome, outdoor fun has never been more in fashion, making the 2021 return of harvest festivals in Central Jersey season extra special. Many of these weekend festivals started in mid-September, and virtually all of them will run every weekend in October.

Most farms are taking public health precautions by encouraging mask-wearing, hand washing, and social distancing. Fortunately, by the kick-off to harvest season, 82% of residents 12 and older in the four-county Central Jersey region had received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine, according to NJIIS.

This year, make Central Jersey your harvest season destination. Once again, farmers will welcome visitors from near and far to partake in the bounty—and fun—of the fall harvest. Just an hour from New York and Philadelphia by train, car, or bus, Central Jersey is one of the most accessible agricultural areas in America. At DiscoverCentralNJ.com you’ll find farms and orchards to please everyone, including families, friends, young couples, and seniors.

Before or after your farm visit, be sure to partake of our local craft beverage makers and farm-to-table restaurants.  If you are coming from a distance, we have some very special places to stay overnight.

It’s smart to check each farm’s website before you visit, since activities and hours can change depending on weather and other factors. Our favorite harvest festivals can be found at these farms, in order of their opening weekend:

Norz-Hill Farm has been owned by the same family since 1922 in Hillsborough. Their Family Fun Fall Festivals started in early September and run through October 31. Enjoy hay wagon rides, a corn maze, u-pick pumpkin patch, Kids’ Corner, and a food stand. The cost is $15 per person on weekends, $12 weekdays, with children under 36 inches free. They also offer Scare Farm, a popular Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nighttime experience starting September 24, with costs starting at $20 per person.

Dogwood Farms in Basking Ridge is a certified organic farm with roots going back to before the Revolutionary War. Starting September 18 they offer a small-scale harvest festival on weekends from 10 to 4pm with no admission fee. Enjoy their Pumpkin Patch, Corn Maze, Fall Photo Booth, Fall Plants, Cider Donuts, and more.

Terhune Orchards and Winery, near Princeton, is the region’s agritourism leader, inviting thousands of visitors every year to a 200-acre family-owned and operated farm. Starting September 18, autumn brings Terhune’s Fall Family Weekends, with pick-your-own apples and pumpkins, pumpkin painting, pedal tractors, wagon rides, corn stalk maze, adventure barn, and a barnyard of farm animals. This year, timed tickets required for public health reasons. Admission $12 per person. Pumpkins, food, pony rides are not included in admission.

Von Thun Farm in South Brunswick offers a weekend fall festival through October including a wide variety of activities such as a 6-acre corn maze, unlimited hayrides to the pumpkin patch, 20+ activities & attractions, access to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch. The basic cost is $15.99, with special pricing for groups and all-season passes. Premium activities, weekends, and U-pick apples are extra. Weekday access to the corn maze is also available for $8.

Snyder Farm in the Somerset section of Franklin Township offers a family-oriented Farm Festival weekends starting October 2 through the 24^th. Activities include hayrides, giant chair, backhoe diggers, corn maze, hay bale activities, climbing tunnels, wooden train, corn hole games, hay bale activity center and more. General admission of $15 (under 2 free) is required for pumpkin picking, plus cost of pumpkin.

Though not offering festivals, many other Central Jersey farms offer a bounty of fresh food and experiences you will enjoy this time of year. Whether you are driving or bicycling, you’ll find some wonderful scenery and farms, such as along the Hunterdon 579 Trail.

Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse in Milford produces 100% grass-fed, raw cows’ milk cheeses, pastured meats, and rustic breads baked in a wood-fired oven. The farm has 60 mature cows, plus a new generation of Bobolink Grazers, the result of crossing modern dairy breeds with the ancient Kerry cattle of Ireland. Their farm store is open daily except Tuesdays. Tours Saturdays and Sundays.

Cherry Grove Farm is a sustainable dairy farm and creamery on 480 acres in Lawrenceville, making award-winning farmstead cheeses from grass-fed raw cows’ milk. The farm also raises heritage breed pigs, lambs, chickens and beef cattle, raised without hormones, antibiotics or steroids. Farm Store open daily April through December.

Gorgeous Goat Creamery in Stockton offers tours, hikes, and picnics with a growing herd of goats who will capture your heart! Purchase weekend tickets online. October tickets will be available starting in late September. They also offer a range of goat cheeses, soaps, and other products after your visit, or at one of several farmer’s markets.

Griggstown Farm Market near Princeton sells its famous “Griggstown chicken” and other farm products using all-natural methods. The market sells seasonal fruit pies, pot pies, poultry sausages, quail eggs, and fresh seasonal soups. All products prepared in a USDA kitchen at the Farm. Thanksgiving and holiday menus complement the farm-raised turkeys sold in November & December. Store open daily.

Hidden Spring Lavender Farm is offering a special Alpaca’s Farmers Day on September 25, with advance tickets required. But you can also see the growing herd—including new baby “Montgomery” almost any Saturday or Sunday.  Although the lavender blooming season has past, their on-farm store is chock full of bouquets, buds, oil, lotions, creams, moisturizers, hand soap, aromatherapy and bath and body items, lavender wreaths, dried Lavender, and more.

We’ve heard more than a few folks joke about New Jersey’s nickname, the Garden State!  But after a day, a weekend, or a week visiting Central Jersey farms, you’ll be a true believer.

Forget the New Jersey stereotypes. Central Jersey is a paradise of farms, nature, parks, and history—and just an hour from New York City. It’s the perfect destination for daytrips, weekend getaways, and more.

One of Central Jersey’s best kept secrets is the D&R Canal State Park, a skinny 70-mile-long park that follows the historic Delaware & Raritan Canal and forms a “V” that straddles the entire four county region. The lazy canal offers walking, kayaking, and canoeing while passing by a dozen charming villages such as Frenchtown, Stockton, Lambertville, Kingston, Griggstown, and Millstone.

Upon arriving in New Jersey in 1781, a French officer fighting for American independence described the area as “a land of milk and honey.”

The state earned the “Garden State” nickname thanks to farms famous for Jersey tomatoes, sweetcorn, peaches, blueberries, and more. Proximity to New York made the region a breadbasket to the nation’s booming metropolis during the 1700s and 1800s. Indeed, for one hundred years the D&R Canal transported Jersey fresh produce to market in New Brunswick, Newark, and New York City. Today, you can use the D&R as a pathway to Central Jersey farms, craft beverage makers, history, and recreation.

Farms and Vineyards

Small family farms dominate Central Jersey agriculture today. Terhune Orchards is the biggest draw for visitors seeking to pick their own fruits and vegetables, sip farm-made wines, while enjoying live music and children’s activities. Griggstown Farm offers its famous poultry in a beautiful on-farm store, while nearby Snyders Farm has fresh-picked sweetcorn in the summer and pick your own pumpkins in the fall.

Fans of organic farming will enjoy cheesemakers Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse, Cherry Grove Farm, and Dogwood Farms.

Winery lovers will enjoy visits to Hopewell Valley Vineyards, Old York Cellars, and Unionville Vineyards. All these special places offer indoor and outdoor seating. Check their websites for live entertainment options and schedules. Central Jersey wineries are regularly winning awards for the quality of wines produced by Garden State soils and climate.

Craft Beverages Makers

The Central Jersey region also is enjoying an explosion of craft beverage makers, including Jersey Cyclone Brewing in Somerset, Lone Eagle Brewing in Flemington, and Flounder Brewing, recently relocated in a gorgeous, historic Dutch Barn in Hillsborough. This fall, Flounder will be joined by Bellemarra Distillery at Carriage Farm.

Sourland Spirits in Hopewell takes advantage of the high-quality aquifers of the Sourland Mountain region, one of the largest contiguous forests in New Jersey. The distillery is located on a farm where you can also enjoy a farm-to-table dinner at Brick Farm Tavern, next door. They’ll mix you a fancy cocktail, or sell you a bottle of high-quality gin, whiskey, vodka, or rum.

Farm-to-Table

Some of the earliest farm-to-table restaurateurs got their start in Central Jersey, inspired by the high-quality local meat, poultry, and fresh produce available nearby. In addition to Brick Farm Tavern, you’ll also find Brick Farm Market in Hopewell. In the Princeton area, you’ll love Eno Terra, Jammin’ Crepes, Mediterra, and Teresa’s Caffe.  You’ll be amazed at the difference fresh, local food makes to your restaurant experience.

Children’s Activities

Terhune Orchards is a “can’t miss” visit for kids, but in addition be sure to check out Hidden Spring Lavender in Skillman for its cute alpacas (and fragrant products for mom and dad), while Gorgeous Goat Creamery in Stockton encourages visits with adult and baby goats (as well as goat milk soaps and cheeses). Howell Living History Farm gives families a chance to see farm animals and farming practices of more than a century ago.

Trails for Walking and Biking

The pandemic sparked a new appreciation for the value of outdoor activities in Central Jersey. In addition to the 70 miles of the D&R Canal towpath, some of the best places to walk or bike include the manicured parklands of Duke Farms; the mountain biking trails of Six Mile Run; the educational trails of The Watershed and Fairview Farms; and 44 miles of hiking trails managed by D&R Greenway Land Trust.

Entertainment Options

Central Jersey offers a lot of great entertainment, including the AA Yankees affiliated Somerset Patriots, top-flight theaters in New Brunswick and Princeton, and museums throughout the region. Nightlife is available in the college towns of New Brunswick and Princeton, of course, but also in Somerville, which is emerging as a foodie destination.

Visiting Central Jersey

The easiest way to visit is by car, a drive that is rarely more than 60 or 90 minutes from New York City. If you’d like to come via public transit, take New Jersey Transit out of New York Penn Station, and make your destination one of these stations:

• New Brunswick, where you can walk to city restaurants, hotels, and arts organizations, or take a short rideshare to a nearby farm or historic site
• Princeton Junction followed by the “Dinky” train to the university town, where you’ll find the highest concentration of farm-to-table restaurants. Try rideshares and bikeshares to get you around the larger area.
• The Raritan Valley Line can bring you to Bridgewater for the Somerset Patriots, to Somerville for a downtown experience, or to Raritan for access to Duke Farms.

If you still need convincing, watch this music video celebration of the farms and natural places of Central Jersey, created last year to replace a canceled music festival. It will inspire you to appreciate the beauty and bounty of the Garden State!

 

Central Jersey’s farms are reopening to a very different landscape this season, following the worst public health crisis in a century that fundamentally changed Americans’ relationship to food. After a year of being cooped up at home with time to spare, Americans are cooking more, and they have a greater interest in healthier, fresher, and locally grown food.

“We had fewer customers during the pandemic, but they browsed less and bought more,” said Pam Mount of Terhune Orchards and Winery, in Lawrence, where her family has been farming for more than four decades.  Pam believes new “buy local” habits will last.  “It was more local people, fewer tourists, and they really appreciated the freshness you won’t find in a supermarket.”

Whether you live in Central Jersey or in the nearby cities and suburbs of New York and Philadelphia, the Garden State offers convenient access to wholesome fun and food.

Sticking with Pandemic Innovations

Like many farms, Terhune Orchards made some pandemic innovations they expect to keep, such as a online shopping and a wine tasting area in an aging orchard that no longer produces apples but creates a nice ambiance.

Another farm that is sticking with its pandemic innovations is Norz-Hill Farm in Hillsborough. In response to the pandemic, they quickly expanded to meet the demand for local food with a large tent to provide open-air shopping of meat, eggs, and produce produced on their farm and nearby. Owners Rich and Debbie Norz expect the demand for local food will continue, justifying the larger retail space.

Consumer research suggests farmers should expect continued strong demand. According to a Hunter market research study, 71% of consumers expect to cook more even after the pandemic is over. They say the reasons are saving money (67%), eating healthier (56%), and feeling better (56%).

While many retailers suffered during the pandemic, many on-farm markets did well because of the generally less crowded, better ventilated, and outdoor experiences they offered.

Those factors helped Hidden Spring Lavender in Skillman increase sales in 2020 versus 2019. The business is focused on a wide range of lavender and alpaca wool products.  “Customers started to visit the farm by word of mouth and liked the idea of being outside and visiting with the alpacas,” said owner Marie Voorhees.  “Customers also appreciated the fact that all of our Lavender Products are made right here on the farm, and they wanted to support small business.”

Humane, Small-Scale Meat Processing

The pandemic brought new attention to the problems with “factory farming,” particularly large scale meat processing plants where sanitation and working conditions led to large outbreaks for COVID-19.

Doublebrook Farm in Hopewell and Griggstown Farm in Franklin both operate on-farm processing plants at a much smaller scale than you see elsewhere in the nation.

“The humane slaughter of our livestock has always been one the most important aspects of raising animals,” said Robin McConaughy who runs the farm with her husband Jon. “We take it seriously and have worked hard to make it calm, quiet and quick for the animals. We created our pens and chutes using Temple Grandin’s model to reduce stress.”

Most Central Jersey livestock is grass-fed, which benefits the animals, consumers, and the grasslands themselves which benefit from the manure fertilization by grazing animals.  This is true for the organic cheese and dairy operations Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse in Milford, Cherry Grove Farm in Lawrence, and Gorgeous Goat Creamery in Stockton, as well as the meat and poultry operations of Dogwood Farms in Basking Ridge and Doublebrook and its Brick Farm Market.

“Our meat sales have been very strong, and until recently, we have been just about sold out! We even have been selling the more obscure cuts since folks have more time to cook and experiment at home,” said Nina White, owner of Bobolink. “Our customers are seeking local, regenerative, ethical foods. They care about the big picture of how we treat our workers, our livestock, our land, and our wildlife!”

Wholesome, Outdoor Experiences

Another factor in the rising popularity of Central Jersey farms is the opportunity for wholesome, outdoor activities for the whole family. The “U-pick” season for berries starts with strawberries in May, followed by blueberries in June and July, blackberries in August, and finishing up with apples and pumpkins in September and October.

Some of the best “Pick Your Own” opportunities are offered by Snyders Farm in Somerset, Terhune Orchards, and Von Thun Farm in South Brunswick. All three farms also offer a variety of entertainment experiences, including farm animals to see.

As the pandemic fades and the weather keeps getting more lovely, restore your spirits by spending a day, a weekend, or even a week visiting the farms and vineyards of Central Jersey.

Use our interactive map to find all our great Central Jersey farms, as well as beverage makers, farm-to-table restaurants, historic sites, recreation ideas, and more! And be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook and sign up for our regular email updates.

 

One of the few silver linings of the 2020 pandemic year was a new appreciation for the quality and accessibility of Central Jersey’s locally grown food and locally made beer, wine, ciders, and more.  As we happily turn the page to 2021, consider this New Year’s resolution:

I will commit to regularly patronizing local farms, wineries, breweries, and distillers, from now on!

The pay-off will be better and healthier food and drink for your family, made with fewer chemicals. In addition, you’ll be helping to support local, family businesses that have struggled to get through an economic and health crisis of historic proportions.

Not sure where to buy local food and drink during these winter months? We’ve got you covered!  Many of them offer online ordering and delivery, while others provide enjoyable excursions to bucolic farm and winery settings. Read on to learn about some of our favorites, in reverse alphabetical order. Click on the links to learn more!

UNIONVILLE VINEYARDS: Pictured above, Unionville manages and sources grapes from five vineyard sites across Central Jersey, including at their picturesque headquarters in Ringoes. Named one of the top 500 wineries in the United State by FOOD&WINE Magazine, they recently receive a 90-point rating from the Cork Report for their Cabernet Franc. The tasting room is open Thursday to Monday by appointment, so call first.

TERHUNE ORCHARDS is Central Jersey’s “agritourism” leader and has lots of fresh produce year-round. Open daily, the store offers their own apples, lettuce, cider, herbs, Terhune wine, and baked goods, plus a full line of fruits, vegetables, eggs, and milk from other farms. Amid the pandemic, they accept online and phone orders with on-farm pick-up or delivery within 10 miles.

OLD YORK CELLARS: Old York Cellars offers a wide range of wines, including some beautiful wood gift boxes. A particularly handsome (and delicious) choice is the charitable Preservation Wine series with watercolor paintings by James Fiorentino celebrating preserved lands in Central Jersey, including the Sourlands, Goat Hill, and St. Michaels Farm Preserve. One-third of the purchase price goes to D&R Greenway Land Trust to help preserve and protect natural areas.

NORZ-HILL FARM is on the western side of Hillsborough Township has dramatically expanded its retail operation since the pandemic. During the winter months, visit the Egg Shed to purchase eggs on the honor system any time of day, or stop by Saturdays from 10 AM to 2 PM to purchase farm-raised beef and pork. Norz-Hill’s beef and pork animals are raised humanely, without artificial growth hormones and all-natural feed, hay, and okra.

HOPEWELL VALLEY VINEYARDS – Owned by a couple hailing from Italy and Greece, Hopewell Valley Vineyards offers a distinctly European style of winemaking, complete with Sangiovese, Barbera, Vidal Blanc, and Spumante Secco wines.  In light of the health crisis, the winery has increased its focus on wine available for online purchase and pick up or delivery. Locals can also take advantage of gourmet take-out, including brick oven pizza, salads, and desserts.

HIDDEN SPRING LAVENDER – This on-farm market is in the Skillman section of Montgomery, offering culinary lavender, tea, and honey, plus a wide range of lavender lotions, creams, perfumes, and plush toys. During the winter months they are open just Saturdays, 10-4 PM. No more than five people are allowed in the store at one time, masks required, and they offer a curb-side pickup if you pre-order online.  Visit the alpacas while on the farm.

GRIGGSTOWN FARM MARKET has a Princeton postal address but is in Franklin Township. They are best known for their own poultry and prepared foods, including Griggstown’s famous chicken and turkey pot pies.  In addition to farm-made fruit pies, pot pies, chicken sausages, chicken salad, stuffed ravioli, and breads, they also carry produce and dairy from nearby farms. They are open 7 days per week all year.

DOGWOOD FARMS: At their new location in Liberty Corner, Dogwood Farms’s antique barn is open for shopping Saturdays and Sundays 10 AM – 4 PM throughout the winter months. They offer organic meats, poultry, cheeses, vegetables, and more. Their online store offers delicious gift boxes for delivery or pick-up, such Pasta Night Box, Brunch in a Box, and Hot Sauce Box featuring Bloody Mary mix, pasta sauces, and salsas made with Dogwood’s organically grown tomatoes, onions, and peppers.

CHERRY GROVE FARM is best known for cheeses, grass-fed beef, and whey-fed pork along Route 206 in Lawrence. They have a wide variety of locally made food products in a store open in winter 6 days per week (closed Tuesdays). Inquire about free delivery.

BRICK FARM MARKET is a leader in the local food movement and has a popular farm market featuring pastured meats and eggs from their own Double Brook Farm in Hopewell, and a large selection of produce, sundries, cheese, juices, milk, butter and cream from area farms and purveyors. They also have an in-house bakery making daily breads and sweets. The store is currently open for shopping, and they offering online grocery shopping for pick-up or delivery, and online café orders.

BOBOLINK DAIRY & BAKEHOUSE in Milford near the Delaware River is renowned for a unique, Central Jersey approach to cheesemaking, grass-fed beef and whey-fed pork. They bake distinctive breads with regional grains and the farm store carries house-made charcuterie; eggs from their own cage-free, soy-free chickens; fresh 100% grass-fed milk, cream, and butter. Since the health crisis, they encourage advance phone and orders online for delivery to your car. They also have a program of free delivery on orders of $50 or more, with 2 days’ notice and within 20 minutes. Open daily except Tuesday.

Explore the DISCOVER CENTRAL NEW JERSEY MAP for even more FARMS, BEVERAGE MAKERS, and ideas for HIKING, BIKING, and much more. Some are closed during the winter, so call ahead to be sure.

Throughout most of American history, the farms of New Jersey played a crucial role. In the 1700s, New Jersey’s farms fed George Washington’s Continental Army during the Revolutionary War; in the 1800s, New Jersey served as the breadbasket to the rising New York metropolis; in the 1900s New Jersey played a key role in feeding wartime America.

Today, farmers of the Garden State are called again to serve us during a time of crisis. Let’s do our part and love them back!

 

Most of us will miss seeing friends and family this holiday season, but we can still send some Central Jersey love, straight from the family farms, wineries, and distilleries of the Garden State!

The 2020 coronavirus pandemic has led many New Jerseyans to rediscover their local food and beverage growers. Quality, freshness, and reduced chemicals are some of the most attractive aspects of local agriculture, along with supporting the local economy, creating new habits that may survive the pandemic.

By sharing gift boxes, baskets, and locally made decorations you help spread the word within your social circle, while sending a moment of joy to a neighbor or loved ones. Some of our favorite providers follow below, in reverse alphabetical order:

UNIONVILLE VINEYARDS: The beauty of Unionville Vineyards was featured this year in an entertaining music video by New Jersey’s As Is Jazz, as part of a “virtual” fundraiser for the Sourland Conservancy that was a “silver lining” for the pandemic year. What better way to toast the end of 2020 with Unionville’s Silver Lining Cabernet Franc, made with grapes of the 2019 bumper that followed a terrible 2018.  Many other wonderful wines are available for online purchase and shipping by UPS.

 

TERHUNE ORCHARDS & WINERY: One of the most popular farm destinations in New Jersey, Terhune Orchards & Winery offers a wide variety of gift baskets for pick-up and gift boxes for delivery at prices ranging from $32 to $100.  Farm fresh apples, farm-baked goods, and Terhune fruit butters are among the items lovingly packed for the enjoyment of your friends and family. They also offer wines made of grapes, peaches, and blueberries.

Suydam Farms: Now in its 12^th generation, Suydam Farms in Franklin Township is one of the best places to find a Christmas tree, wreath, garlands, or grave blanket. They also offer a variety of farm-grown meats and locally-source holiday treats.  Be sure to make time to visit the farmyard goats, cows, hogs, and chickens.

Sourland Spirits: New Jersey’s Farm Distillery is located in Hopewell, where handcrafted gin, vodka, rum, and bourbon is made with the clean, fresh waters of the Sourland Mountain. Purchase online for pick-up or delivery statewide and to nearby states.

OLD YORK CELLARS: Old York Cellars offers a wide range of wines, including some beautiful wood gift boxes. A particularly handsome (and delicious) choice are the charitable Preservation Wines with watercolor paintings by James Fiorentino celebrating preserved lands in Central Jersey, including the Sourlands, Goat Hill, and St. Michaels Farm Preserve. One-third of the purchase price goes to D&R Greenway Land Trust to help preserve and protect natural areas.

NORZ-HILL FARM:  in Hillsborough is offering Winter hayride holiday lights with required pre-purchase tickets, masking and social distancing rules followed. Depending on weather and any late changes to health guidelines, Rides are available Fridays and Sundays 4:30 to 8pm and Saturdays 10:00 to 8pm. Be sure to check the website to confirm and order tickets before arriving. If you time it right, you can stop by the egg shack or go home with some grassfed meats!

HIDDEN SPRING LAVENDER: The online gift shop for this family-owned farm in Skillman offers a wide variety of lavender beauty and aroma products, plush toys, and alpaca wool clothing. Send holiday cheer with a $30 wooden sleigh filled with lavender soaps, Head to Toe Lotion, lip balm and lavender sachet from lavender flowers.

GRIGGSTOWN FARM MARKET: Located along the D&R Canal State Park in Franklin Township, Griggstown Farm’s kitchen makes some of the best fruit pies and breads around. They also offer farm-raised chickens and game birds. You may even find a classic Christmas Goose!

DOGWOOD FARMS: At their new location in Liberty Corner, Dogwood Farms’ online store offers delicious gift boxes for delivery or pick-up, such Pasta Night Box, Brunch in a Box, and Hot Sauce Box featuring Bloody Mary mix, pasta sauces, and salsas made with Dogwood’s organically grown tomatoes, onions, and peppers.

CHERRY GROVE FARM: If you’re still unsure of what gift to give to those nearest to your heart, Cherry Grove Farm currently offers a variety of private cheese making classes right on the farm. Give the gift of experience to someone you love and enjoy a fun (and safe) day out on farm. More information can be found on their class tab.

BRICK FARM MARKET: This farm-to-market shop in Hopewell is ready to support your holiday plans with Jersey Fresh prepared foods. Available for pick-up only, their holiday store offers an artisanal butcher with Berkshire hams and pork loins, sumptuous side dishes, and bake shop with snowflake rolls, French baguettes, and New York-style cheesecake.

BOBOLINK DIARY & BAKEHOUSE: Do you have a true gourmand on your holiday list? The online gift store for Bobolink Diary offers unique, raw milk cheeses that are popular among the finest restaurants in the New York area, rustic breads, farm-baked cookies, and much more.

We’d love to hear about your farm experience this holiday season.  Drop us a line and tell us what you discovered in Central Jersey.

 

The global health crisis has canceled 2020 summer vacations for thousands of New Jerseyans, making now the perfect time to be a tourist in your own backyard. Hop in a car with your family or companion and discover the farms, historic sites, and pathways that make Central Jersey one of the great agritourism and heritage tourism destinations in the nation.

The folks at Discover Central New Jersey have curated a handy online map with lots of suggestions for places to visit.  You can build a terrific daytrip every week this summer.  Bookmark our website and return regularly for staycation inspiration.

Here are some of our favorite ideas:

The D&R Canal State Park: Central Jersey’s Best Kept Secret

We’re surprised how many locals haven’t heard about the D&R Canal State Park, or if vaguely aware, they don’t realize it is 70 miles long and the second-most visited New Jersey State Park.

The canal and park form a “V” shape to define the Central Jersey region.  A western “feeder” canal wing stretches from Frenchtown south along the Delaware River to Trenton, while an eastern “main” canal travels from Trenton to New Brunswick. For nearly the entire length, there is a well-maintained crushed stone “towpath” that is ideal for walkers and bicyclists.

There may be hundreds of locations to enter the park, and nearly every stretch gives you water views and access to abundant wildlife, such as turtles, deer, great blue herons, woodpeckers, and songbirds. You could spend the entire summer walking every mile and stopping off to visit the cute canal villages such as Frenchtown, Stockton, Lambertville, Kingston, Rocky Hill, and East Millstone. Canoe and Kayak rentals are available during the health crisis at Princeton and Griggstown.

What’s more, the D&R Canal state Park is connected to the 22-mile Lawrence-Hopewell Trail, as well as the gigantic Circuit Trails system that is centered in Philadelphia. Explore them all!

Take the pathway less taken with D&R Greenway

D&R Greenway Land Trust has preserved 21,000 acres of farmlands and forest throughout Central Jersey, most of which offer well-maintained yet lightly traveled trails.

One of the most popular is St. Michaels Farm Preserve, over 400 acres of farm fields and pathways on the site of a former orphanage in Hopewell.  The Greenway Meadows in Princeton offers wildflower fields and a poetry trail that are particularly beautiful in midsummer. Both St. Michaels and Greenway Meadows offer innovative audio tours that can be enjoyed on-site via phone app or from home on your computer.

Nothing beats the view of the Delaware River at Goat Hill in Lambertville, at the end of an easy family hike. If you want to explore Central Jersey’s largest forest, the Sourlands, D&R Greenway trailheads in Hopewell are located along roads less traveled. Find more preserves at DRGreenway.org.

Discover the Bounty and Beauty of Our Farms

Rather quietly, the Garden State continues to earn its nickname year after year. In fact, the pandemic has brought a resurgence to on-farm markets.  Be sure to check out our comprehensive listing.

Depending on the season, families can enjoy “U-pick” experiences of blueberries, strawberries, flowers, apples, pears, and pumpkins at farms like Snyder’s, Terhune, and Von Thun. Check farm websites to see if they are offering any socially-distanced entertainment on the day of your visit.

Duke Farms, on the former Duke Estate in Hillsborough, combines agriculture education with parklands walking and bike rentals that have earned the nickname “New Jersey’s Central Park.” On weekends they also host a farmer’s market, and most days you can visit nearby Norz-Hill Farm for open-air shopping.

Wherever your staycation day-trip may take you, consider bringing a cooler with ice packs to store fresh farm products you find, and make a point of choosing an on-farm market as your last stop of the day. You can find local meat, poultry, baked goods, vegetables of all kinds, and just-picked fruit. On weekends, Hidden Spring Lavender in Skillman offers a wide range of lavender products as well as friendly alpacas for the kids to enjoy.

Another way to enjoy Central Jersey’s bounty is through one of our farm-to-table restaurants. With indoor dining still closed, many offer outdoor dining, take-out, or both—such as Eno Terra and Mediterra in the Princeton area, and Brick Farm Market and Tavern in Hopewell.

 

Craft Beverage and Wine Makers with Outdoor Tastings and Dining

A changing regulatory environment has fostered an explosion of craft beer making and distilling, to go along with a decades-old tradition of New Jersey winemaking. The reopening of outdoor dining has led to alfresco wine tastings amid the vines Hopewell Valley Vineyards, Old York Cellars, and Unionville Vineyards—but make sure to check websites to confirm hours and whether reservations are required or recommended.

Sourland Mountain Spirits, New Jersey’s Farm Distillery, offers outdoor cocktails overlooking farm fields. Ironbound Hard Cider and Farm offered a gorgeous outdoor “Cider Garden” dining area long before the pandemic and has expanded the farming of vegetables on site.

Craft breweries are setting up outdoor tastings and dining, including Harvest Moon in New Brunswick and Triumph Brewing in Princeton. Reservations recommended. Foodies may also enjoy the growing outdoor dining and craft beverage scene in downtown Somerville.

 

Scenic Drives You Won’t Forget

The “Sunday Drive” is making a comeback in 2020.  Once a staple of the mid Twentieth Century when family cars were something of a novelty, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it the return of the family drive any day of the week.

Central Jersey offers some remarkably scenic roadways.  The Millstone Valley National Scenic Byway and the Delaware River National Scenic Byway are the only two nationally-designated byways in New Jersey, and both will take you through quaint villages along the D&R Canal as well as their namesake rivers.  They’ll also take you near some terrific on-farm markets like Griggstown and Bobolink.

Although not a designated “byway,” Country Road 579 between Trenton and Bloomsbury is one of the prettiest drives in New Jersey, taking you through quaint villages such as Sergeantsville, Quakertown, and Pittstown, with nice side trips to Hopewell, Lambertville, Frenchtown, Milford, and Clinton, and farms nearby such as Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse and Ironbound. And Red Barn Milk Company along the route in Ringoes makes the ideal stop for farm-to-table burgers and ice cream.

A Rich History You Can Enjoy Outdoors

Wherever you go on a Central Jersey day trip, you’ll be surrounded by a rich history that can be appreciated safely outdoors without stepping foot into a museum.  Visit the park where Washington crossed the Delaware or where the battles of Trenton and Princeton were fought. Walk the campus of Princeton University, where the Continental Congress was first held at Nassau Hall. Stroll the grounds of Rockingham, Washington’s last Headquarters at the end of the Revolutionary War.

Visit the Red Mill in Clinton to learn our early industrial history, simply by walking the grounds and getting your own selfie in front of the most photographed historic site in New Jersey. Likewise at Prallsville Mills in Stockton, where you can also learn about the engineering marvel that is the D&R Canal.

Too often, we save local tourist sites for the entertainment of out-of-town visitors.  Decades from now, when you tell your grandchildren about the disruptive events of 2020, wouldn’t it be great if you could also tell them about the special Central Jersey places you discovered for yourself during that same historic summer?

We’d love to hear about your daytrips this summer.  Drop us a line and tell us what you discovered in Central Jersey.

This holiday season express your values by giving gifts grown in the earth beneath your feet, on the farms of Central Jersey. Support local farmers, promote sustainability, and encourage healthy lifestyles by shopping small and local.  You can also plan your holiday lunch or dinner at a farm-to-table restaurant to support local agriculture, or buy from a local beverage maker.

Many local farms are open throughout the holidays, selling everything from Christmas trees and wreathes, to gift boxes and baskets, meat and poultry, and other holiday season essentials.  Enjoy the experience of visiting our farms, wineries, and cideries yourself or take advantage of the convenience of online orders and shipping.

On Farm & Online

Numerous farms and wineries welcome you to their on-premise stores, while also offering the option to order online for direct shipping to your or your loved one. They include:

• Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse, an organic farm in Milford, NJ can ship its award-winning cheeses, gift baskets, and even bacon, sausage, and charcuterie, usually frozen and packed in dry ice, to any destination nationwide!
• Cherry Grove Farm, operating sustainably in Lawrence, NJ offers gift boxes of local organic cheeses and gift baskets of artisan foods available for online purchase and shipment.
• Hidden Spring Lavender Farm in Skillman, NJ is open weekends offers online shopping anytime with a wide variety of holiday gift options made with lavender, including plush animals, lotions, soaps, candles, and fragrances, plus products made from the wool of its adorable alpacas.
• Hopewell Valley Vineyards, and award-winning winery in Pennington, NJ has an online store with the ability to ship wines in New Jersey and to a limited number of other states. Hopewell Valley brings Old World wine making methods to New Jersey.
• Old York Cellars is ready for the holidays, with a winery in Ringoes, NJ plus retail locations in two central Jersey malls, as well as its online store. They now offer an answer to the young French Beaujolais with a 2019 “Beau Jersey Nouveau.”
• Terhune Orchards and Winery near Princeton, NJ offers an enormous variety of gift baskets and boxes, plus gift wine shipments to many locations. Their “Taste of Jersey” baskets include farm fresh apples, Terhune made fruit bread, cookies, shortbread cookies, New Jersey pasta, honey, organic popcorn, and locally made chocolates.
• Unionville Vineyards in Ringoes, NJ offer a beautiful tasting room on site, as well as mail order They have been named one of America’s top wineries by Food & Wine Magazine, and New Jersey’s top artisan beverage maker in 2018 by Edible Jersey.

Discover Central Jersey

The beauty and bounty of Central Jersey is finally getting the attention it deserves. Visit DiscoverCentralNJ.com to see all the farms, restaurants, arts, and historic places that make our corner of the world special.  And share these stories with friends and family, by giving the gifts of Central Jersey this holiday season.

Fresh Heritage Turkeys & Much More

Holiday trips in the family car while growing up in the 1970s often featured my mother leading the family in singing “Over the River and through the Woods,” a holiday poem and song written by a prominent abolitionist in 1844. It goes this way:

“Over the river, and through the woods,

To Grandmother’s house we go;

the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh

through the white and drifted snow.”

Early snowfalls are rarer today, but otherwise the spirit of an old-fashioned holiday journey is very much alive in Central Jersey, home to dozens of farms, farm markets, and beverage makers, just an hour’s journey by car, bus, or rail from New York and Philadelphia. Make Discover Central NJ your guide to the Garden State’s holiday bounty.

Whether you are crossing the mighty Hudson or Delaware rivers from a major city, or just crossing the Millstone or Raritan rivers from a nearby town, Central Jersey’s Canal Region is the perfect holiday season destination.   Stock up on a bounty of traditional holiday foods and beverages, including a heritage breed turkey for Thanksgiving, an old fashioned Christmas goose, a holiday ham, or a wide assortment of prepared side dishes, fruit pies, local wines and spirits, and gift baskets.

You can make a full day or a weekend of your holiday foraging in Central Jersey by rounding out your itinerary with stops at farm-to-table restaurants, breweries, historic sites, recreation areas, cultural destinations, and hotels.

Turkeys and other poultry

Double Book Farm in Hopewell and Griggstown Farm in Franklin Township pasture-raise heritage breeds of turkeys, the most similar to what was available to the Pilgrims, making them the perfect center piece to your holiday table.

Double Brook Farm and its retail outlet Brick Farm Market are focused on raising turkeys and other livestock ethically.  Turkeys are bred, incubated, hatched, and nurtured until late spring, when they are let out to forage. They eat grubs, bugs and grasses and their foraged diet is supplemented by a non-GMO, feed grown locally by Zeng Family Farm in Ringoes. Turkeys are harvested the weekend before Thanksgiving and sold fresh, never frozen. Advance orders are strongly recommended. To order a turkey or other holiday fixings, visit the Brick Farm Market website.  The farm and market also offer locally pastured beef roasts and holiday hams.

Griggstown Farm is well known throughout the tristate region for its “Griggstown chicken” offered by high-end restaurants. They raise a very wide variety of poultry in a historic canal village, including turkeys, goose, ducks, pheasants, and quail.  Griggstown Farm has been praised by the USDA National Resources Conversation Service for sustainable farming practices, including composting of manure waste to reduce runoff and provide nutrients to vegetable crops. The farm’s mandatory holiday pre-order system offers multiple pick up locations, including the train station at Bernardsville and HeadHouse Market in Philadelphia.

Farms offering a variety of holiday season goods

Central Jersey’s holiday bounty is also available at these on-farm markets:

• Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse is best known for its unique approach to regenerative agriculture and cheese making practices, based near the Delaware River in Milford. They also make a wide variety of brick oven breads.
• Cherry Grove Farm is best known for its cheeses made from locally raised cows on a large dairy farm in Lawrenceville. Its market also sells a variety of local foods and beverages from other farms and wineries.
• Hidden Spring Lavender Farm in Skillman is open weekends and offers a wide variety of holiday gift options made with lavender, including plush animals, lotions, fragrances, and products made from the wool of its adorable alpacas.
• Hillsboro Farm Market is open daily and offers a wide variety of fruit pies, jarred goods, bakery items, Jersey Fresh fruits and vegetables, and Christmas trees.
• Now managed by the 12^th generation of the family, Suydam Farms in Franklin is open weekends only, offering locally raised meat and vegetables, and Christmas trees and wreathes starting the day after Thanksgiving.
• Even this late in the year, Terhune Orchards in Lawrenceville is open daily, offering a wide variety of its own apples, vegetables, herbs, many of which are certified organic. Terhune also makes apple cider, wine, fruit pies, other baked goods, and gift baskets.

New Jersey’s nickname, the Garden State, remains as meaningful as ever, particularly in the central part of the state that was settled three centuries ago by Dutch and English farmers. Many of those farms are still in the hands of the descendants of original farming families—to the good fortune of the rest of us.