Time for Apple Picking!

September and October are the perfect months for apple picking! Below are some great local farms to pick your own apples, buy fresh produce and enjoy some delicious baked goods!   ​A. Casola Farms 178 Highway 34, Holmdel, NJ, 732-332-1533. Garden center, fall fest and Halloween events, Winter Wonderland, Fox Hollow Vineyards. Alstede Farms 84 Rt. 513 (Old Rt. 24), Chester, 908-879-7189. Open daily for family farm activities and pick your own fruits, vegetables and flowers May-Oct.; Harvest Club; summer farm camp; group tours; birthday parties; many special events throughout the season. Brookhollows Barnyard 301 Rockaway Valley Rd., Boonton Twp., NJ 07005, 201-400-44505. Petting farm open spring to fall. Train rides, tractor rides, buckets of feed available for purchase. Summer camps; birthday parties. Apr 30-Oct 30 Dapple Hill Farm Minutes from I-78, Bedminster, 201-725-0047. An exceptional equestrian facility, Dapple Hill Farm offers lesson programs tailored to suit your specific needs in a safe, relaxed, fun and family atmosphere that everyone can enjoy. Lesson packages for children and adults, Summer Camp, leasing options for students, showing opportunities, boarding, indoor arena with viewing area. Demarest Farms 244 Wierimus Rd., Hillsdale, 201-666-0472. Pick-your-own peaches, apples and pumpkins; farm store; seasonal garden center. Four Sisters Winery at Matarazzo Farms 783 County Rt. 519, Belvidere, 908-475-3671. Wine tasting, wine cellar tours and hosts grape stomping, murder mystery dinners, fall harvest festivals and other special events. Fresh & Fancy Farms 575 River Rd., New Milford, 201-483-9494. Farm dinners, cooking and crafting classes, scout and school programs, summer farm camp. Green Meadows Farms Middle Rd. & Green Acres Dr., Hazlet, 732-335-5589. Open seasonally in spring and fall. General admission $13, 2 and under free. Discount coupon online. Hands-on experience with several hundred domesticated farm animals, farm activities, hayrides, pumpkins in October. Oct 1-Nov 4 Heaven Hill Farm 451 Rte. 94, Vernon, 973-764-5144. Summer Action Fun Farm activities and fall pick your own pumpkins. Farm market, garden center, outdoor furniture and Christmas trees. Hillview Farms 223 Meyersville Rd., Gillette, 908-647-0957. Daily 10-6. Pick your own blueberries, tomatoes, zinnias, apples, and pumpkins in season. Be sure to call first for availability. Shop in our store for Jersey-fresh fruits, vegetables, honey, fresh baked pies and much more. School tours. Howell Farm Corn Maze Valley Rd., 1 mi. west of Howell Living History Farm, Titusville (off Rt. 29 2 mi. south of Lambertville), 609-397-2555; 609-737-3299. Open weekends mid-Sept.-Nov. plus Columbus Day. Seven-foot tall, walk-through puzzle cut into 3-acre cornfield is annual fundraiser to restore 200-yr.-old barn at Howell Farm. Mid-Sep-Nov Jersey Fresh Farmers Markets Farmers Markets, open summer-fall, bring New Jersey’s freshest fruits, vegetables, breads, cheeses, baked goods and desserts, pickles and specialty foods weekly right to our communities. Visit website link for all locations. Liberty Farm Field address and opening dates vary, Sussex County, NJ. Sunflower maze opens for Aug. and Sept. Pick-your-own sunflowers (Aug.), kids scavenger hunt, self-guided bug safari, build-your-own scarecrow contest, photo contest. Aug-Sep Longmeadow Farm 561 Blairstown Rd. (Rt. 521), Hope, 908-459-5351. Open weekends and Mon. holidays 9-5 starting Labor Day weekend. Berry picking starts late July. No admission fees or membership required. Free parking. Schools and groups scheduled by appointment. Call first for availability. Pick your own raspberries, blackberries, apples and pumpkins. 14 great apple varieties on easy pick dwarf trees. Take a spooky hayride to the pumpkin patch. Farmstand features our own honey, a huge selection of jams and jellies and no- sugar-added fruit spreads and fruit butters. Melick’s Town Farm Cider Mill & Orchards: 19 King St., Oldwick, 908-439-3888. Oldwick Farm Market: 170 Oldwick Rd., Oldwick, 908-439-2955. Bridgewater Market: 351 Rt. 28, Bridgewater, 908-725-0225. Califon Farm Market & Orchards: 472 County Rd. 513, Califon, 908-832-2905. Norz Hill Dairy Farm & Market 116 South Branch Rd., Hillsborough, 908-371-COWS. Summer farm stand, hayrides to the animals. Pumpkin patch, farm tours, corn maze, and pony rides late Sept. thru Oct. Scare Farm haunted trail open Oct. weekends. School tours. Oasis Family Farm 2 Circle Dr., Robbinsville, NJ, 609-259-7031. Kids fun zone, honey bees, and special events; farm market. Riamede Farm 122 Oakdale Rd., Chester, NJ, 908-879-5353. Open Sept. and Oct. only. Daily 9-4:30. Pick your own apples in a scenic old orchard. Pick your own pumpkins, some still on the vine, in our pumpkin patch. Cider, honey, jellies, ripe tomatoes, gourds, warm cider donuts and more. Free hayrides on weekends. 36 varieties of traditional, heirloom and modern apples, sold by the pound. Enjoy the fall colors on our 68-acre old farm, kept simple, authentic and without the carnival. School trips. Sun High Orchards 19 Canfield Ave., Randolph, NJ 07869, 973-584-4734. Farm animals, pick-your-own apples and pumpkins, farm market. Terhune Orchards 330 Cold Soil Rd., Princeton, 609-924-2310. Pick-your-own May to Oct. from berries, flowers, apples and pumpkins. Read and Explore and Read and Pickprograms for preschoolers and parents are held year-round. Educational workshops for older students and adults are also offered. Farm store, farm yard and farm trail open to the public daily all year. School and group tours by appointment April-Oct.; barnyard birthday parties; summer camp; annual farm festivals; vineyard and winery. Selected Special Events Jun 26  FIrefly Festival, 4-9pm. Music, wagon rides, crafts, more. Free admission, $5 for crafts. Jul 9-10  Blueberry Bash, 10-5. Pick your own, wagon ride, music, kids activities, blueberry treats, blueberry bake-off for children and adults. $5 ages 3 & up. Jul 30  Pam’s Freezing & Canning Class, 10am. Free, call to reserve. Jul 30-31  Peach Festival, 10-5pm. Peachy wine, peach treats, farm-to-fork tasting area, music, children’s activities. 10-5. Ages 3 & up $5. Aug 6-28 Sangria Weekends, sangria and wine tasting Sat. & Sun. 12-5. $5. Sep 17-18 Apple Day, 10-5. Music, wagon rides, pony rides, pumpkin painting, pick your own apples, pumpkins, corn maze, music. $5, under 3 free. Sep 24-Oct 30 Fall Family Fun Weekends, pick your own apples and pumpkins, pony and wagon rides, corn maze, farm animals, live music 10-5. Ages 3 & up $5. No admission to farm store, winery or pick-your-own orchard. Read and Pick Children’s Program Children’s program combines picking fruit or other farm activities and listening to a themed story. For ages preschool to 8 yrs. with adult. 9:30 and 11am. $7 per child, pre-registration requested. Jun 21  Cherries. Jul 5  Monarchs, Swallowtails & Honeybees, Oh My! Jul 19  Blueberries. Aug 2  Flowers. Aug 16  Pears. Aug 30  Apples. Sep 13  Chickens. Sep 27  Tractors. Oct 4  Pumpkins. Valley Shepherd Creamery ​50 Fairmount Rd., Long Valley, 908-876-3200. Visitors can learn about sheep dairy farming as practiced in Europe for the last 4,000 years. 11⁄2 hr. creamery tours are given spring, summer and fall. Cheesemaking workshops are offered on the 3rd Sun. of the month. Participants return 3 mos. later to pick up aged cheese. Farm parties; special events; Sheep Shoppe. Selected Special Events Apr-Nov       Cheesemaking Classes, book online. Apr  Shearing Tours, on select Sat. & Sun. Reservations required. May-Jun  Lambing Tours, walk-in 1.5-hr. tour is offered on weekends. Jul-Aug Summer Tours, walk-in tour focuses on seasonal farm activity. Sep-mid Nov Fall Harvest Tours, walk-in 1.5-hr. tour is offered on weekends early Sept. to mid-Nov. Well-Sweep Herb Farm 205 Mt. Bethel Rd., Port Murray, 908-852-5390. Mon.-Sat. 9-5. Call first Jan.-March. Garden paths lead through a formal herb garden and display gardens including butterfly, medicinal, perennial and rock gardens. Visitors are welcome to picnic and visit farm animals. Group tours; guest speaker program; special events; adult craft/horticulture/herb workshops are offered. Gift shop. Wightman’s Farms Route 202 (5 mi. south of Morristown/exit 30B Rt. 287), Morristown, 973-425-9819. Store open every day 8am-6pm featuring all varieties of apples, fruits and vegetables, fresh baked pies, donuts, gourmet foods and fresh apple cider made in our own mill. Starting weekends Aug. 1, pick your own apples thru Oct., pick your own peaches thru peach season (9am-5pm, family membership required) and explore the mazes beginning Aug. 1. Starting Sept. 10, bring the family for a scenic hayride and pick your own pumpkin. Sat. & Sun. 10am-5pm. No reservations required. Suitable for all ages. Weekend mazes and kiddie corn pit. Group & organ­ization hayrides by appointment only during weekdays beginning Sept. 9. If inclement weather, please call first. Williams Nursery & The Gift House 524 Springfield Ave., Westfield, 908-232-4076. Experts in perennials, annuals, shrubs, trees and new and unusual plants. Gift shop complete with everything from Yankee Candles to Christopher Radko Ornaments. Hayrides and pick your own pumpkins in Oct. Call for times and to book your school now.