I was in the area for a meeting and did a search of farms and stumbled upon Greenbriar Farmstand…read more I was greeted by Scott and was given a run down of the farm and what the sell at their farm store. Lots of items packed in the stand. Fresh produce, baked goods, homegrown grass fed beef and dairy. Most of the items are straight from this farm while some are sourced from other local farms. I came away with steaks, burgers, hot dogs, heirloom tomatoes, valley shepherd yogurt, Lioni mozzarella and some granola. Great spot with reasonable prices. I'll definitely return soon.

A private small farm run by a nice local couple who offers fresh baked goods…read more The also offer personalized service which the larger farms are unable to provide. So check it out.

We've taken our toddler here a couple of times and he has a great deal of fun. Besides the farm…read morezoo, where you can buy cups of carrots to feed the many varieties of animals - I wouldn't say petting zoo as you are advised to feed the animals only with the plastic shovel and not stick your fingers into the pens - there are several little play houses with play activities (train set, corn cabin, kitchen, grocery store, etc), a playground with a sandpit, and tractor and train rides. The sandpit even has toys like dump trucks - my kid would be perfectly happy to just stay there and call it a day! The condition of everything in the main areas is a little grubby, however. I appreciate that they put out plenty of chairs and benches all around for parents to sit on (cos waiting for your child while they play is an unavoidable part of the game), as well as some picnic tables. Prices are fair and reasonable, and entry for kids under 2 is free.

This little farm is super cute and is perfect for families and small children. We have been here…read more a few times, most recently for a birthday party. They have a large variety of animals that the kids can feed (they get a bucket of carrots) and there are lots of small areas to play. But the big hit with our family is the playground and sand pit with diggers and toys. My kids could stay there all day. It's a good way to spend a local day.

I stopped by for the home made ice cream today and it was such a great treat! I went with the…read morecarrot cake ice cream and the German valley chocolate! First off the carrot cake had real carrots in it. Which I liked! I met Amy, who makes the ice cream, and Denise who does the quality control. They were both very friendly and they gave me a peek at the process of making the ice cream. I highly recommend stopping by and visiting Ort Farms! They also have a produce store, that offers different kinds of quiche. I look forward to trying the bacon and cheddar quiche next time.

Went here a couple of months back during their Boo Bash weekend festival. We enjoyed a few hours…read morethere to do some pumpkin picking, hay rides, and the rest of the usual activities. They have several food trucks with lots of different choices. They have a nice farmer's market that is nicely decorated and has plenty of items for sale. They have a great selection of pies too. Also, there is an ice cream stand next to the market opened daily, all ice cream is homemade and fresh! Their hot apple cider and cinnamon donut was a great treat! Since finding Ort Farms is not too far from us, we'll be back next year once the crops are back in season.

I've been wanting to do this for YEARS. I finally did it and this was so worth it. I was able to…read morehang out with with alpacas as well as feed and pet the alpacas and walking with the alpacas (which is what I was most excited for). The whole experience was an hour. The walking portion was maybe 20 minutes and they are just so sweet. The staff was super friendly as well and had a lot of knowledge (also took some great photos for me!). I would definitely recommend if you love animals!

On Saturday I took my parents to Bluebird Farm Alpacas. I booked the time slot about a week in…read moreadvance although it seemed like we could have arrived without a reservation. I am not sure how many they allow per group. The property is beautiful and clean and the alpacas are clearly well cared for. At the beginning, one of the employees gave an interesting ten minute lesson on alpacas, the difference between them and llamas, and some other random facts and safety tips. We then got to visit two different pens and interact with the llamas. Included in your fee is a small bag of their food which went a long way. The alpacas all had different personalities but they were all friendly. We really enjoyed our visit and would highly recommend checking them out!

Always such an enjoyable trip, and the experience differs depending on the time of year. That said,…read morewe visit multiple times over the course of the year for various reasons. In the Spring, their garden center simply can't be beat. I purchase flats of vegetables for my garden here, and the plants always do incredibly well. Healthy, good producers, and for a great price. There also offer many varieties I can't find elsewhere. The market truly shines here. Fresh baked goods are incredible. Donuts, pies, cakes, etc. are all excellent. Fresh milk, vegetables, and eggs are also amazing. However, we LOVE their meats. You can't go wrong with any of them. The petting zoo is great for children and families. It is certainly elaborate and fun. Staff are kind and helpful, always willing to strike up conversation. Prices are reflective of the quality here. We love it. Try it out!

A little bit of everything at this fun location…read more You're either coming here for the petting zoo and finding out there is also a farmer's market, or you're here for a farmer's market and finding out there is also a petting zoo. Either way, everyone's a winner. The petting zoo is much larger than others in the area, giving the pets and the customers a lot of space to roam around. You can buy your tickets online, or with the QR code on site, or with cash at the booth located at the zoo entrance at the top of the hill past the upper parking lot. The farmers market provides amazingly fresh produce, fruits, veggies, baked goods, and a pre-made food selection. You can order a fresh sandwich, sides and soup. A delicious bonus. Somethings look out for include sparce parking at the top of the hill where the farmers market is, but plenty further down and towards the greenhouse. Also seating to eat is located in the back past checkout in the playground area that is also lacking a number of tables, but make meeting new people an experience when sharing seating. A fun adventure rolled into one location.

5/31/26 (Update) Having been coming to this zoo forever. In…read morethe last 5- 10 years, I've really seen Turtle Back Zoo grow into a first rate zoo! It's not as large as the Bronx Zoo, but it's certainly getting there. -Animals: We saw beautiful, large flamingos, penguins, numerous wildcat species, giraffes, bald eagles, hyenas and more... -Living Conditions: All the animals are protected by high fences. The animals appear to be very healthy. Their living conditions appear to be very clean. -Sea Turtle Recovery Center: Besides the wonderful animals, there's a Sea Turtle Recovery Hospital on the premises. You can visit the "patients". It was an interesting experience. Once the sea turtles have regained their health, they're be released back into their natural habitat. -Food: You'll probably get hungry during your visit. The zoo has several food kiosks and a large indoor and outdoor café called Zanzibar. -Gift Shop: Of course, there's a cool gift shop at the zoo. Lots of adorable stuffed animals for purchase. -Parking: Parking was free this past Sunday. There's several indoor parking garages with clearly marked animal logos. Looking forward to my next visit to Essex County Turtle Back Zoo.

Besides visiting the Turtle Back Zoo a bunch as a child, I only returned a few years ago for their…read morewinter light show and again recently for an afternoon stroll through the park. For a zoo in suburban New Jersey, this one was truly impressive and would surpass most expectations. They had a wide range of creatures across various species and even interactive opportunities, like feeding lettuce to giraffes and riding on a carousel. Their train ride only went through a small part of the animal park, but also took you by a neighboring lake, which was beautiful and part of the larger, surrounding South Mountain Recreation Complex. It was clearly a favorite with children and adults alike, as acted a reprieve from navigating the zoo on foot, which could be exhausting in warmer months (lots of hills and little shade) and brutal in cooler months. There were various food carts and a very nice restaurant on-site, though we did not try any of them. Their membership passes were an affordable option for parents that planned on frequent visits, and the parking was free, so there certainly were economical ways to visit. I would recommend the Turtle Back Zoo for a fun and engaging way to spend a family-friendly afternoon. Watching the monkeys swinging about in their habitat was a particularly amusing highlight.

Faraway Alpaca Farm was such a memorable experience. The farm tour has to be set up before arriving…read more($25/per person). This can be done by going to the web site. When I did our tour, I received replies and confirmations immediately. Upon arriving, you are greeted by the farm owners/tour guides, Steve and Leda. They are both knowledgeable, cordial, funny, and the entire tour was educational, fun, and wonderful. Aside from alpacas, you'll also be introduced to their horses and donkeys. After the tour, we went through their gift shop, which had everything alpaca. From socks, to hats, and even ribbons of their award winning alpacas. As the pictures and videos will show, I highly recommend this tour and know that you will be thoroughly impressed.

If you're in the mood to take a little road trip out of the city and you love alpacas (and who…read moredoesn't), this is a fun activity! It's a little family farm that offers farm tours for $15/person which you need to arrange beforehand. Leda and Steve, who run the farm, are the absolute nicest and you can tell they really love and care for their alpacas (as well as their two Icelandic horses). They have so much beautiful land to run around on and they're like part of the family, it seems. We were able to go into the girls pen and say hello. The alpacas are friendly and curious but don't necessarily like to be touched so they're very clear about how to approach them. After spending a good amount of time in there learning about them, we went into their farm store where they sell the yarn from the alpacas and various alpaca fleece items. It's a really fun and wholesome experience and, if you have other things to do out in that area, totally worth the time and the drive!

After reading some unfavorable reviews on TripAdvisor from 2025, I was a little worried about what…read morewe would encounter during our visit yesterday. As it turned out, the experience could not have been more positive! It's a beautiful and well-maintained property with ample parking. The alpaca stables (males in one, females in the other) were very clean, and the 26 alpacas are clearly loved and cared for. They were gorgeous, friendly, and healthy. The staff, mostly (if not all) volunteers, were lovely, from the young adult (late teens, early 20s) guides who accompanied us on the 20-minute walk with our assigned alpacas, to the senior ladies working in the gift shop. The gift shop has a wide range of lavender and alpaca wool products, as well as related themed products. I would up spending $36 on a variety of items, some of which were perfect, low-cost gifts. In response to the TripAdvisor complaints about items being "expensive," I found the prices to be reasonable and normal for homemade, hand-made, and locally sourced items, as well as for specialty items made elsewhere. I can't say enough positive things about the guides who accompanied my friend and I on the walk, and the young man who gave the entire group on our scheduled walk the preliminary background information about the alpacas and what we might expect on the walk. They did an excellent job and were very friendly and helpful. At the end of the walk they make time for pictures to be taken, and the animals seem to know the drill quite well because they obliged without a fuss on a very hot day. Overall I give this experience a 10 out of 10 and highly recommend it for all ages.

Such a great place. You can tell how much the alpacas are loved & how nice the workers are. Sadly…read morethe alpaca walk was sold out but I will def return to do it. The lavender shop has so many cute things. Great stop if you are in the area.