When one thinks of the words 'rural' and 'farmland,' these are not terms one hears a lot in Bergen…read moreCounty, NJ, one of the most heavily populated counties to surround New York City. Yet the county has a rich history in farming and agriculture from the late 1600s up into the 1970s. The small farms in north Jersey do more than just provide fruits and vegetables for our tables. They are open-air classrooms to our agricultural past, places to buy fresh produce and baked goods to support local family farm stores, and places for interesting special events and outings for families. Being the first Saturday after Labor Day, my partner and I got a head start on the apple cider donuts made fresh daily, just oozing with apple cidery goodness and never hot. Since 1973, located on Airmont Avenue in Mahwah, Secor Farms is a reminder of Bergen County's rural past and one of the last farms left in the area, passed down through three generations. Upon arrival in the afternoon, parking was not an issue with only a handful of vehicles. However, the farm comes alive starting Sept 15 with a corn maze, hayrides, pumpkin picking, and a petting zoo where reservations are required, with all sorts of activities. Their outside garden centers had pumpkins, gourds, fall decorations, and mums for purchase. We went inside their marketplace full of produce and managed to get a bag of mixed apple cider donuts and a quart of apple cider. These baked donuts have the sweet tartness of apple cider with a coating of cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar. They were soft, moist, tender, and tastefully delicious. The price was reasonable. The staff was friendly. We can recommend this place.

PROS: good prices, friendly staff, nice set up, petting zoo, hayride, nice pumpkin patch, good gift…read moreshop and snack shop CONS: parking attendants are scarce. There's only two and they leave you searching for parking OVERALL: I highly recommend coming here. It's bigger than I thought it would be and it's worth bringing a friend, date, or kid

My family truly enjoyed this experience. Staff was so kind, lots to do and see, and restrooms were…read moreclean. My husband purchased a few drinks including beers and i got a soda and some light up stuff for my son and i. I wish they had this yearly, we truly enjoyed it and traveled far to come but def worth it

This was a fun activity to do for Halloween. Clover Stadium is where a minor league team the…read moreBoulders play but the venue is used for other activities including the Pumpkin World where pumpkins glow! They set up a wonderful display of pumpkins and ghouls all over the stadium where all can enjoy themselves including families with children. This was a very nice place to visit. They had food trucks and vendors with activity related things for sale and craft beer too. I enjoyed a few as well as some good shish kabobs. I look forward to next year to do it again. The stadium is a great place to visit during the baseball season too where they have fireworks and cold beer as well as live entertainment on weekends.

My family and I made a trip to come here. It was a bit far of a drive about 2 hours but we wanted…read moreto check it out. There wasnt any pumpkin left in the field to pick and the apples were not event there on the trees. I would definitely have to say hand down to the cute little store - there was a bakery side and oh my gosh the donuts , the cookies and the Tik Tok famous drink was out of this world. So the 2 hour trip was definitely worth the drive. The service was okay the individuals behind the counter to order the Tik Tok drink had a bit of a attitude when I was asking about questions. Just stay patient. Other then that I would highly recommend coming here and trying a piece of all of there different donuts and cookies are soo soo good. They even had a pumpkin cider donut which I never had before. Don't forget to stop by and check them out.

I took my kids and visiting family here on a Thursday when the kids had no school. I hear it can…read moreget crowded on the weekends, but on Thursday when we arrived a little before noon, it wasn't bad. They had a steady stream of newcomers but not too crowded. It was fairly easy to find though going there, my map told me to go down a treacherous gravel road which I wasn't terribly fond of. They have a moderately sized parking lot and you'll see this large, red barn. That's where you get your goodies (there's often a line) and where their store is. We stopped by for a treat first. They sell ice cream, cider floats, and what is a "TikTok famous" coffee float with donut. We got: Cider ($4) - I didn't actually drink this. I got it for my kid with food allergies. He wanted ice cream but they do not know if the ice cream they use contains eggs or not so we played it safe. My kid thought it was okay but finally finished it later. He typically prefers regular apple juice. Cider float with donut - you have a choice of no donut for $2 less. It's like a root beer float but with cider instead of root beer, black and orange sprinkles around the time of the cup, whipped cream, and a powdered cider donut over it all. I shared this with my daughter. That donut was delicious! Warm, tender, and crisp on the outside. The drink was great! I do wish it came with a spoon because it got difficult finishing the last of it. Warning: if you have one of these, the bees are coming for you. They use some sort of caramel-like sauce to get the sprinkles to stick. Overall, quite good. Maple cider donut ($3): my sister got this and she said it was amazing, but she said she thought $3 was a bit much (the unglazed donuts are $1.25 each). She's vegan, so didn't partake in the float, but she also wasn't going to ask if there's milk in the donut. If you're getting only donuts, they are purchased in the store. They have tables and chairs nearby for you to picnic and enjoy your treats. Going through the gates, there was a table but they were busy with other people so we walked right in. There is no entrance fee, which was nice. You go through the apple orchard first. It seems like most of the apples have been picked through, though there are a lot of developing apples. Some of the nicer ones were way too tall for us; they don't provide ladders. We only managed to find one that looked nice. At the end, there used to be a sunflower field and the corn maze. It's epic but you don't know how formidable until you're past the point of return and realize it's not a kids maze. We were in there for a while! Even met other kids that thought they'd be lost forever. The corn stalks are taller than a human and they're pretty dense so you can't look over or through them. It's a true maze and I was impressed. I wish they would provide a paper maze puzzle of the corn maze because I'm so curious how it is from above. Lots of dead ends. What I can say is don't lose hope. You'll get there! (When we finally found the exit, it was almost like a dream because we had been staring at corn for so long.) In hindsight, it was good we ate something first. Once done, we explored the sunflowers and saw the pumpkin patch. As we headed out, we went to pay for our lone apple and we discovered THE CORN MAZE IS NOT FREE. It's $10 per adult and $5 per kid. They charged us $1 for the single apple. I guess they work on the honor system? I didn't mind much because that maze clearly took planning. Before we left, we visited the store full of baked goodies. I got a few cider donuts, a dumpling, and a piece of crumb cake because they just brought out a fresh tray. Plus a lattice harvest pie. The pies with crumble aren't vegan, but the lattice pies are made of vegetable shortening. Restrooms! They have a row of port-a-potties by the parking lot. They're actually the cleanest ones I've been to before. No sinks but they do have a dispenser of antibacterial hand gel. The openings are a bit large so if your kid needs to use the toilets, hold onto them. Overall, it was quite enjoyable and I definitely think everyone should go through a corn maze of this caliber at least once in their life. The apple pickings were sparse but at least you get delicious floats and donuts! Note: they have gluten free goodies in the store but they are nut based (almond flour). They also had one gluten free-vegan item.

PROS: this place was amazing! Fresh food that's locally grown/made, petting zoo, staff is friendly,…read moreloads of parking, good prices, great hours CONS: on a Friday afternoon the petting zoo was closed despite all the animals out and no snow on the ground OVERALL: I will absolutely come back here with friends! As long as my friends and I aren't looking to play with the animals

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.

Enjoyable pumpkin picking experience at Stokes Farm. Enjoyed the tractor ride and the staff were…read morevery friendly/knowledgeable. Small shop inside with fresh vegetables. There's an ice cream section where you can get an apple cider donut and shake. Very good! Small and family run farm. Nice for a quiet fall outing.

Stokes Farm was new to my family and me, but it was much closer than others that we were familiar…read morewith, so we decided to check it out. We arrived a little before they were going to close, so we skipped jumping on their final hayride of the day, which was rather pricey anyway. Besides, it was nearing the end of the picking season, so we did not really need pumpkins. (They also offer flowers, tomatoes, and strawberries, depending on the time of the year.) Instead, we just walked around the grounds a bit and mainly browsed their shop. The store offered a variety of baked goods, snacks, local ice cream, flowers, and much more. The four of us wanted to indulge with some apple cider donuts, which were only sold in 6-packs for $8, so we were forced to buy more than we had wanted. The pastries wound up being amazing, however. They were light, fluffy, and sprinkled with just the right amount of cinnamon sugar. We would go back to Stokes Farm in the future, but would likely partake in some of their you-pick activities then.

My lab wanted to go apple picking and we ended up choosing this orchard. I believe there were…read moreothers close to this one, but we went with Ochs because of the low admission fee ($5 per person) and petting zoo. It was an hour and a half drive from upper Manhattan. We went here on a random Wednesday afternoon so we basically had the orchard to ourselves. The first parking lot you see is for their store, you have to keep driving up for the u-pick orchard. There you check in to pay your admission fee, get your wristband, and get your apple picking bag(s). They give you a map where the ripe apples are highlighted for you. My favorite apples were the honeycrisp and snap dragons. They grow vegetables too but honestly we didn't explore the orchard that much (it was huge) so the only other thing I picked besides apples was a tomato, which I felt like was pretty difficult to find a good one. I handed out the apples to other friends and colleagues and they all liked them! There's something different about picking the apple straight off the tree than the apples you would normally just buy at a grocery store. It's a lot crispier when you pick them yourself! The store has apple cider doughnuts! Now being that I am a Californian where we don't have this apple picking culture, I was wondering what all the hype around apple cider doughnuts was about. NOW I GET IT they're so good! Unfortunately since we went on a weekday the doughnuts weren't fresh (they make them fresh on the weekends) so some of them were stale, but most were still good. It's honestly more of a cake than a doughnut, but so good! The doughnuts are self serve towards the back. The store also had a cat on the prowl haha We ended up not even having time to visit the petting zoo, but overall I think my colleagues had a good time here and I would recommend this orchard for anyone trying to have a no frills apple picking experience. I believe there was like a building restroom closer to the store and port o potties closer to the u-pick orchard.

Ochs Orchard is a lovely spot with great variety!Inside, they have a fantastic selection of fresh…read moreproduce, homemade jams, and delicious baked goods. The apple cider donuts are a must-try! We came on a winter day few days after Christmas and they had free samples of apple cider. I got some tea and honey to bring back home to FL. I also bought some apples and they were so soft inside and juicy. Unlike any other apple I've had. I wish I had a way to bring the Amish butter home since a family member has it in their home I often have it with bread in the morning. The staff were friendly, and everything was well-organized. Heads up It's a bit busy during peak times, but that's to be expected at a popular place. But when we came on a Saturday they were practically empty and lady made a joke not to come on the weekends so I assume normally it's a busy day or they dedicate it to stocking up since when we came I saw about 3 of the staff unboxing stuff. Overall, a really enjoyable experience with a charming atmosphere. I'll definitely be coming back next season!

Unreal quality of veggies and a beautiful couple who run the farm…read more Saturday mornings are the farmers stand, from 9-1 in the summer. Also they can always use more volunteers!

From the owner: The Canfield-Morgan House is an 1850's farmhouse and is the home of the Cedar Grove Historical…read moreSociety. We give tours by appointment and during special events. The Farm Stand is closed except for special events. Follow FB or the website.

This was my second time visiting this farm, and once again, it did not disappoint! The farm is…read morebeautiful and offers so many activities for all ages. There's a small area with animals you can feed, and they offer a hayride throughout the entire farm--which is fantastic because you get to see everything. I enjoyed visiting the pumpkin field, where they have so many options and sizes to choose from. Afterward, I stopped by the market and picked up chicken wings, macaroni and cheese, and--most importantly--cider donuts. The market is also great for fresh produce, as well as a variety of sauces and jams. The staff is super nice and helps guide guests when the lines get long. There's a seating area outside where you can relax and eat your food. I will definitely be coming back here!

Great produce, bit pricey (but you kinda get what you pay for)…read more Def a little touristy/experience-y but you know what you're getting into, if you want cheap you can stick to Trader Joe's or whatevs.

Everything!‍ Animals. Crops. Congeniality. Fun !!!…read moreWonderful resource right in our own backyard!

This year we decided to venture off the beaten path, to find a nearby local pumpkin farm that…read morewasn't as chaotic as others we've visited in the past. When we arrived, at first the kids were skeptical, but once we were out and about, we realized the Warrup's Farm offered a wide range of different types of pumpkins, gourds and squash that made it really fun to hunt for with the family. Note that they have 2 pumpkin patches. A smaller one on the north side (with a wide variety) and a larger one of your typical orange pumpkin variety on the south side of the entry road. The staff was gracious and friendly. They offered us a cart to help with pumpkin transportation. They also have a convenient parking area. Overall it worked out and was a very nice and fun family experience. I'm looking forward to going back next year. Here are some of our jack-o-lantern results from the Warrup's Farm pumpkins!

This was not my first time at Pierson's, I used to come when my kids were younger and always had a…read moregreat experience. Now that the kids are older, I heard that they have events for adults at night during fall weekends. I went Saturday night and really enjoyed myself. My wife did also, we made this event our date night and will most likely be back either on a date or with friends. All of the employees were extremely nice and the farm was lit up and decorated beautifully. The choices of food and drinks (alcohol and nonalcoholic) were great. Each food and beverage option was clearly thought out by the owners to make their guests get into the Autumn and Halloween season. There is a gift shop that is filled with country items and different little knickknacks and tasty bites. You enter through the store, so I would recommend buying your stuff before your night begins so they do not run out of stock. There were fires pits and a band that played all night. The band was perfect! They were not loud and just played the right type of music for the atmosphere. I have been to a lot of outside venues like this one and the bands are either too loud or play music that is "just not right". The band Pierson's had was very low key but were excellent musicians and the lead singer had a great voice and their choice of songs were perfect for the atmosphere. The prices for drinks, food and gift shop items are in line with prices at other events of this type in the area. Thank you Pierson's staff and owners for providing such a great event. Have more please!!

My family and I have been going to Piersons the last few years for fall activities and really enjoy…read moreit!