One of the great joys of summer is a warm-off-the-tree peach, and New Jersey has pick-your-own farms a-plenty and peaches ripe for the picking!
The peach-picking season in the Garden State really gets going in mid-July and carries on through August and early September at some farms. Before you go, call ahead or check the farm’s Facebook page to make sure crops are still plentiful and what, specifically, is available on any given day. (You might also be able to pick blueberries, which are available at many farms through July.)
Read on to find out where the juiciest fruit can be found. And for more ways to enjoy the warm weather, don't miss our Summer Fun Guide for NJ Kids.
Pick-Your-Own Peaches in Northern NJ
Follow up your peach picking with a pony ride and other kid-friendly fun at Alstede Farms. Photo courtesy of the farm
Alstede Farms – Chester
Alstede entices visitors with a slew of entertainment extras in addition to pick-your-own peaches. Plan your visit around the farm’s annual Peach Harvest Festival or Farm to Table Peach Pancake Breakfast. The farm is open daily, and picking is $6.99 per person ($8.99 on weekends and holidays) plus you pay for what you pick. Unlimited access to the pony rides, bounce house, corn kingdom, and wagon train rides plus picking is $16.99 per child ($19.99 on the weekends).
Demarest Farms – Hillsdale
This popular farm offers more than 12 varieties of peaches for picking and is open to the public on the weekends from 10 am–3 pm. The $5 admission includes a hayride, petting zoo, and access to the picnic area, and there's a $10 flat fee for a bag that holds up to 10 pounds of peaches you pick.
Stoneyfield Orchard – Belvidere
This adorable country farm offers pick-your-own peaches Monday 3 pm–6 pm, Saturday 2 pm–5 pm, and Sunday noon–5 pm. Call first if you would like to come outside of these hours, and the staff will do their best to accommodate you. After you’re done peach picking, stop in for a visit with the animals or peruse the goods at the farm store. No credit cards are accepted here, so be sure to bring cash or check.
Treelicious Orchards – Port Murray
You’ve likely seen Treelicious’ perfect peaches at your local farmers’ market, but you can't beat picking your own at this hilltop farm. The 130-acre orchard is open Saturday and Sunday from
9 am–6 pm, or plan your visit to coincide with the farm's Peach Festival in August. Come early to pick, then stay for live music, games, crafts, tasty treats, and cooking demonstrations. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the view.
Wightman Farms – Morristown
Membership is required to pick your own peaches at Wightman Farms. An annual family membership (for up to five people), includes a tote bag which can be used for this and other fruit-picking visits, two bottles of water, and farm coupons. The orchard is open weekends only, on Saturday from 9 am–5 pm, and Sunday from 9am–4pm. You can only pick into provided containers.
Pick-Your-Own Peaches in Central NJ
Battleview Orchards – Freehold
Staggered varieties mean peaches are available at this popular farm through mid-September. The orchard is open daily and hours vary from day to day (they advise to call ahead for daily orchard hours). You’ll need to arrive at least 20 minutes prior to closing to pick your fruit. Don’t leave without a visit to the country market, where the farm’s famous apple cider doughnuts are baked fresh daily, also note that Battleview Orchards is a cash-only farm.
Giamarese Farm & Orchards – East Brunswick
Home to several varieties of peaches and nectarines, this 35-acre family-run farm has been around for more than seven decades. Orchard hours are Tuesday–Saturday 10 am–6 pm and Sundays 10 am–3 pm (closed Mondays). Plan to arrive at least an hour before closing. Check out the website for coupons that can be used on pre-picked produce for sale at the farm market, including corn, tomatoes, and lettuce.
Johnson's Corner Farm – Medford
Johnson's offers 10 varieties of peaches in its orchard, which is accessed by a hayride. The hayride costs $4.50 per child and $2.25 per adult. Pick-your-own is offered weekdays from 10 am–1 pm and weekends from 10 am–4 pm, with evening hours on Friday from 5 pm – 7 pm. Once you’re finished picking, cool down at the farm’s splash pad or check out the pedal go-kart track and obstacle course at the Discovery Barnyard and Animal Farm (for an additional fee).
Krowicki’s Farm Market & Greenhouses – New Egypt
Bring your own bags or bushels to collect peaches at this farm, open seven days a week from 9 am – 6 pm. Don't forget to stop by the farm market for other fresh produce and baked goods.
Lee Turkey Farm – East Windsor
Celebrating 150 years of farming this year, this farm has the pick-your-own process down to a science. The $2 Pick-Your-Own Club membership covers a family for the entire season. When you come to pick, there’s a $5 picking deposit per adult that goes toward your final purchase. The farm says this nominal fee is to offset the irresistible peaches you’re bound to taste as you pick. The orchard is open Monday to Saturday 9 am–6 pm and Sunday 2 pm–6 pm, and you must arrive by 5:15 pm for entry. There’s a nice park right across the road with picnic benches and a pavilion where you are welcome to eat.
RELATED: See Baby Animals and More at Family-Friendly NJ Farms
Take your pick of more than 30 varieties of peaches at Melick's Town Farm. Photo courtesy of the farm
Melick's Town Farm – Califon
Melick’s low-key farm experience allows pickers to walk right into the orchard, where you’ll find 30 varieties of peaches—both yellow and white—growing on more than 5,000 trees. Luckily, the trees are low to the ground, making the fruit easy for little arms to reach. There’s no entry fee; just pay for what you pick. The farm is open for picking 9 am–6 pm, seven days a week.
Phillips Farm – Milford
Stop by the farm stand at this working farm to get your containers weighed before walking out to the orchard. Pick-your-own is offered Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesdays) from
9 am–6 pm. The farm’s clingstone yellow peaches (meaning the peach flesh “clings” to the pit) are already in full swing and the pricing ranges depending on how much you pick.
Strawberry Hill Farm – Chesterfield
Despite the farm’s name (it doesn't, in fact, grow any strawberries), this totally sweet farm is a top spot for Jersey peaches and nectarines. You can see the bright peaches hanging from the orchard’s trees from almost a mile away as you approach the farm along winding Waln Road.
Terhune Orchards – Princeton
While you can’t technically pick your own peaches here, Terhune more than makes up for it with its annual Just Peachy Festival, a two-day celebration of all things peach. The fresh family fun includes wagon and pony rides, face painting, and a petting zoo, with live music and cooking demonstrations under the festival tent. Baskets overflowing with just-picked peaches and nectarines are ready to take home from the farm store to make your favorite peach recipes. Or try one of the orchard’s delicious freshly baked peach cobblers or pies.
Valley Crest Farm & Preserve – Lebanon
Nestled in the rolling hills of Hunterdon County, Valley Crest Farm & Preserve is located on 100 sprawling acres of gorgeous views and vistas. Not only are the peaches ripe for the picking, but every pick-your-own purchase supports Valley Crest's mission to donate fresh, nutritious produce to people in need. In the last two years, the farm has donated more than 100,000 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables to feed those in need.
Pick-Your-Own Peaches in Southern NJ
Mood’s Farm Market – Mullica Hill
Look out for the orange windmill on Route 77 and you’ll know you’ve reached this peach paradise. Bring your own bucket or box (plastic bags are not allowed) to pick peaches at this picturesque farm. Once you check in, hop back in the car to drive to the easily accessible orchards. Closed Sundays, but picking is available every other day of the week from 8 am–7 pm.
Originally published in 2016 and updated annually.
