Riamede Farm

you guys– i’ve finally found it… the perfect place for apple and pumpkin picking. i really don’t want to tell you about it…
i dont want you to know about the sprawling orchard on a hill overlooking the picturesque landscape of farms-​everywhere, essex, nj. with (free) plentiful parking. the ride to the farm is gorgeous in the fall– lot’s of great foliage and mountain-​y views.
i don’t want you to know that it only costs $ 2/​adult (CASH ONLY) to go picking, and apples are priced so reasonably (~$ 1.99/lb). in the greater princeton area (ahem, terhune orchard) an apple-​picking date would cost an arm-​and a leg, before adding an incredibly overpriced pumpkin! remember to bring some reusable bags with you for when you’re ready to check out, too. it’s not only good for the environment, but will save you $ 0.50/plastic bag when you check out.
i don’t want you to know that there are sooooo many rows of trees just waiting to get their apples picked– all different varieties, too. and i definitely don’t want you to know that you’re encouraged to try the different types… no lurking farm employees scolding you for sneaking a bite (or 2… or 7). in fact on my visit here, an employee by the exit sent me back into the orchard to try one of her favorite varietals at the time… definitely appreciated, as it was deeelish. love the friendly staff!
i don’t want you to know about the free! short tractor-​pulled hayride out to the middle of the orchard for those who don’t want to schlep all the way through. or the wagons you can use (free, too) to collect your fruit as you stroll.
i don’t want you to know about the pick-​your-​own pumpkin patch, with pumpkins for picking straight off the vine. all types, too– i love the white and sugar pumpkins in the fall. there’s even a corn field and tomato patch for more pick-​your-​own fun, depending on what time in the season you go.
i reallyyyy don’t want you to know how delicious the hot apple cider doughnuts are. nope. trust me, don’t try one… you’ll be hooked and will need a second or maybe even a third. heck, just get a few bags of these hot sugary treats to «share». and get some apple cider, too. don’t forget– cash only!
i don’t want you to know how much i loved my experience at riamede and that i can’t wait to go back. what a great non-​gimmicky farm for a lovely fall day out. no petting zoo, corn mazes, child– specific activities, etc… so it’s a good bet that there won’t be huge groups of kids running around like at some other places.
i really don’t want you to know any of these things, because i want to keep this amazing place all to myself. but fine, in the interest of responsible Unilocal-​ing, i’ll share.
… but only as long as you bring me some cider doughnuts in return!

So disappointing. Autumnal activities are my favorite thing and, having been born and raised in the area and driven past it nearly daily, was eager to check this place out. Before deciding to pick apples, my boyfriend and I went to peruse the store and maybe buy some cider. We were greeted by a woman screeching «DID YOU PAY YET?!» After responding that we were simply looking before we entered the orchard, she nastily repeated «okay well, you need to pay if you’re going in…»
I was so taken aback by how rude she was that we immediately turned and left. With so many other beautiful farms and orchards in the area to support, I will actively choose to never return to Riamede. Hope screaming about the $ 2 admission fee was worth losing potential customers and positive word of mouth.

This farm is that perfect place to experience all those fall activities. Came here few weeks after reading good reviews about them. The farm has a nominal entry fee of $ 2 bucks and it has ample parking space. When we came here one could pick apples, pumpkins, sunflowers, corn and a different varieties of tomatoes. It was such a fun activity to pick pumpkins and tomatoes. Those cherry tomatoes were dead tasty and fresh.
We also indulged in their cider donuts and fresh hot apple cider, they were super yummy :)
Staff was super helpful.
A great spot to come with family and friends. Definitely coming back here.

I’ll preface this by saying I’m usually quite wary now about going to farms because the owners have often made me and my family feel out of place and unwanted. We drove here from manhattan and it took us just over an hour, so we were really excited. The woman who greeted us was super friendly and showed us a map of the available, ripened apples around the orchard. We had our own bags, which I recommend because it saves money and plastic. Despite it being early November, there were PLENTY of apples on the trees and everything was properly labeled. It was pretty empty since apple-​picking season is essentially over, which was also a plus. Came here with two younger kids and none of the workers had any issues (which I was nervous about since I’d read some bad reviews on here the night before) or gave them any weird looks. Apples were $ 2 a pound, which is about how much I pay at a farmer’s market. Would highly recommend!!! Hoping to come back next fall.

GREAT farm for apple-​picking! Many varieties with signs everywhere, and staff dispersed sparsely throughout to help when you need it. Also I’m pretty sure it was the (very friendly and funny) owner riding around on a golf cart cracking jokes, giving tips, and encouraging us to taste every kind of apple. I like that Riamede takes pride in being «not a carnival» — no petting zoo, rides, etc. — it’s just an unpretentious farm where you can pick your own apples and pumpkins. They also serve delicious cider and fresh-​out-​the-​oven cider donuts that were probably the best I’ve ever had — so warm!!! — and the local-​made cider-​simmered hot dogs were really good too with a nice pop/​bite. They have a store where you can buy some baking mixes, cider, pies, and a few other things, but there is no pretense of it trying to be too much. I think that’s partly why I liked Riamede so much. No huge crowds and focused on doing just a few things right.
At the end of October, it was a very beautiful ride getting there from Essex County. The fall foliage around Riamede is amazing!

We’ve been to this farm twice this month alone. My 3-​year old absolutely loves the place. Apples galore and nicely ripened ready for picking. This is a much better place than those in New York. Highly recommended.

So you know that feeling when you are heading to a farm for pumpkins, apples, cider donuts and you feel it’s going to be crowded and you’re preparing yourself for it… OMG this farm was great!!! Drove in to park on a Saturday morning at 11am and we were so close to the entrance. Kids under 6 were free and adults were $ 2.
Pros:
Hayride is free
Red Wagons provided for pumpkin and apple picking
Cider hot dog and beans is delicious
Last but not least CIDER DONUTS HOT AND FRESH ARE DELICIOUS and it comes 3 in a bag for $ 3
Cons:
Not many but after picking pumpkins, bags weren’t provided for us so bring recycled or plastic bags with you
More stuff to know:
They tell you what rows of trees have the most to pick at… you can actually walk from the pumpkin patch to the main entrance instead of waiting for the tractor.
If you don’t need the bells and whistles like Terhune and Battleview and just want to apple and pumpkin pick and grab fresh cider donuts… I highly recommend this place.
OH AND BRING CASH!!!

Last year I went October 19^th. It was my first time picking apples. I was excited and had a great time. I picked Winesap and Cortland. Maybe few others not sure.
Now you wonder why I gave this farm a 2 * right? Well let me explain, but here’s helpful information first.
— to go in you have to pay $ 2 per person.
— heavy plastic bags are .50 and a red canvas bag is $ 2
— get a wagon if you plan to get a lot. I say to get one when you have a chance. If you go on weekends it’s busy.
— $ 1.99 a pound for apples
— Cash only. ATM there which if you want a fee to use it you get money there (pretty sure it a fee. If not I’m sorry)
— wear comfortable shoes and make sure you don’t trip on the apples
Now here’s why this place gets 2 *
— If you don’t get a wagon ahead of time on the weekend good luck to you because if there’s a kid then every kid has to pull a wagon. I saw three women who were friends I guess each of their kids had to use a wagon and then they sit in it pull each other that type of stuff. They don’t say anything at all. This was in the pumpkin patch.
— there’s a sign in the beginning telling you what apples are out and ripe. Unless they expect you to remember or take a picture of it. You will have to go this sign. Now if you come later and the apples are gone from the front congrats you have to walk all the way down which means you find few and then another tree and that good right new apple (went for golden delicious and winesap was nearby) so got both apples no problem see a few people taking winesap apples then see a worker in like a golf cart go by. Then find out after paid a lot of money to the farm that the apple I got wasn’t ripe. Guess they are to lazy to travel through farm to label which is ready. You got to locate the rest of the trees in a different area to find out they block off one tree to say hey this isn’t ready. They indeed block one section saying not ripe, but not the winesap and was told to look on Facebook like excuse me I have to stop look at apple go on Facebook to see if it’s ready? Like that’s their jobs to do.
–donuts didn’t even last 2 days before getting mold on it.
— tripped and twisted my ankle to get apples because there’s like 30 on the ground and they all around trees apparently never picked up. There’s holes too so I must’ve found everyone of them
Very disappointed with this place and will not make a return. They make a lot of money and they can’t mark trees well. I take my apple picking money to another farm. Will not return to a disorganized place which the apples got bruised when I placed in the bag not throw. Oh and many people eat the apples while walking around.

I went last year and it was a wonderful experience but this time it was a horrible experience. There weren’t hardly any apples on the trees to pick and we only found a few apples. I was extremely disappointed to experience this after an hour and a half drive up there. There pumpkin patch was great though! I wish that there were more apples!

Last weekend went to Riamede Farms with my husband. It was my first experience of apple picking and i loved it!
There is a $ 2 entry fee for adults, which is pretty reasonable according to me. (cashonly)
Before you enter the farm they have counter, where they are selling hot apple cider, donuts, cider hot dog.
We had apple cider and donuts, that was amazing!
The farm is huge. Having 6 – 7 varieties of apples, they have pumpkins, 4 – 5 variety of tomatoes, indian corn, sunflowers.
We picked different variety of tomatoes, pumpkins and apples. We spent 2 hours there and that was fun.
Overall it was a great experience along with the beautiful view of fall colours. Definitely will visit this place again.

Bags of Fun! Never been apple picking before and had a blast.
$ 2 entry very reasonable, then $ 1.99 LB for apples. You can eat for free when picking them so try the different varieties. The orchards are cool and the views of fall foliage are lovely. We had the cider hot dogs and hot apple cider to drink, that did the trick before the picking. Bought some delicious apple cider donuts on the way out.
Great way to spend 1 – 2 hours!

First time to Riamede Farm this weekend with my husband and our 9 Month Old daughter. The farm was easy to find and not too crowded. I would consider this farm to be a «no frills» farm– which is exactly what we were looking for. We didn’t need anything fancy, we just wanted to go and pick some apples. The price was reasonable and the variety of apples was great!
There was very good signage to let us know where to park and how to exit safely as well. Also having people in the parking lot to direct us to an open spot was very helpful. We had a great time and loved the apple cider donuts that were still warm when we purchased them!
We will definitely return to this farm!

So you pay $ 2 per person just for breathing their air, then you pay $ 1 for 1 plastic grocery bag to hold your apples, $ 1.99 per pound for apples, $ 2 per stem for sunflowers and about $ 10 for a fairly large pumpkin. We went on a spectacular fall day so it was packed, the wagons were loaded elbow to elbow, little ones on laps and pickings on the floor. The lines for checking out were at least a half hour long. The commercialization of such a good old fashioned pastime was off putting.
That said, we had an incredible day! There is nothing like being in the country on a sunny, fall day spending time with your family. The apple trees were bursting with fruit, the pumpkins were ripe on the vines and the foliage was just starting to turn. Each vista was prettier than the next. As my 7 year old said as we began our long journey home, «this was a really fun day!» Yes, it was.

Solid apple picking farm — wish there was more quantity of apples but had a great selection… and the apple pie the next day was bomb.
When it comes to the cider and the apple cider donuts though? ⁵⁄₅ — best I’ve ever had!

What a great way to spend an early fall day! Easy to find, right off Route 206. The power lines and towers that lace the property are kind of a bummer — no biggie, really– but that’s why I gave this 4 stars instead of 5. It’s not as if farm can change location. Overall though, extremely picturesque! Cannot say enough about how friendly the staff were from front gate to the employees driving around in golf carts to check if you needed help in the field.
Apples fairly priced at 1.99/lb and helpful little red wagons available free of charge. You can bring your own bag or purchase one there. (.50 for plastic, $ 2.00 for reusable fabric grocery type.) It is a bit early in season and for that reason only a few varieties available… But the varieties we did get (Macoun, Red Delicious) were just that— delicious!!!
We chose to do hayride around farm just for fun although purpose of wagon was to take you to far end of farm. Friendly man driving said as long as not a long line on other end we could stay on and do full loop.
As for trekking out with young kids, we found it easily doable with a 2 and 4 year old, making it easily to far end of field.
In addition to Apple picking, the pumpkin picking patch was open as well as tomato patch. Farm store on way out was nice! We couldn’t resist buying some apple cider donuts and cider, again fairly priced! All in all a great day!!!

not crowded.
not pretentious.
not trying to be an amusement park.
this is just nice apple, sunflower and tomato picking.

I love Riamede Farm! This farm is my husband’s go to place to pick his favorite apples, Macintosh. Their Macintosh trees are super impressive and super old. They are huge trees that offer tons of apples to all who pick from their branches. Riamede offers a wide variety of apples from Macintosh, Gala, Macoun, Fugi, Golden Delicious, and many, many more. They also offer visitors a pumpkin patch where you can cut the pumpkins right from the vine. You can also find cherry tomatoes and corn depending on the month you go. Since my husband loves Macintosh apples, we head to Riamede early in the apple picking season. We went on this lovely Saturday morning, arrived at 9:30, and it was quiet and just an all around awesome picking experience.
There is an entrance fee of $ 2.00 per person. You can bring your own bag and not have to pay the bag fee (which is a minimal price anyway). They offer free hayrides to the back of the orchard, but it’s nice to just take the walk down the path among all the different apple trees. Apples are $ 1.99 a pound and they only accept cash. Because we arrived a little early in the season the kitchen was not open at the time, but we plan on returning for their apple cider donuts because they are the best ones we’ve had! They even have little bits of apple in them. Eat them warm after you’ve gone apple picking and you’ll be glad you did!
When fall season approaches, my husband and I always hit up Riamede at least a couple of times. It’s a great old-​fashioned orchard where you can pick all the apples you can carry!

We had a really great time here today!
Staff were pleasant and of course, picking apples was fun! Initially, as you walk into the farm, there aren’t many to choose from because everyone’s already gotten to ‘em! It was more like apple hunting as opposed to apple picking! Ha! But, as you walk further into the orchard, you’ll feel like you struck gold as you’ll finally come across a good selection of apples! They have a wide variety.
There was a hayride that was fun (& free!) and that’ll take you directly to the pumpkin patch. There was also corn and tomatoes to pick!
But, truth be told, probably my most FAVORITE part about going here today was the apple cider donuts! D E L I C I O U S!!! I seriously feel like I haven’t eaten something THAT GOOD in SO long!
We bought the apple butter on the way out too — SCORE! Totally delicious as well!
$ 1 to get in, and it’s cash only! We bought a bit over 8lbs of apples, 2 ears of corn, apple butter, donuts, a cider hot dog (yummy too!), and some baking mix which all came out to $ 42.

We came here because Alstede was like Six Flags and the line to buy tickets was at least an hour wait.
The pick your own at the Riamede farm is only $ 1 admission per person and if you want a plastic bag its 50 cents, for the red cloth bags its $ 2 and zero lines whatsoever. You have to walk deeper into the apple orchard to find ones that were within reach, otherwise all the ones up front were picked bare. You can pick up a red wagon before you enter in the parking lot.
There is this hay area before you enter the fields that has a few kids playing in all the hay glory. When the field you can choose to ride the free hayride or just walk. We walked because it wasn’t far between each set of trees.
You can also cut your own pumpkin off the vine, pick orange, red cherry tomatoes and red full sized tomatoes. They were unbelievably delicious and there was plenty to pick! It is $ 3 per pound and is weighed before you leave the area. They supply free clear small plastic bags.
There is also an area for cut your own sunflowers. We saw corn but wasn’t sure if you could pick any of those.
The staff was super friendly and helpful. They do close earlier around 4:30 so come earlier. Also the farm is very close to these huge power lines.
Overall a nice farm with good staff and good prices. They also don’t take cards, be sure to bring cash or be prepared to use their ATMs.

Don’t you just love fall? The cooler weather, colorful leaves, playoff baseball and of course apples! NYC isn’t the greatest for apple picking — so off we went to NJ and to Riamede Farm, about 90 minutes from Brooklyn.
Here are a few things you’ll want to know if you too are headed to Riamede:
The farm isn’t hard to find and you shouldn’t be worried when you find yourself in a residential neighborhood. A couple turns down some cozy streets and boom– orchard!
You’re probbaly driving, right? No worries there’s plenty of {free} parking.
There’s also an entry fee of $ 1 per person but that dollar gets you a hayride through the farm. They’ve also got little red wagons for the kiddies.
Heavy duty plastic bags are available for 50cents or you are welcome to bring your own.
Wagon rides seemed to leave every 5 minutes or so and drop you off at the top of the hill near several rows of apples + a field of sunflowers and tomatoes. The orchard is large but not soo big that you couldn’t walk around on your own if you want. Wagon or not, no pressure.
All of the apples, no matter the variety, were $ 1.89lb. When we visited last week. This may change weekly, Riamede would have to confirm this.
Tomatoes were $ 3 a lb… and you have your choice of lil’ babies (red, orange and yellow cherry tomatoes), and big ol’ beefsteak tomatoes. I don’t even like tomatoes but these guys were beautiful. Hubs picking a bags worth and has been chopping them up for his omelets and sandwiches and tells me they’re really good.
After you’re done pickin’ there are lot of options before you make your way to the cashier. Bags of freshly popped popcorn and hot dogs, big beautiful pumpkins and cute little gourds, gallons of apple cider, jars of apple butter and bags of warm apple cider donuts. THESE DONUTS! You can actually taste the apple, so good! The best apple cider donuts I’ve had. They were amazing fresh and warm, they were amazing the next day. I think they were $ 3 for a bag of 3. Note– the farm is a cash only establishment.
I think we spent a total of about $ 30 for 9ish pounds of apples, 3 pounds of tomatoes and two bags of fresh donuts. We had such a great time at Riamede Farm, money well spent! Can’t wait to go back next season!