Schaefer Farms

This review pertains only to the store. It looks like they do haunted hayrides or something along the lines, but I can’t speak for those shenanigans.
The longer I live in Jersey, the more I love it, mainly because of places like Schaefer Farms that remind me just how diverse a state it is. Jersey is «The Garden State» for a reason, after all, but I tend to forget that living and working in Essex County, 10 miles from Manhattan.
We stopped here after seeing a sign for fresh apple cider. I figured all we were in store for was a cash-​only cider stand, but we got way more than we were bargaining for. Lots of homemade goods, like jarred beets and potato chip labels I’ve never seen before. I could have been in Upstate New York or somewhere in rural New England and not known the difference.
Appears to be family run, presumably by the Schaefers.
Not sure if there’s a minimum on credit cards, but they do accept them.

First time visiting this place tonight, and must say had a good time. The line for the hayride was Extremely long, but it was worth the wait. Everyone in our group enjoyed it, even though it was cold. Will say the characters did a fine performance. Some adult humor during the ride, but all in good fun/​taste. Would definitely go again.

I wish I could 5 star this place because their products are awesome. .however the general attitude smells worse than the barn animals. It’s been a tradition to come here for my family since about 5 or 6 years back now, however if the turnout is as horrid as last year, we won’t be returning again.

A friend recommended that I call Schaefer Farms to purchase ducklings – I was looking to add a few to my flock. I was so excited to find a local farm that sells ducks so around 845 am yesterday morning I Googled their contact page and gave them a call. This is how the conversation went:
Schaefer Farms: «Hello?»
Me: «Hi. I saw on your website and heard from a friend that you’re selling baby chicks. Do you have any ducklings as well?»
Schaefer Farms: Pause. «Well I believe it also says on our website that we don’t open until 930am. And no, we’re out of ducklings.»
Me: «Thanks.» Click.
I was so stunned at the woman’s answer to my very simple question. If they weren’t open yet, why did she bother to answer the phone? And no, Schaefer Farms, your contact page does not state your hours.
If this is how a staff member treats a prospective customer, I will definitely never spend my money there. And I certainly wouldn’t have purchased their ducklings even if she had said they were for sale.

Fright fest here is really good!!! The hay ride + haunted houses + corn maze = amazing. Not the level of universal studio but a lot better than I expected it to be! $ 30/​person.

LOVE this place! Came here on a Sunday and got to feel like a kid again! Went on the hayride and picked a pumpkin. They have a small animal farm too so I got to feed the goats and the pigs! It’s a great place to take the family out on a beautiful Fall day so I would highly recommend this place to anyone living in the area. There’s a corn maze and food too. I’ve been to Norz farm in Hillsborough but I feel like this place is nicer.

First went in 2006, when my siblings were quite young. We did the day activities and then came back for the haunted hayride… it wasn’t spectacular, but it was fun and definitely memorable. Fast forward to 2013, I was still expecting the same experience that I got 7 years earlier… let’s just say that I was pleasantly surprised and had a lot of fun!
I was running and scared at times… my sisters who are now 16 and 17, really enjoyed themselves and thought it was cool. yes, the $ 25 ticket is a bit steep, but in the end, I do feel as though the place earned the money.
Can’t imagine how it will be in 2020! ;-)

We visit Schaefer Farms once a year, each October. There’s a cute little market where you can buy produce, freshly baked goods, jams and jellies, deliciously scented candles, Jersey honey… even handmade crafts. They have mums, pumpkins and gourds of all shapes and sizes. But most importantly, there’s… Frightfest!
We’ve been hitting up Frightfest for many years now, and it just keeps getting better and better, constantly evolving. This event is as DIY as they come, but they put everything they have into it! Always entertaining, always a ton of fun.
Frightfest boasts 4 attractions, which altogether took us a little over an hour to get through; at $ 25.00, I feel it’s quite reasonably priced. Each attraction leads into the next, so you only wait on one line… but be forewarned, that line can get really, really long. I highly recommend arriving either very early, or very late.
The fun begins with their Hayride of Horror. A ghoulish chaperone accompanies you as you ride through stark corn fields and wooded areas, meeting lots of interesting characters along the way. They stage some fun little vignettes, full of gore and violence — I’m happy to say they don’t hold back for the sake of the little ones! This ride really is more entertaining than scary… but they did make me jump a few times, and I loved every minute of it.
Next comes the Trail of Terror. You set off on foot along a dark, creepy path that leads you through the woods, then into a graveyard; there are lots of well placed scares along the way. Spooky atmosphere and a few really cool props make this trail memorable.
Massacre Maize, the third stop of the evening, isn’t terribly exciting. It’s just your standard corn maze, really… no props or sets in here (though you will meet with the occasional chainsaw). It is an actual maze, not just a path through the corn; that does add a nice twist. Still, I’d love to see them expand on this part a bit more.
Finally you arrive at the Carnival of Chaos. This well done walk-​through has fun sets and lots of energetic actors. One little guy in particular thoroughly managed to creep the hell out of me! They make good use of some cool lasers/​lighting in here, too.
Not everything about Frightfest is entertaining; there are a couple of technical details that need to be addressed. First, they bombard the people waiting on line with country music radio. This is awful, and makes no sense. Why not play something spooky and atmospheric… like a John Carpenter soundtrack? Or go the lighthearted route, and throw on Purple People Eater and the Munsters theme? Heck, show us a horror movie, instead… anything would be better than what they do now. Also, they need to make the line a bit narrower. The ultra wide queue invites line cutting, which leads to anger and chaos.
Once the ride begins, though, I’m able to forget all about that stuff… and that’s why we’ll continue to return to Frightfest. What the folks here lack in finance, they more than make up for in creativity and enthusiasm. I hope to see this event continue to grow.