Pickin' Pumpkins for Just Pennies!

Pumpkin picking season is upon us.  If you are not careful, the very simple of idea of going on a hayride to pick the perfect pumpkin can turn into a VERY expensive outing! Here is a comparison of area farms and their prices along with their additional attractions. Remember, if you are pumpkin picking the cost of the pumpkin is , for most cases, an additional cost from the wagon or hayride to the patch.  Please check their website for complete information. If you use another farm, please email me and I'll add it to the list! You make the decision, who has the best deal?

Prices are subject to change. Call ahead and/or check website.
Updated October 2014

NEW JERSEY

Farm Name	Location	Hayride Cost	Pumpkin Cost	Other Attractions	Notes
Johnson's Farm	Medford, NJ	$3.75/pp	$.79/lb	Discovery Barnyard and Animal Farm ($7.50/pchild and $3.75/adults) Corn Maze($3.50)	On weekday, all paid hayriders get half-off Discovery Barnyard and Animal Farm. Farm Market, Bathrooms, tables for eating.
Conte's Farm	Tabernacle, NJ	$2.00/pp	$.60/lb	Corn Maze	If you return with a pumpkin,$2 is taken off the cost of the pumpkin, so essentially the ride to the patch is free. Eating Area. Farm Market and ice cream shop.A few animals for viewing.
Stellwag's Farm (See Family Penny Pincher's Review)	Delran, NJ	$5.00/pp	included in cost of hayride	Andy's Barnyard Animals Rose Garden Nature Trails	$5.00 hayride includes a small pumpkin and warm apple cider and cookies served after the ride in the garden center every weekend. Garden Center.
Indian Acres Tree Farm	Medford, NJ	$3.25/pp	$.50-60/lb	Zipline, Rock Climbing Wall, and Giant Pillow Bounce, Barrel Train Rides ($4.00) Jumpin' Pumpkin ($3.25/pp) Pony Rides ($4.00) Haunted Attractions	Free Playground Picnic Tables for eating. Snack Bar and Gift Shop.
Terhune Orchards	Princeton, NJ	$5.00/pp	$.75/lb	Barnyard Animals (free) Walking Trail Pony Rides (FEE)	Farm Market
Springdale Farm Market	Cherry Hill, NJ	$3.50/pp	$.79/lb	Corn Maze($8.50 kids, $10.00/adults)	Bakery, Garden Center, Gift Shop. Picnic area
Creamy Acres Farm	Mullica Hill, NJ	$3.00/pp	$.45/lb	Cornfield Maze ($6.00/pp) day and night. Night of Terror (mature audiences)	"Family Day Out Package" $26.00 for a family of 4. (w/coupon) each additional member $7.00. 2 and under free.  Includes wagon ride and corn maze. Playground and Barnyard animals available.
Duffield's Farm	Washington Township, NJ	$8.00 with a pumpkin or $4.00 w/o pumpkin (just hayride)	included in cost of hayride	Barn Bounce ($3.00) Trike Track ($2.00) Barnyard Exp. ($3.00) Corn Maze ($3.00) Bracelet for all these extra activities $16.00	Scarecrow making on Saturdays and pony rides for an extra cost. Farm Market, large covered pavilion with tables for parties and eating.

PENNSYLVANIA

Farm Name	Location	Hayride Cost	Pumpkin Cost	Other Attractions	Notes
Shady Brook Farm	Yardley, PA	$12.00/pp	$.59/lb	Pumpkinfest after dark, Horrorfest	$12 Includes wagon ride, inflatables, Barn of Horror, Alien Encounter, SBF 500 Racetrack, Straw Maze, Barnyard Animals, Giant Corn Maze, Tee Pee Play Area,Pig Races (wkends only) Coupon Available. Farm Market, bathrooms, tables for eating
Linvilla Orchards	Media, PA	$6.00/pp (not a pumpkin picking hayride)	$.69/lb	Autumn Moon Hayrides, Hayrides to the Witches House	The hayride is through their orchards. Pumpkins are already harvested and available in Pumpkinland. Animals are on display and they have a playground. Tables for eating and farm market.
Active Acres Farm	Newtown, PA	$5.00/ hayride and any size pumpkin	included in cost of hayride	Haunted Hayride, Haunted House in House in the Hollow and Field of Fright	Not picking a pumpkin but want to ride the hayride? Just $2.00. $10 you can do hayride and corn maze. Refreshments available and seating. Additional daytime fun includes farm animals, pony rides, moon bounce and more!

Stellwag's Hidden Acres Farm

Location:116 Hartford Rd. Delran, NJ

Website: http://www.stellwagshiddenacresfarm.com/

Bathrooms: Yes

Eating area: Yes

Attractions: Rose Garden, animals for viewing, short hiking trail, garden center

Fee: $5 per person for the hayride to pick a small pumpkin.

Cost of the pumpkin is included in the $5 price.

Click HERE for the price guide to other pumpkin picking farms !

This past weekend the family and I took advantage of the nice weather and finally went pumpkin picking.  This year, we tried the much talked about Stellwag's Farm not far from our home. This was our first time on their hayride, although we have visited the garden center several times to purchase plants. We couldn't beat the price of only $5 per person,  including the cost of the pumpkin! Oh...and did I mention there was hot cider when we returned? Sweet!

We went to the farm at about 11am on a Sunday and found it to be very quiet. There was hardly any one there, and no lines to wait in. We paid our $5 for our hayride and pumpkins, and off we went. However, the ride to the pumpkin patch was a very different when compared to previous pumpkin patch trips.  You don't take a ride around a farm, but instead you ride through a heavily shaded wooded area.  It was so cool! The kids kept saying, "We're off to find the witch's house, which house? The witch's house!"  It wasn't scary by any means but it was shaded, making it darker and a retreat from the bright sun. Along the way, you will find various decorative scarecrows in the woods for some visual entertainment. I never knew that Stellwag's had that much property! I could imagine a hayride at night would be pretty awesome through the woods and I wonder why they haven't ventured into that market?

After the ride through the woods, the tractor stops at the pumpkin patch where loads of pumpkins are waiting to be picked.  I liked the fenced in area...perfect for little ones! So easy to watch them, they could run free and I didn't have to worry! The pumpkins were small, but again it was the perfect sized for my 3 and 4 year old to carry themselves. That was real nice! I imagine that these small pumpkins would not satisfy older children who hunt for the "great pumpkin," but I think it should satisfy most kids about 10 and under. Within the patch, there was even a setup to take pictures of your kids with their chosen pumpkin.

When you are finished picking, the tractor will take you back to the garden center/gift shop and you are free to explore the rest of the farm...for FREE!!  Yes, viewing the animals, the nature trail, and rose garden are all free! You will find goats, various pheasants, sheep, wild turkey, and more! Make sure to stop and smell the roses in the rose garden maze, and enjoy a nature trail that will take you over the a bridge and through the woods leading to the animal pens. There is also a covered area with picnic tables for eating. Make sure to call ahead if you need those tables, because that is also where the birthday parties are held.  You may be out of luck if there is a party. Also, the garden center does not sell food, so you do need to bring your own. Inside the garden center/gift shop you will find the restrooms.

If you are looking to pick pumpkins without breaking the bank, have little ones, and don't want to spend all day looking through a huge pumpkin field for pumpkins, then Stellwags is for you. Your kids will enjoy it, they will get a pumpkin, a hayride, see some animals, run through the woods....and you can just take it all in and relax. Everyone wins!

Happy Fall!