For Sale: Demarest Farm

The headline was common, and depressing: "End of an era: Demarests enter new season as farm is for sale," read the front page banner of the August 30th edition of Pascack Press, a local hometown read.

The Demarest Farm has been around since 1886. To put that year into perspective, the Statue of Liberty was dedicated and Grover Cleveland (remember him?) was in office.

Two parcels of land are owned by the family. The 15 acres in Hillsdale, which most residents know, thankfully, is preserved as farmland. The other, 17.5 acres in Saddle River, is "deemed residential, thus allowing for development." McMansions anyone? I wouldn't be surprised in the least.

On a sunny August weekend, my mom and I paid a visit to Demarest Farm for lunch, as we have so many times before.

A charming recreation of the farm.

A perfect late summer picnic: homemade corn chowder, $4.59/lb., an onion roll, $1.10, from their on-site bakery, and fresh squeezed lemonade, $2.50. Enjoyed on the picnic benches while a small army on satisfied peach pickers walked by with their bounty. I thought what a fine activity for families do.

A source of New Jersey pride: juicy peaches every summer.

Sweet endings: watermelon Italian ice, $1.50.

Signs of fall: these cheerful scarecrow hovered over applesauce jars. Crisp fall nights will soon be here, and I'm looking forward to them.

Fragrant vegetable oil soaps. When I saw the lemon verbena one, I couldn't help think of Miss Beadle on Little House on the Prairie, a favorite childhood show.


When I made a plea to support New Jersey farms, I meant it. Please support your local farmers wherever you are, even if just to buy a bag of peaches or apples. These farms stand in defiance to the retail behemouths and housing developments that have taken over our communities. But they need to remain lucrative enough for the next generations to carry on the tradition.

From the Farm

After a winter hibernation, Demarest Farm opened for the season on Earth Day. This Hillsdale, New Jersey-based farm has been around since 1886. You may recall my visit here last year.

You can now enjoy a lovely lunch outside at one of their tables, in their greenhouse, or on a picnic bench (my preferred choice). Bonus points: they are dog-friendly. My mom and I took our family's adopted dog, who enjoyed the sunshine with us while we dined.

In addition to two daily soups (one vegetarian selection that day, corn chowder), they always have vegetarian chili, loaded with bell peppers, chickpeas and beans, $4.59/pound. This portion was $2.85, paired with an onion roll, $1.10. To avoid the disposables, my mom and I brought our own silverware, cloth napkins and cups in a picnic basket.

We shared a white peach iced tea, $2.

I love wraps. Recreate this avocado, tomato and onion wrap at home.

Deli pickles.

I was pining for some Clyde's of Garfield Italian ice, but it isn't available until this weekend. I would have gotten one scoop watermelon, one scoop honeydew melon. Next time!

There's usually a mob around these during their busiest season in the fall: cider donuts. If you'd like, veganize at home.

I cannot wait for fresh summer tomatoes to hit the farm for tomato and basil salads.

Simple snack: radishes.

Love the way they repurposed this old chair in the garden.

I like Demarest for lunching, but for general shopping, I favor Old Hook Farm, for its wider selection of vegan offerings, organic produce, and local finds. Demarest Farm had asparagus from Peru, but look what I found at Old Hook Farm. This will be cream of asparagus soup (the cream from soy creamer).

In addition to produce, I picked up some indulgences: vegan fudge bars, and some organic strawberry lemonade.

Fragrant lilacs. My mom surprised me with a bunch while we took turns waiting in the car with the dog.


Find a family farm near you through LocalHarvest.

A Springtime Visit to Demarest Farm

Even though New Jersey is called the "Garden State," there aren't too many gardens, or farms really, where I live. When I was a child, I had fond memories of our trips to Tice Farms in Woodcliff Lake. It's since been developed into a strip mall, which contains a Gap, Victoria's Secret and a hodgepodge of other depressing retailers. Nearby Van Riper's Farm, which had been farming since the 1700s, was transformed into an A&P.



Thankfully, there are still some farms, including the Demarest Farm in Hillsdale, which has been around since 1886. While I prefer shopping at Old Hook Farm in Emerson since they are organic (Demarest Farm is not), it's still a pleasant outing for an afternoon.



If only cows were really as happy as this one on our nation's farms. There aren't any actual cows here, just the usual feel-good imagery. I think the only cows this happy are the ones who get to live at animal sanctuaries.



At the deli, I ordered the avocado supreme, which includes red onion and red wine vinegar, hold the Swiss cheese, for $5.95. Paired with a pickle, 99 cents, and an organic cranberry lemonade, $2. We brought our own real silverware and cloth napkins so we could avoid the disposables.



There was a pleasant breeze at the shaded picnic benches, a welcome relief from the unseasonable 90 degree temperature.



A vegan will never go hungry when a salad bar is around.



There's always homemade tasty vegetarian chili. Two soups are featured daily, but today's were both chicken.



Not too much homegrown produce is in season yet. Check out what is.



Every Thursday, beginning June 18th through August, they have a BBQ buffet for $16.95 with live music. Veg options appear to be corn-on-the-cob, salad, watermelon and soda or water. Baked beans are on the menu, but not sure if they're vegetarian. Recreate their BBQ feast at home with Gardenburger BBQ Riblets and Lightlife Smart Dogs. End with a Tofutti Cutie. Throw on the Johnny Cash records to make it festive.



Visit Demarest Farm, 244 Wierimus Rd., Hillsdale, NJ



There are no vegan options for dessert, so we headed to Old Hook Farm for a bumbleberry pie (all their fruit pies are vegan, except apple crumble). Washed down with an iced coffee with Trader Joe's soy creamer, and followed with a nap.





Johnny with his beloved June.

Johnny Cash & June Carter