During apple picking season, it feels like the state of New Jersey is suddenly overrun with you-pick orchards. After researching several options with a mind toward reasonable entrance fees and fair prices per unit, Melick's was where we landed. At $5.99 per person for weekend pricing (which includes a free hayride to the furthest points of the orchard) at peak picking season, I felt it was worth the longer drive to get there. I also loved that they issued free plastic picking bags without the added cost, as many orchards are now wont to do. In late September, there were plenty of apples ripe for the picking, with clear signage to denote which types were ripe. Honeycrisp apples were a little more per pound, but once I tasted a few, it was clear why. True to its name, I've never bit into a more juicier or crunchier apple, and I've been spoiled for supermarket apples for good. Most folks seem to come for the apples, but I saw a fair number of people coming down from the fields with armloads of giant sunflowers. Of course, there's always the store at the front, with other farm-fresh produce, cider (both alcoholic and non), and baked goodies. The alcoholic apple cider was refreshing, with a light buzz that made time in the orchard just a little happier. No bags or backpacks are allowed in the orchard area, but there's a small picnic area with some tables and porta-potties at the very front. Our family came prepared with picnic blankets, and the folks here were totally fine with us setting up by the goats (who are fenced in, so there's no direct interaction but the children in our group had great fun watching them while we ate). Melick may not have all the frills and fancy fun of other orchards, but I was delighted by a few perks, like a small tire play area and a decently sized corn maze that was fun to walk through with the family. The parking lot doesn't seem all that large, but when we went, it never seemed to get so busy that it was impossible to find a spot. read more

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Melick's Town Farm - Califon Orchards was such a nice experience overall! When I first called, the lady on the phone kept saying "Califon," and I honestly had never even heard of that town before, so I kept asking her to repeat it -- she got frustrated and hung up, which wasn't the best start. But once I actually went in person, everyone there was super friendly and welcoming! The apples were fantastic -- fresh, juicy, and reasonably priced. They even have sunflower picking, which was really cute (a little scary with all the bees, but manageable!). Definitely worth visiting once the season starts -- just maybe skip calling ahead read more

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Bought tickets online which were actually cheaper than getting it at the door. While we visited the farm on a rainy day and late into the season, we arrived at 11:45am so there were not a lot of people. We walked the orchard and we noticed the were not a lot of apples, lucky for is we had an umbrella with a long handle and we use it to reach apples to at were at the top of the orchard. My wife found fuji, honey crisp, golden delicious, among some of the varieties we picked. I believe coming to the orchard so late into the seasons made it a bit more challenging to find. After picking apples we bought the apple cider donuts, we bought 2 boxes of the plain donuts. Let me tell you what a mistake that was. The donuts had no flavor, there was very little apple taste, the donut was dry, just not worth it. I dont even think they make the do uts at the orchard. Oh well $14 down the drain. My wife was happy to get like 30lbs to make her pies. So that is all that matters. Not sire that i would go back to this orchard, we went just because it was nearby my inlaws house. So it was a good way to see the family and go apple picking. read more

Melick Orchards - Farmers Market Near Me - Califon, New Jersey

Save your time and go somewhere else! They are rude. The staff don't care. They don't let you in the apple picking with your own purse! Come on! I asked for a manager and the lady at the front was very rude, absolutely not. So I come with my small kids and have to leave my own purse???? It take a sec for you guys to look in the purse to make sure there are Jo apples! Insane- bad experience I would never give my business to unkind people like them!!! read more

I'll preface the review to say that we did go for apples a little later in the season than usual. Really disappointing, as many of the apples remaining on the trees had started deteriorating. I didn't think prices were all that bad as compared to other local pick-your-own orchards. Having always enjoyed our times here, we'll bookmark to go next season a little earlier! read more

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Let me start off by saying the farm itself is beautiful but the fall isn't the best season to visit. Right now they only have apples left but during the spring and summer season, there are peaches and berries. The entry fee is $5 during the weekend and the apples are 1.99/ lb. Sadly there were barely any apples and the ones that were left were either too high to reach or really bruised. I also expected a larger variety of apples but it was mostly Cortland. There was a hay ride but there wasn't anything to look at, there were goats but you weren't allowed to touch or feed them and there was a tiny play area for toddlers. There is also a sunflower field. I'll give this place another chance during the spring/summer season so I can get the full experience. FYI, I would suggest you get there at least 2 hrs before closing so you can take your time walking around. read more

Fruit picking season! So much fun! Pick your own Asian pears, white peaches and apples! (Honey crisp season now) the hayride gets you to honey crisp, you'll have to walk past the apples on the other side to get to the pear and peach area. Very friendly staff! $5 admissions fee per person charged now, you can pay by credit card :) their apple cider is pretty good too! Super friendly staff! read more

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Went to pick some peaches and was pleasantly surprised to find apples too. Spacious farm with kind staff Even though it was towards the end of the season, there was still enough peaches to pick and once I got home and was able to taste them- delicious! Can't wait to go back to this charming place. read more

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We went at the end of the season, so there were only a few varieties of apples left: Fuji, Braeburn, Winesap, Rome and Pink Lady. The Pink Lady was quite tart, so it might be better off in a pie. The Fuji, however, was so sweet, deep and complex, so flavorful, like an excellent apple cider. Best Fuji I ever had, hands down. There are no restrooms, only porta potties, so plan ahead and go somewhere with a decent restroom before you arrive. Also, no apple picking sticks for the higher apples. However, plenty of low-hanging fruit! Also, prices here are quite reasonable: $1.19 a pound for pick your own. However, not as cheap as Best Market, which sells apples for 79 cents to 99 cents a pound. I also tried the apple cider: very flavorful and complex, tastes just like the Fuji apples. Very close to the Bridgewater Mall, so if you want to go for a nice dinner at the mall, not a bad drive. read more

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Who doesn't love picking fresh fruit! Random NEW JERSEY AWESOMENESS: Did you know that NJ is #4 in the nation that produces PEACHES??!! Who knew??!!! I randomly selected this farm and had a wonderful time picking fresh peaches and I even made a scrumptious cobbler! YUM! Totally enjoy fresh fruits and veggies and will visit different farms before harvest season is over. This farm also produced their own ales, hard ciders and wine! We bought several cans and they were all delicious and refreshing! This farm also has several locations and you can also pick your own flowers, which I love as well! Fun trip for the family Take the kids! Enjoy! read more

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It's ok. We were in the area and wanted the traditional fresh made donuts. They had donuts but they were not fresh. They didn't have the cinnamon & sugar apple cider donuts. I also prefer the places where you only pay for the apples you pick. I don't think we'll be back here. Besides de apples and the donuts, we also got apple cider, and some pies. read more

Melick Orchards - Farmers Market Near Me - Califon, New Jersey

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It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and I decided with some friends to go apple and pumpkin picking here at Melick Orchards. Upon entering there is now a $5.00 fee plus tax per person which is a separate from the cost of the apples and pumpkins. ( you can pay online for your entrance fee and it will be a little bit less.) Everyone is given a plastic bag for gathering the apples. My friends and I chose to bring our own canvas bags. You can take a snapshot of the map on the wall which lets you know which type of apples are available at the time of picking and where there located. It varies somewhat week to week as the season goes on. You are then free to walk around and pick as many apples as you like. There were tons to choose from and at least 6-8 varieties all over the trees. ( I would highly suggest bringing some kind of rolling cart if you plan on picking apples and pumpkins. It's quite a distance to walk, and it gets very heavy to carry.) Make sure you wear sturdy shoes or boots, especially when your picking pumpkins because there are vines everywhere on the ground. If you don't feel like picking pumpkins and you just want to buy them, they sell many different sizes upfront, ex-small, small, medium, large, white, and gourds. The apples and pumpkin are sold by weight. There is plenty of free parking. Melick's also has a number of picnic tables to sit and relax and take in the scenery. There is an open aired indoor store which sells homemade apple cider, cider donuts, fresh vegetables, jams and jellies, pies etc. You can pay all at once here. You must wear a mask when walking around. Once you're in the Orchards and your spread out it was a bit easier to really distance yourself from other people and you could pull your mask down for a few to take pictures etc. There is a corn maze but everything is geared for the seasons. The earlier the better in the season. The staff was all very friendly and welcoming. This is a great place to come with children and make a day of it. The apples that I picked were really really beautiful and delicious. I will definitely be returning read more

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Beautiful and spacious orchard for apple picking. Lots of varieties of apple. Entry fee is $2.99 (I think usually is free but because of Covid-19) to purchase online prior to arrival. read more

Melick Orchards - Winesap lane - Farmers Market Near Me - Califon, New Jersey

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I have been going to Melick's for over 10 years and I'm disappointed by this years Apple yield and increases in prices. They now charge $5/person, including kids, just to step foot into the apple orchard. So you're dropping $20 for a family of 4 even before you pay the inflated price of apples of which you pick your own. The trees largely had rotted apples, or apples consistently bruised. I don't know if this was from weather or what but again for the cost these apples should be better. read more

What a hidden gem! There were not a ton of people when we went. We were able to easily get to everything we wanted on foot, with a 2 year old in tow. I would suggest anyone that has small children you are using strollers for to make sure you use a stroller good on rugged terrain, as some of the grass is quite high, and harder to maneuver a stroller through. Our jogging stroller worked perfectly. Upon arriving, we were instructed that if we picked honeycrisp apples to keep them separated as they are a different price. No problem. We kept them separate and tied off the bag so we didn't confuse them with the other apples. We also checked out the pumpkin patch and then hit the market before leaving. The market had a bunch of goodies- donuts, pie, ciders, flavored honeys, jams and flavored butters...etc. The woman working was very friendly and helpful. We would definitely come back to this place! read more

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Came here for apple picking but it was too cold and muddy for my family and I to walk inside so we decided to get some goods at the storefront. We go the apple crumbled pie and it is good. I'm not sure if it was baked there or whether it was wholesaled from another vendor but the pie was set out and once brought home, you do want to heat it up and serve it hot and crispy. We also bought some apple cider donuts and unfortunately, it's not freshly baked. They are set out in containers. I bought one container and same as the pie, we had to toast it in the oven. It was yummy too. There were pumpkins, gourds and mums for sale in all sorts of sizes and colors. I'm sure it's beautiful to take pictures here but too bad that it rained the night before which made things muddy. Parking is not a big deal here. We arrived on Saturday at 3pm and people were coming and going making parking not too difficult. read more

My wife and I had a wonderful time picking fresh peaches at Melick's Town Farm in Califon, NJ. Now it's time to bake some fresh peach Kuchen and peach blueberry pies! read more

Melick Orchards - Farmers Market Near Me - Califon, New Jersey

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Came here the end of August for peach picking. Melick Orchards has apples, peaches, pears, and nectarines for self picking. There wasn't much peach left on the trees this year. You can ride the horse wagon or walk to the picking area. You can purchase apple cider wine, pies, fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers, and others at the market. read more

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I have come here many times over the years to go peach picking. The season is usually July-August but you should check their website for updates. Sometimes the season is earlier or later depending on the weather. They have yellow peaches, white peaches, nectarines, pears, and apples to pick. There's no admission fee which is great since most orchards in NJ charge an admission fee of $5 or more per person. The prices are not that bad - $1.99 a lb or $1.59 a lb if you buy 10 or more lbs. They usually have good yellow peaches. The market also has vegetables, pies, honey, and other local products at pretty decent prices. FYI - they only have porta potties right before the trail to the orchard. I'll be back again next year! read more

Melick Orchards - Yellow peaches - Farmers Market Near Me - Califon, New Jersey

Visited Melick Orchard yesterday. Had a wonderful time picking yellow and white peaches. The trees bore an abundance of ripe fruit. The peaches were easy to reach. They were big, juicy and free from blemishes. The price for the fruit was much less expensive than other orchards in the area. We couldn't resist picking some Zestar apples as well. Will be back again soon to pick more apples and pears this season! read more

Melick Orchards - Yellow peaches! - Farmers Market Near Me - Califon, New Jersey

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We paid our fee to get in which I find ridiculous to pick apples which we will pay for. I did not go there to ride a horse and carriage or to participate in any activities. I am an adult.We were told the fee is because people come in and eat apples and don't buy any. So if that is the deal than when you go to purchase your apples take the fee off!! Then we went to pick apples which the trees had none. The apples that were left were way on top and could not get them. We managed to get some but it was not easy!! I have been going to this farm for over 20 years . Used to love this particular farm, but greed gets the best of people. Sorry to see how it has become. I got over the fee ,but no apples on the trees was a big problem!! I bought a peach blueberry pie which was delicious ,and donuts. Not sure if this is the farm I will choose again!! read more

Highly price fruits and vegetables in a pick-your-own setting. Apples, peaches, asian pears, strawberries, pumpkins, etc. Corn "maze" was just a cornfield that you wander around in aimlessly. Not really a maze, just a corn patch where the entrance and exit is the same. No real map or quality signage to tell where things were. Upon entering we were told that they "highly recommend" the horse drawn carriage out to the picking area because it's at least a 20 minute walk. In all honesty, for able bodied people and most children over the age of 6, it's a 5-10 minute walk at most. They have a store with baked goods, jams/jellies, fruits and veggies etc. Doubt any of it is made by the farm. Just seems to be packaged by a wholesaler and made to look "country-style." My son, who has a major sweet tooth, begged us to bring home an apple pie. A week later it sits, less than half eaten. Judged to be "so-so" by a 12 year old. It's an easy thing to do for an hour or so with kids. Easy parking. read more

If I could give a negative star I would. I just experienced the worst and embarrassing treatment. They charge $5+ per person just to even go in their orchard to pick and the apples are hard to even reach. Most of them are damaged and picked through. When I politely said I didn't want all the apples (since it didn't realize how much the poundage was ) I was told I couldn't leave any behind. I was shamed and called a robber and so my husband had to pay out of embarrassment. So we paid about $80 for a couple of bags of apples. read more

We come to this farm every year. They have yellow and white peaches, yellow nectarines, apples and asian pears. They don't charge for admission and their prices are not bad: $1.99/lbs or $1.59/lbs if you buy more than 10 lbs. We usually paid as a group so we get the lower price. The market has a nice variety of veggies. There's a horse ride on weekends for $4/adults and $2/child. read more

Melick Orchards - Farmers Market Near Me - Califon, New Jersey

We've been coming here every year to pick fruits. Orchard has always been nicely taken care of with lots of goodies to purchase and lots of friendly faces offering help. Whatever happened to this place. We had to look for someone to give us the bags for picking. Also, the grass was tall in many spots making it difficult to walk around, kids got tired very quickly. Prices are decent compared to other farms. read more

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Great place to take the kids for pumpkin and apple picking. The fields had tons of tasty apples and nice size pumpkin for the kids . They offer a horse ride at a charge of 4 bucks adults and children under 5 were free or you can walk right in for free . They supply you with plastic bags for free for your apples . The staff was great and pleasant to deal with . They had a corn maze not large but great for the kids . They have animals which you may view only . They sell fresh bake goods and pies which were excellent. Great family day trip for under 100 bucks . read more

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We came past 5 so we couldn't Apple pick as the orchard was closed. We purchased some gourds, baked goods, and a bag of apples. We were disappointed with so many strollers one would think there would be a flat entrance to the store. Hard for wheelchairs. Attendants weren't very friendly, not the same customer service we have experienced at the other Melicks in Old Wick. We will continue going to that one instead. read more

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SUPER EASY APPLE PICKING!!! No lines, easy breezy parking, no hills to trek, trees are right by the parking lot, minimal crowds. I don't know why I have been going to warwick all these years and rotting in traffic when I could come to this area and beat the crowds. Highly recommend read more

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Awesome place for peach picking! I'm a big fan of the white peaches. They White are sweet and juicy, but the yellow peaches are unexpectedly flavorful! I grilled some yellow peaches and they tasted perfect. We went during the week, so only a few people were there. We spent time walking around comparing trees to look for big ones instead of picking what we saw. There are some big ones indeed, if you have time going through the trees. We got one yellow peach that's over a pound. Very heavy! The price is $1.99 if the whole bag is below 20 pounds. But it would be $1.59 per pound if you picked more than 20 pounds. Enjoy your picking! read more

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Overall we had a great day there- Delicious apples, quiet early in the season picking, and great time with friends, but poor organization and a major bee problem. There was good selection of apples, plus some peaches and pears, but you'd never know it... We approached the orchard entry area and were asked by the girl working if we had been there before. We said we had not. We were then told there are 3 varieties of apples and asked to keep the honey-crisps in separate bags from all other apples because the price was different. The girl then said the carriage ride out to the orchard is $4 each, handed us a list of rules, no map or orchard info, and said to go stand in line. So we did. We took our 2 second carriage ride, which ended rather abruptly and we were told to go pick on the left side only, and that was it. We ended up wandering around a bunch, realizing the property was much larger and that there were many more varieties of apples, plus pears, Asian pears, and a few peaches. Then, there was also a giant pumpkin patch. All of this was a bit further away but they didn't even mention all they had to offer. It was so odd. And you'd think the carriage would take you near the farther out stuff! There was a good selection of apples but many were higher up in the trees, out of reach. It would have been great if they had pickers for us to use to get them. There were also MANY bees buzzing around the orchards, as well as in the store. I was scared to pick several times. I wanted to get some stuff from the store, but ran out of there because of all the bees. When we got done and went to check out, we noticed the employees were explaining much more to everyone entering the orchard about the options, distances, warning people about the bees, and they actually did have a drawn up "map" of the different apples by location. Also, the apples were all the same price, unless you bought over 10 lbs, which is a lot. It would have been great for us to have received this same service, but we were unlucky I guess. Annoying. There's also a small corn "maze", some farm animals, and picnics tables there. We attempted to picnic and have a snack, but the bees would not leave us alone, therefore making it impossible. In the end, the apples were delicious. We got home and tried a bunch of different varieties and also baked a crisp. Go for the tasty apples, be aware of the rest! read more

Picking area are mostly clean. Since customers cannot eat what they pick plus once you pick it, it's yours idea. I love the idea and no waste. There is small farm with goats, good for children. read more

Melick Orchards - Small farm next to farmer's market. - Farmers Market Near Me - Califon, New Jersey

Fun place with a nice section of apples. I wish though that they had tripod ladders to reach the apples on the top of the trees. There little store was cute too and the pies? Wow they r good read more

Fun place for a fall family day. You can Apple pick, walk thru a small corn maze and pick the biggest pumpkins I've seen in NJ. I like that it was a real pumpkin patch. Many farms tend to just throw pumpkins on the ground and call it a pumpkin patch. No entry fee. You pay for what you pick. Apple's are reasonably priced. Only drawback is i Wish they had more activities. read more

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Loved it here. We went on Sunday and bought about 35 lbs of apples. If you are willing and able, I'd recommend starting at the edge of the pumpkin patch to pick and work your way back to the front white the bags fill up. In September we got empire, fuji, red delicious, gold delicious, macoun, jonagold, macintosh and cortlands... really nice mix. The farmstand was small, but had what we were looking for. A little bummed they didn't have fresh hot cider donuts, but there were some in packages. Cherry tomatoes looked great, grabbed 3 containers of those and our traditional apple butter. read more

This place gets people a tad confused. They have a stand on the side of the road. That is not the place to pick apples. They send you about 6 miles up the road to get those. When you get to the right Orchard than you pick your apples!!! PROS: They do not charge you for the apple picking bags. Charge for apples by weight Friendly staff They do not charge an entrance fee to the orchard If you are looking for a cheap family friendly p[lace to go apple/pear picking this is an excellent choice! They also have some goats out front which your little monsters can look at it if they so choose. Please use your brains when dressing for this place. Do not wear heels. Wear comfortable shoes that are not expensive. Other than that pick all that you can afford and do not eat the apples in the orchard. read more

Super long lines and there were these little girls that kept yelling at everyone. Apples were really good. Pumpkins were non-existent. They didn't have cider donuts which was a huge letdown. They did have pretty good hard cider though! We'll find another farm to visit next year. read more

I've been here many times over the years with family and this place is definitely consistent. Plenty of apple options for those apple enthusiasts. In addition to apple picking they also have pumpkin picking and rides for the kids. At the end there's a cute little shop offering cider, jams, veggies and other related items. Prices are reasonable too. There's tons of orchards in the area, but if you want a reasonably priced one, that doesn't charge a ridiculous entry fee, and isn't absurdly over crowded, then you've come to the right place! read more

For $1.49/lb, you can pick your own fresh peaches at Melick Orchards in Califon, NJ! That's the same price that ShopRite sells 'em for, except I get to take my time being as picky as I want selecting the juiciest, ripest and sweetest peaches I've ever eaten. The peach trees are a slight walk away from the barnyard/store, but it was a lot of fun. A great interactive activity for just about anyone who loves some quality time in the sun. read more

Simply the best. Seasonal vegetables, apples, fruits, home baked goods and groceries at reasonable prices. Also super duper quality. The store is clean and the workers are always personable and friendly. I feel very lucky to have them in my neighborhood. read more

Great farm. Came here to pick peaches over the summer, and apples in the fall. Great peaches - very juicy. I prefer white peaches, but when we went, they weren't ready yet. The yellow peaches were almost as good. The apples were slim pickings when I went (oct 26) - so head over earlier for a wider selection of apples (I only got some empires, braeburn, and fuji). read more