Category Archives: Exploring Alpine, NJ

Closter Farm & Livestock Company 681 Closter Dock Road Closter, NJ 07624

Closter Farm & Livestock Company

681 Closter Dock Road

Closter, NJ 07624

(201) 777-1393

https://www.closterfarm.com

Open: Sunday-Saturday 9:00am-6:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g46367-d34451672-r1063918109-Closter_Farm_and_Livestock_Company-Closter_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The farm logo

I thought I knew all the farms in Bergen County, NJ and where Trey were located. I recently went to Alpine, NJ to visit an old cemetery for another blog I was writing and as I arrived at my destination, I passed the Closter Farm & Livestock Company. It was almost closing time so when I finished back at the cemetery, the gates were closed and I had to make the trip another day.

The entrance to the farm

The entrance to the farm

What I discovered was a small picturesque farm tucked in between a suburban development offering wonderful organic produce and meats. The farm even supplements what they don’t grow or produce by working with other organic farms in the area.

History of the Farm:

(From the Farm’s website)

Jon Friedland and his family spent many weekend afternoons driving from their home in Manhattan to the movie theater in Closter. They loved Closter and the community reminded Jon of the Ohio suburb where he grew up. When the farm became available they saw the opportunity to have a direct hand in creating the food, health and environmental practices they have long believed in, and to learn and participate directly as a family in the labor and care required to operate an Organic farm. It has been a massive learning experience to get the farm up and running and we are grateful to have the opportunity to continue learning and growing with the Closter community (Closterfarm.com).

The farm stand store

The Closter Farm

The fields are not just beautiful to look at but produce an assortment of produce that is organic and sustainable. On a warm Spring or Summer day, walking next to the fence and below the shade trees, you can a glimpse of the upcoming crops that will line the farm stand a few weeks in the future.

The Philosophy:

(From the Closter Farm website)

We believe that the healthiest, best tasting, most beautiful vegetables and livestock are grown when they are a symbiotic product of whole farm health. Every action we take is focused on fostering a diverse, resilient, verdant ecosystem whose natural byproduct is intense soil fertility and natural pest resistance (Closterfarm.com).

The fields of fresh vegetables growing

Equally important to us is that our approach follows sustainable environmental best practices by sequestering carbon in our soil and minimizing or eliminating the water and air pollution associated with conventional agriculture and its reliance on synthetic chemicals (ClosterFarm.com).

The fruits and vegetables grown in the farm

The selection of fresh fruits and vegetables available for sale

The Products carried by the Farm:

(From the Farm’s Website)

What the Farm grows:

Salad mix, heirloom tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, eggplant, summer squash, winter squash, kale, Swiss chard, carrots, radishes, turnips, beets, potatoes, onions, garlic, arugula, spinach, chicory, cucumbers, fresh herbs, broccoli, cabbage, Asian greens, kohlrabi, celery, peas, beans, pasture raised, Organic chicken, and more!

The plant selection

From the Farm’s business partners:

(From the Closter Farm website)

Honey, cut flowers, grass-fed and grass-finished beef, pasture-raised and heritage pork, Organic mushrooms, Organic and pasture raised eggs, Corn and soy-free eggs, Organic milk, cheese, kefir, as well as heritage breed turkeys for Thanksgiving.

The selection of plants for sale

The flower selection

The farm barn

The barn and the fields that support the farm

The Farm Store:

The Closter Farm store carries a selection of freshly grown products seasonally, from other organic farm proveyors and vendors who supply similar products that meet the farm’s standards.

The entrance of the farm store with a selection of fresh flowers and organic seeds

The flower sign

The selection of farm grown products

The outside meat cooler

The outside cooler of organic beef, chicken and fresh eggs

The inside of the store carries a more of the same products, nicely packaged and reasonably priced quality products. These are the type of quality you would expect from fine dining establishments in the area, which you can prepare at home.

The selection of meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products

The selection of fruits and vegetables from the farm’s fields and partner farms

A selection of fresh vegetables and flower ms and fresh pies from Noble Pies of New York State.

A selection of farm fresh products like fresh honey and organic products

What is nice about the Closter Farm is the picturesque environment tucked in a suburban environment. You drive through entrance and are taken back to a world of Bergen County before WWII when the County was an agrarian society.

Places for children to play without cellphones

The property reminds me of the farms in the more rural parts of Southern and Western New Jersey with their corn mazes and decorated barns. Here they have small cut outs for children’s pictures and from a distance you can see the farmhouse.

The farmhouse on the property that some of the farm hands live

The farm offers families not just quality products and welcoming service, but a chance to step back for an afternoon to a time when things were much slower and afternoons were about appreciating the experience without trying to record every moment of it.

Alpine Cemetery 18 Monument Lane Alpine, NJ 07620

Alpine Cemetery

18 Monument Lane

Alpine, NJ 07620

https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/1617373/alpine-cemetery

https://www.mapquest.com/us/new-jersey/alpine-cemetery-782636893

The historic sign of the cemetery

I visited the Alpine Cemetery, which is a historical active cemetery just off Closter Dock Road. This is the resting place of Revolutionary War Veteran, William Wilson and many other veterans from the Civil, Spanish American, World War I and II as well as from Vietnam, Korea and Desert Storm. All the graves were marked with American flags as we just finished Memorial Day weekend.

The family plots that separate the site

There are many family plots of “First Family’s” of Bergen County like the Westervelt’s, the Haring’s and the Campell’s. The family plots are separated by small fences and some are marked by the family names.

The cemetery on the hill in Alpine, NJ

The separate family burial plots

The Campbell Family burial plot

The Campbell family plots

The Van Sciver family plots

The Anthony Family plots

The Anthony family plot

The Haring Family plot

The Haring family obelisk

The Westervelt family plot

The Jordan/Wilson family plot

I looked at the Wilson family plot for the Revolutionary War veteran but the burial spot is probably has been lost to time. William Wilson may be lost to history but I know he was buried here.

The front part of the cemetery

The Veteran’s Memorial Rock with the names of World War I and II, Vietnam and Korea veterans

The Van Valen family plots

The Pearsall family plots

The Older family plots

The burial grounds from the front

There is a quiet elegance to these historic cemeteries. Who were these people? What did they do? Do people remember them? They are very interesting places to visit.

The history of the cemetery:

(From the historic sign)

The cemetery was founded in 1822 by resident William Gecox along Closter Dock Road when he bought 23 and a half acres as a burial ground for neighbors and for laborers who worked in the area. Mr. Gecox sold these plots on what had already been a burial ground.

The people buried in the cemetery were farmers, laborers, and tradesmen and their family. By 1870, the village “in the Closter Mountain” had take the name “Alpine” in the 1890’s. When William and his wife, Susan Helms pass in the 1890’s, their children sold the remaining plots. The cemetery has continued to be used into the twenty-first century.

Kearney House (Blackledge-Kearney House) Alpine Landing Alpine, NJ 07624

This unique historic site is at the bottom of a very steep hill so be careful.

The house has some fun special events that are free to the public but please take your time traveling to the house as it is dark in the park as the seasons change and it can be dangerous going down the hill if you drive too fast.

The Kearney House at the Alpine Boat landing

Entertainment and Refreshments can be had at the Kearny House

The park in the Fall of 2024

The Summer of 2025:

In the summer months, the house was open on Thursday nights for music, games, and summer refreshments. The event ‘Behind the Times at Mrs. Kearney’s Tavern’, was an evening of touring the house and grounds, musically entertainment on the lawn and story telling to end the evening.

Entering the Palisades Interstate Park

The Hudson Riverside and beach area

The park on the Hudson River

The park is breathtaking in the summer months, and everything was lush and in bloom. The views of New York clear as day and the boat basin was busy with people entertaining on their boats and coming in and out of the small harbor.

The park during the Summer of 2025

The park in full bloom that evening

The history of the Kearney House history

The Kearney House and lawn area

The Kearney House was open this evening for one of their many Summer special events. All the windows were open to take advantage of the cool breeze and air the house out on this hot July evening.

The Kearney House from the front lawn

The house getting ready to arriving guests

The tiny barn shed off to the side of house

The waterfall in the back of the house

The tiny shed and hilly woods behind the house

The side of the house and the vegetable garden

The garden with vegetables and herbs

The Vegetable Garden was growing all sorts of vegetables and herbs of the time period and some flowers as well.

The outhouse on the property

The river view of the house

The front of the house with the windows open for river breezes

The inside of the house was cool and welcoming. The hosts of the event had both icy water and Lemonade for guests and slices of sweet watermelon. We were welcomed and offered our choice of beverages and then just relaxed and enjoyed our refreshments that cooled us down for the evening.

Our hostess graciously greeted us and welcomed us to the house

The kitchen set for guests to the tavern

Enjoying summer refreshments

Talking with other guests

It was so nice to just sit back and relax and enjoy the cool breezes coming off the Hudson River. The lemonade really hit the spot.

The cool breezes from the back window

After my snack in the tavern, I toured the upstairs. The two upstairs bedrooms are Mrs. Kearney’s bedroom and the guest room on the other side of the hall.

Mrs. Kearney’s bedroom

The guest room was once used for visitors now holds all their artifacts

This bathing beauty greets you on the second floor

The attic area was far too hot to tour but I had visited it last winter after I had attended visited for a post holiday tour. I did get to tour the upstairs patio and enjoy the breezes outside.

The patio on the second floor

What a view of the river!

The view as the entertainment was about to start

Outside, Thaddeus McGregory started his concert on the front lawn

Thaddeus McGregory singing ‘ Beautiful Dreamer’

Then the Revolutionary War era games took place out on the lawn outside the lawn.

The lawn outside the Kearney house

The beautiful flowers in the lawn

The actors playing ‘ Toss Across’

A video of the games

It was a very nice evening outside with cool breezes and the seeing the concert.

The outside gardens in front of the home

The outside of home

The views from the home of the Hudson River at twilight

jwatrel's avatarVisiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical

Kearney House (Blackledge-Kearney House)

Alpine Landing

Alpine, NJ  07624

(201) 768-1360 ext. 108

https://www.njpalisades.org/kearney.html

Open: Most weekends & holiday afternoons from May to October

Fee: Free

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g29743-d19332567-Reviews-Kearny_House-Alpine_New_Jersey.html

I took my first trip down to the Kearney House in Alpine, NJ and was able to walk the grounds, visit the Alpine Landing and see the amazing views of New York and of the Hudson River. This spot gives you breathtaking views upstream of the surrounding Hudson River.

The house was closed but the vegetable gardens were full of late Fall produce and the gardens could have used some weeding. I will have to wait until the house opens up again.

I recently visited the Kearny House of their Fall event “Punch & Pie at Mrs. Kearny’s Tavern”. That was an interesting night. First let me say that it is pitch black in that park. The Alpine Basin…

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