NJ’s most popular tulip farm just got bigger and better

CREAM RIDGE — Spring is in the air and the flowers are starting to bloom!

Soon, it will be time to start planning a trip to Holland Ridge Farms in Cream Ridge to pick-your-own tulips.

Holland Ridge Farms has only been open since 2018 but its roots go back generations. Owner and president Casey Jansen is third-generation Dutch. His father, Casey Sr., came to the United States in 1964 as a 17-year old bulb salesman. He supplied cut tulips, hyacinths and daffodils to supermarkets in wholesale trade along the East Coast.

Jansen said his father always had a vision of bringing Holland to New Jersey for everyone to enjoy with the mindset of what he's always been taught.

"It's not what we can do for ourselves. It's what we can do for others," he said.

Included in his visions was to bring beauty for people to enjoy on the farm. Jansen said the smiles from patrons of Holland Ridge Farms have been coming since 2018.

At one point, Holland Ridge Farms was considered the largest tulip farm on the East Coast but Jansen said that changed this year with expansion of the farm.

"We've doubled the size of the farm from 150 acres to over 300 and we believe we are the largest you-pick-flower farm in the country," Jansen said.

The expansion means there will be more than 8 million tulips available for picking this season.

Since Mother Nature is the boss, there is no opening date set for the tulip farm yet, but Jansen said his target opening date is the weekend of April 8. Tickets are not on sale yet until an opening date is announced but Jansen said a week prior to opening, tickets will go on sale online. They cost around $12 each.

Tickets will only be sold online and not in person to help regulate how many people come per time slot, which is now in four-hour intervals, instead of three, starting at 9 a.m.

"That being said, we've also streamlined our parking. Our parking is a lot better and the flow of traffic is a lot better than prior years so the lines on the roads, we're trying to get under control, which this year should be a very big improved traffic flow," Jansen said.

With the expansion of the farm, there is now footage to another major road, Route 526, so there will be multiple entrances and exits on the roads.

Of course, the pick-your-own tulips are the main attraction at Holland Ridge Farms for only one dollar per stem. But Jansen said there are many new attractions being added for 2022.

There is now a courtesy shuttle with over 16 hay wagons to transport the people who want to ride around the entire farm.

There's also a "mini sprouts" petting zoo area. There are mini goats and mini donkeys for the kids to hand-feed. There will be an animal caretaker on site for the kids and adults to ask questions about the animals.

A larger variety of food truck vendors will also be on hand as well as plenty of photo-op spots.

A new photo prop being added at the farm this year is a water dike. Jansen said many people may not know this, but Holland is below sea level. So this big grass dike with boats floating behind it, gives people the feeling they're below sea level.

Jansen said the farm went bigger to improve everyone's experience. Since the farm is so popular, they wanted to spread the people throughout the property. Now, there's plenty of room to pick tulips and take beautiful family photos.

"We are trying to get the garden back into the Garden State," Jansen said.

New and exciting things are already being planned for the tulip farm for 2023, he added.

Don't forget in the fall, patrons can enjoy picking their own sunflowers and wildflowers at Holland Ridge Farms.

While Holland Ridge Farms is the biggest pick-your-own-tulip farm in the country due to its expanded acreage, there is also another well-known tulip farm in the Garden State that you may not know about.

Dalton Farms is located in Swedesboro. The 99-acre farm is family owned and run, located just off Route 322.

Ticket sales at $12 each, are open through April 17 and dates after that will be evaluated based on weather. Patrons can pick as many tulips as they like for $2 per stem or 10 tulips for $10.

Jen Ursillo is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach her at jennifer.ursillo@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.