DUKE FARMS NEW JERSEY

 DUKE FARMS NEW JERSEY 

By Henry Libo-on 

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Introduction 

There are many areas that people can spend time during this time of the Pande. However, most people I know try to avoid closed and crowded places. So, they would rather go to the park or other open spaces where the possibility of getting infected with coronavirus is a far possibility or the chance of getting infected is slim. 

Several months ago, my children and grandchildren tried to visit as many parks as they can. The purpose is to provide the kids with a diversion from their online school. So, every weekend my children would bring their children to the park to walk or bike around the park's area. 

Actually, their friends from the workplace also join them as a big group of adults and their children. It is also an opportunity for the children to play with other kids and share their school experiences. 

My first adventure after one year and three months of self-imposed quarantine happened at Duke Farms last Saturday, the 22nd of May 2021. 

Hay Barn Information Center. 

Photo by Henry Libo-on of Touristang Pobre. 

How to get here? 

Duke Farms is an estate established by James Buchanan Duke, an American Entrepreneur who founded Duke Power and American Tobacco Company, the maker of Lucky Strike cigarettes, among others. (Wikipedia). 

The Farm is located at 1112 Dukes Parkway, W. Hillsborough, New Jersey 08844.  For reservations, please visit their website at dukefarms.org.  The farm is opened from Tuesday through Saturday. You can check their website to know if they are open on certain Sundays as they sometimes do. Their telephone number is (908) 722-3700. 

My first impression of the farm is that it is so wide, massive, and expansive. Different species of trees and plants can be found at the estate. There are animals, insects, and birds that made the Duke Farms their habitat. While walking the road leading to the Orchid Range, I saw a Turkey Vulture flying high up in the air. 

There are Streams and/or Creeks. I have seen a Lake too. These small bodies of water serve as "watering holes", so to speak for animals that made the farm their home. 

Things to see and do at the Farm. 

1. Hiking 

2. Biking

3. Jogging

4.Art & Sculpture appreciation (Hay Barn - a few minute walk from the entrance.)

5. Appreciating the architectural design of buildings and other structures on the farm. 

6. Photography

7. Hay Barn and its 1900's structure and sculpture

8. Great Meadow

9. Old Foundation 

10. Mermaid Pool 

11. Great Falls 

12. Great Oak Tree 

13. Meditation Garden 

14. Arboretum 

15. Coach Barn 

16. Sunken Garden 

17. Birding Platform 

18. Painting. (I'm not sure if this is possible. It just occurred in my mind that the sceneries are painting perfect, so to speak.)

19. Collection of Orchids in Orchid Range.

Source: Duke Farms: You've Never Seen New Jersey Like This at NJ.com or at youtube.com

Source: NJ.com or youtube.com - 2 Bald Eagle Chicks Are Born At Duke Farms. 

Other Services

1. Parking Area 

2. Clinic 

3. Restaurant 

4. Restrooms can be found in strategic areas on the farm. There is one at the Orchid Range, and another on the left side going up the "lookout" at the Old Foundation. Sorry, I have not explored the other areas as I suffered severe pain in my toes. 

Business Hours 

Duke Farm is opened from Tuesday to Saturday, from 8:30 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.

They are closed on Sunday and Monday. But sometimes they also open on these days. The best thing for you to do is visit their website at dukefarms.org. 

As of this writing, you must first reserve a parking space by visiting their website at dukefarms.org - without this reservation, you will not be allowed to enter. Each car/driver must be listed to reserve the parking spot. We also did this prior to our visit to the farm. 

Each visitor is required to wear a mask and to observe proper health protocol - hand washing, social distancing, among others. 

Restaurant and Farm Barn Orientation Center. 

Photo by Henry Libo-on, Touristang Pobre.

D' Barkads. 

The photo below shows the Hay Barn with Statues. 

James Buchanan Duke built his New Jersey estate in 1893, (Wikipedia).  

The photos hereunder show the sculpture of a man wrestling with a bull. 

The top photo shows the Orchid Range. 

Several species of orchids from all over are grown here. 

There is a restroom on the left side of this structure. 

This way leads to the Meditation Garden. 

The photo was shot by Gerard Poyogao. 

This huge fountain is part of the wide landscape arts on the Old Foundation and Park. 

This is the park inside the Old Foundation area, just behind the unfinished building. I was standing on this spot when I took this photo because I love the place and I like going down these beautiful stairs. 

To my right is the lake and to my left is where you can find the restroom. This place called the Old Foundation is located along the main road just about a 15-minute walk from the Orchid Range. 

The lake. 

The main road of the farm is planted with trees, now big enough to provide shade to the visitors. 

All photos by Henry Libo-on of Touristang Pobre. 

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It looks like a sitting elephant. 

I passed through this entrance which is near the Hay Barn Orientation Center. 

This bridge links the parking lot to the orientation center pictured hereunder. 

The Restaurant and Hay Barn Orientation Center. 

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Map of Duke Farms. 

Source: thegoodgarden.com - - also at images.search. yahoo.com

How was Duke Farms developed? 

Duke Farms was developed by James Buchanan Duke in 1893. He started buying lands near the Raritan River. He envisioned developing a farm similar to what he saw in his hometown in North Carolina. When he died in 1925, his only daughter, Doris Duke, gained control of the vast business empire and this farm in Hillsborough, New Jersey.  These 2,700 acres of farms and woodlands contained 45 buildings, 9 lakes, 18 miles of roads, 810 acres of woodlands, 464 acres of grassland bird habitat, and 1.5 miles of stone walls. (Wikipedia). 

Doris Duke died on October 28, 1993, and the ownership and management of the farms were transferred to the Doris Duke Foundation. Dee Dee has no children. 

For more interesting facts, visit this site - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Farms.

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The restaurant at Hay Barn Orientation Center, the first building that visitors can see from the parking lot. The image was taken from "The Gilded Age Splendor at Hillsborough's Duke Farms, at NJ.COM or - - nj.com

For lunch, I ordered Duke Farms Hot Dog with chips, Duke Farms bottled water with a reusable bottle, and Cane Cola. 

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My comments: 

This is my first blog since March 14, 2020, when I told myself to stay at home during this pande. I was a bit excited but also aware at the same time that I have to follow the proper health protocols - handwashing, social distancing, and wearing of a mask. 

My vaccination has also heightened my confidence level as I mingled with the rest of the visitors here at Duke Farms. 

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May 22, 2021.

New Jersey. 

Reviewed on June 12, 2023.