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Gardening Workshop Series

Beginning gardening workshops to help get your garden on …

Gardening? Yup … It’s cheaper than therapy, and you get tomatoes.
Gardening? Uh huh! It’s a place to find yourself when you need to lose yourself.
Gardening? Absulutely, because in spring, at the end of the day you should smell like dirt.
Gardening? The recipe is one part soil, two parts water, & three parts wishful thinking!

Let us help you learn!

Although gardening can be as simple or as complex as you make it, truth is, gardening can be overwhelming for the beginner. Join us for our beginner gardening workshops and see how easy gardening & growing can really be! Our goal is to help you garden & grow with confidence and success!

3 weeks, 3 FUN beginner gardening workshops …

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Gardening School … $29.99 per person

SATURDAY, MAY 6 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Join us as we learn how to prepare your garden & start planting. topics will include understanding soils, soil fertility & amendments, bed preparation, direct seeding, transplanting, and watering. We’ll also explore best practices for maintaining a healthy garden once it is growing, talk about crop rotations, succession planting, weeding, and will look at some of the tools you can use to make gardening tasks more efficient. This introductory class is a great place to start if you are new to gardening or need to develop a little greener thumb. This is the most popular of our beginning gardening workshops!

Participants will receive our Gardening School Handbook, three 4-packs of cole crop transplants, and a $10 Von Thun’s greenhouse gift certificate that can be used to purchase additional transplants.

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Kids Make-A-Planter Workshop … $14.99 per person

SATURDAY, MAY 13 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Kids of all ages are welcome to join us for this hands-on workshop to design & create their own beautiful springtime flowering planter! If you’re planning to make a colorful planter to use as a special Mother’s Day gift be sure to stay a little longer & make a Mother’s Day card too!

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Design a Porch Planter Workshop … $29.99 per person

SATURDAY, MAY 20 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Envious of those pretty porch planters you saw so frequently last summer? Join us to make your own! We’ll supply the pot, soil, and plants. You do the rest! Be sure to come with a perceived design and color scheme in mind, as you’ll have lots of flower colors, textures, & varieties to choose from!

Horsing Around the Barn

Know a horse-loving child that would enjoy making new two- and four-legged friends and hanging out in the barn? Beginner horseback riding lessons, summer horse camp, hands-on educational programs – we’ve got lots of opportunities for kids to make new friends, promote their love of animals, and increase their self esteem and sense of responsibility & perseverance.  Not sure if horses are for you? Let us know you’re coming and join us for a PonyPals meeting. Or, we can meet you at the barn one day to introduce you to our ponies … they always love visitors. There’s lots of benefits to becoming involved in equine activities!

Our PonyPals Program …

Want to learn more about horses, their care, and handling?  PonyPals is a year-round program held at our barn in Washington, NJ for young horse lovers. You don’t need to own a horse, or pony, to join!  

PonyPals is not all about ponies as the name suggests … PonyPals is our “club” for horse lovers and young equestrians that develops leadership, confidence, and a sense of community through a program that teaches the care and handling of both horses and ponies. PonyPals is a fun group for young horse lovers, allowing them to make friends while learning and growing their equine knowledge alongside others through hands-on learning.  Consider joining us – meetings are monthly. New members meet at the barn on the second Thursday of each month.

Barn Time …

Once they pass our equine safety program, PonyPals members and riding lesson students are welcome to join us for weekly Barn Time. Just what the name implies, Barn Time is time in the barn (or arena) grooming, handling, and/or working with the horses and ponies.

Kids love Barn Time, especially in winter when the weather often prevents consistent riding lessons and other barn activities.

Winter and spring Barn Time is held on Saturday mornings. Summer and fall Barn Time is held on Thursday evenings.

Horseback Riding Lessons …

Beginner horseback riding lessons are available for kids age 6 and up, as well as adults of all ages. Haven’t ridden before? No problem … we specialize in individualized western beginner horseback riding lessons! Each lesson is customized to the riding level of each rider.

Although lessons can be scheduled weekly, spring through fall, winter lessons are subject to the weather and arena footing. Since our lesson schedule will vary from season to season, please contact us to schedule your first lesson.

Summer Camp …

Join us at the farm for Horse Camp and we’ll learn all about horses and explore the barn together … we offer three weeks of Horse Camp! Horse Camp kids will learn all about horse safety, care, handling, and how to ride. They’ll give horses a bath, learn how to shave and clip a horse, learn to saddle up on their own, and develop personal relationships with their favorite horses in the barn!

Our Horse Camp is very hands-on and is limited to 8 riders, so be sure to sign up early for your week of choice!

Although  our PonyPals Program does not formally include horseback riding or mounted lessons, riding lessons are available at the farm at an additional cost. Our program was designed this way to keep membership costs reasonable for all, while offering additional riding activities for those who desire them.

Want more information? Give us a call 732.986.6816 or email us! Cindy@VonThunFarms.com

Season Passes & Family Fun

FallFestival weekend 2020 (110)
Farm Photo Ops
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VonThun’s Season Passes …

VonThun’s Season Passes are valid at BOTH VonThun’s Farm locations …
A listing of all events & dates are available on our 2023 EVENT CALENDAR.
505 Ridge Road, South Brunswick, NJ 08852 (Middlesex County)
Includes weekend admission to Strawvberry Festival, Fall Festivals, Columbus Day activities, & Moonlight Corn Maze. They also serve as your picking pass (no produce included). 
438 Route 57 West, Washington, NJ 07882 (Warren County)
Includes weekend admission to Strawberry Festival, Berry FunDays, The Sunflower Trail, Fall Festivals, and Columbus Day activities. They also serve as your picking pass (no produce included). 

Why should you buy a Season Pass?

Well, besides the fact that VonThun’s is an awesome place to be?!

-If you plan to attend VonThun’s various events (spring, summer, &/or fall) throughout the year.
-If you have small children who can only visit for short periods of time.
-Pass includes free admission to all available weekend activities & attractions (except the pony rides, face painting, corn cannons, & pumpkin blaster).
-If you love all our activities & attractions and want to come back over and over again.
-If you plan to participate in farm u-pick activities … Season Pass holders receive free access to the u-pick fields & do not need to purchase Picking Passes to access the fields (does NOT include free fruit or pumpkins).

How it works …

  • Season Passes, once purchased, are valid at both our South Brunswick (Middlesex Co.) and Washington (Warren Co.) farm locations.
  • Weekend pony rides, face painting, corn cannons, & pumpkin blaster require an additional fee.
  • There are no free berries, apples, pumpkins, or other crops associated with a Season Pass.
  • Season Passes are purchased for individuals … they are not transferable among friends or family members.
  • The Season Pass holder signs the back of the Pass upon purchase. When visiting the farm, both an ID and the Season Pass must be shown at the admissions booth. Visitors signature must match the signature on the back of the Pass.
  • No admission (or Season Pass) is needed for children age 2 & under.
  • The Season Pass is non-transferable to other people.
  • Season passes may not be used for classroom field trips.
  • Season Passes are valid for farm admission events only. Season Passes are not valid for classes, horse activities, camp, or kids programs.

Season Pass purchase info …

  • A Season Pass is $45.99 per person, age 3 & older. This cost is for all individuals; children, adults, and senior citizens.
  • Season Passes are valid for one calendar year, January through December of the year purchased.
  • Season Passes can be purchased for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, & other promotional events at https://vonthunsfarms.ticketspice.com/season-passes-2023
  • Season passes can also be purchased at our farm markets throughout the season.

Have questions?

Give us a call (732.986.6816) or email (Cindy@VonThunFarms.com) us!