Longstreet Farm

Leave your cell phone in the car and travel back in time while you walk thru this adorable historic working farm. My favorite part beside the cute animals is the farm house. If you catch it right on a baking day you might get to sample a goodie. Great programs are offered for kids thru the monmouth county park system, to spend a day make butter, sausage or work on the farm. they also have birthday parties for kids which are really nice. No dogs allowed so if you have your puppy with you take a walk thru the beautiful park instead.

A free historic park that teaches the public what farming was like in the 1890s.
Another reviewer brought it up, so I figured I will, too. It is coming under fire from a small minority of people who dislike that this farm sells animals for slaughter.
If this bothers you, it might be a reason to not go.
My take on it is this: it is a farm. I do not understand what people think farms do with livestock, but the fact that people think farms breed animals like pigs for any other reason than for food highlights to me a major deficit between the public and where they think their food comes from. It is not a hidden agenda, it is clearly discussed and explained when you ask about it.
It’s not a secret, it’s a part of a rich agricultural history, one that is part of New Jersey, with roots a hundred years old. Here, for free, you can see those roots for yourself.
If you want to go to a petting zoo, go to a petting zoo.
If you want to learn about farming, its history, and how it touched the lives of a family of tenant farmers over a hundred years ago, you could do far worse than this incredible resource.

Historic Longstreet Farm is a working living history farm that shows visitors about old-​style farming. The staff dresses in period clothing and teaches visitors about farm life and local history in an area that is quickly becoming over-​urbanized.
The farm is very clean, and the animals appear to be well cared for. There are many types of livestock — horses, mules, cows, sheep, hogs, and chickens. The farm has an afternoon milking demonstration daily (3 pm I believe), where children (and adults too!) have a chance to milk a cow by hand.
The first Saturday of the month, the staff lets visitors drop in early for a morning chores program. Kids and parents stop by to help feed the livestock, milk the cows, collect eggs, etc. There is a small fee for this program but it’s well worth it!
In late September, there is a harvest festival with pie-​eating contests, corn husking competitions, games, wagon rides, music, and a 4-​H style contest for homegrown veggies, baked goods, and more.
In late April, there is a sheep shearing weekend. The sheep are shorn by hand, there are border collie demonstrations, and wagon rides.
This park is a great place to take your kidsto learn about life on the farm, and where their food comes from. The staff are full of information and always willing to stop what they’re doing to talk with visitors.
I am here every week, and my son loves to ask lots of questions :) He has also attended summer camp here, and had a great time! It’s located in Holmdel Park, which also has a lot to do!

Yes, this place used to be pleasant to visit when I was growing up. Even not so recently I visited and found the grounds well maintained, flourishing with lush vegetation and flowers, and many beautiful young animals to gawk at.
But now as I am older I’ve learned quite a bit about Longstreet Farms. Such as the fact that once they have no need for animals they breed, usually young animals that are attractive for visitors, they are sold off for slaughter. While obviously Longstreet is trying to maintain its historic characteristics, I don’t think it was characteristic in the 1890s to breed animals and sell them off to *modern* slaughterhouses once they lose their cute/​convenience factor. No one is asking for a petting zoo, but its immature and childish to treat animals like objects in order to teach lessons. I think we can infer such practices existed in 1890s without re-​creating needless deaths today.
Currently many NJ residents are trying to have the farm address the issue but they have no intention of having an open dialogue. Most people like the farm but do not want animals to be bred just to be sold off for slaughter. Longstreet Farms is not privately owned, it is paid for by the county taxpayers. This certainly warrants an open discussion.
I won’t ever go here. Not unless they change their practices. There is no reason for the people who run this farm to not be able to uphold their historic traditions while maintaining respect for the animals they say they take care of — the entire purpose of this farm. The place may be emulating the 1890s but its grossly unfair to the animals to be so negligent.

Next to Holmdel Park this farm is fun to visit to see the cattle and sheep. Big hit with the kids and adults alike. There is a quaint pond with a path around it. Plenty of parking. Bird watching area. Blue Jays flock to the acorn trees. Free.