tours terms and conditions
Deposits:
A deposit of $75 is required to reserve your tour day and time. This deposit is non-refundable but transferable towards another field trip ONLY.
A Group’s Guide to Farm Fun:
Thank you for planning your trip with Alstede Farms. We are delighted that you will be one of the many groups that will be visiting our farm this year. This trip will be both educational and fun for all that attend. The following items will help ensure a successful and enjoyable trip:
- Please arrive 15 minutes early. Upon arrival please have all vehicles unload after parking in the lot behind the market. The group can then meet at the Giant Hay Pyramid and will be greeted by one of our team members.
- The group leader or representative will need to check in the group and finalize payment in the Touch Check In shed located closest to the hay pyramid. When you check in, you will need the number of children and adults that are participating and have a single form of payment for your group.
- Payment is expected on the day of the trip unless your organization has a previously approved purchase order. If you are a tax-exempt organization, your tax exempt form must be on file for us to honor the exemption. Please note a $15 administration fee is applied per Purchase Order.
- Admission is charged for all participating adults and children. Babies under the age of 1 are allowed on the hay wagon with no charge. A minimum of 20 people is required for group tours.
- Forms. Your group leader will be asked to sign and confirm a group tour headcount sheet the day of the trip to acknowledge the number of people getting on the hay wagon ride.
- Duration. The tour takes approximately one and half hours and includes a scenic hayride and the picking activity of your choice.
- Lunch areas. A picnic area is available which includes both tables and grass areas. The tented areas are available for your use unless they are reserved.
- Restrooms. Facilities are available behind the farm market. Allow time for students to use these facilities prior to your scheduled departure time.
- Dress warm. Please dress appropriately, it can be 10 –15 degrees cooler on the farm and the picking activities may require some walking in the fields or orchards.
Inclement weather
We can provide your group with a fun and educational indoor program even if the weather does not permit outdoor activities. Please see our weather policy below.
Please note that during September and October, traffic to the farm may be heavy. Please allow yourself extra travel time to the farm during this time.
Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy:
If you do cancel/reschedule your tour prior to the day of your tour, you will be required to pay a rescheduling fee of $50 and you would forfeit your $75 deposit.
Please check www.weather.com the day before your tour no earlier than 3 pm for location zip code 07930 and click hour by hour. We look at percentages 2 hours prior, during and 2 hours after your tour. If the weather looks great… GREAT! If the weather looks questionable, please understand our policy below.
We do not cancel your tour for weather-related reasons until 3 pm the day before your tour. In fact, we recommend that you wait until the morning of the day of your tour. One thing that we have learned in over 30 years of providing farm tours is that weather forecasts are usually wrong and that most often the weather is always fine for tours. Weather predictions change, (often!) and we want to give you the opportunity to have the tour, so we do not allow weather-related cancellations or rescheduling until 3 pm the day before your tour. If you do cancel/reschedule your event prior to the day of your tour, you will be required to pay a rescheduling fee of $50 and you would forfeit your $75 deposit.
50% + chance of rain: If there is a 50%+ chance of rain starting 2 hours before, during or after your tour shown on the hourly forecast for our zip code at 3 pm the day before your tour on weather.com you may reschedule your tour with no rescheduling fees. Your deposit will carry over to the rescheduled date.
Less than a 50% chance of rain: We will mutually discuss and agree to proceed, reschedule or cancel your tour utilizing the fee structure outlined above.
Proceed/postpone due to weather options: It is agreed that www.weather.com is the tool used to verify weather percentages. Simply visit www.weather.com at 3 pm the day before your tour, put in our zip code 07930 and click hour by hour. This is the only tool we use to predict the weather. We always recommend that you wait until the morning of your event prior to making any rescheduling or cancellation decisions.
We continuously monitor the local and regional radar and can give you very good and current advice as to what we expect the weather to be here in Chester at the time of your tour. Remember, just because it’s raining where you are doesn’t mean it will be raining in Chester.
Our goal is to provide you with a fun and safe tour of our family owned farm and our weather policy will help ensure that this happens.
Disclaimer:
ALL visitors, guests, and customers of Alstede Farms LLC, park and participate in all farm and PYO Activities AT THEIR OWN RISK.