About:
Norz-Hill Farm is owned and operated by Richard Norz, Sr. and Rich & Debbie Norz and their children Alex, Susie, & Megan.
We are located 35 miles southwest of New York City in Central New Jersey. Norz-Hill Farm consists of 1200 acres of owned and rented ground. We grow crops of corn, soybeans, alfalfa and timothy hay, rye, pumpkins, sweet corn, tomatoes and other vegetables. The home farm is in the New Jersey Farmland Preservation Program. Other operations of the farm are, raising dairy replacement heifers, and we also have many other different kinds of animals, such as horses, sheep, goats, llamas and even three zonkeys just to name a few. We also have a road side produce market during the summer and fall, where we sell Jersey Fresh vegetables we grow right here on the farm. During the fall we also have many family activities such as pick you own pumpkins, hay rides, farm tours, a corn maze and even a haunted trail.
Our family started farming at the present location in 1920. Rich, Sr.'s grandparents originated the farm. In 1962, at the age of 16, Rich Sr. took over the farm operation after the death of his father. Rich Jr joined in operating Norz-Hill Farm as a fourth generation family member after high school in 1987.
Through the years we have always stressed working with top cow families as a high priority with our dairy; as a result we have been fortunate to have developed high type, show winning and high index cow families. We have placed over 40 bulls in A.I. and have marketed embryos and cattle worldwide. In the show circuit we have been successful at National, Regional and State Shows. See our Holsteins page for more information on the animals we are currently working with.
In 1991 during our journey through the cow business, we started a sideline doing “Cow Advertising.” Some of the cows you see in magazines and on television call Norz-Hill Farm their home! These cows have an agent based in New York City and many times “commute” there to do their jobs. Our Stars have performed and have been photographed on NBC News, Saturday Night Live, the cover of Newsweek, with Martha Stewart in the “got milk?” ads and on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, and have been the stars on the Chick-Fil-A calendar just to name a few. Some of their experiences have included going up to the 8th floor of Rockefeller Center and getting blown up on Saturday Night Live (she made it out unharmed), standing in a mud puddle with Martha Stewart and many, many trips through the Lincoln tunnel going into New York City.
Since the year 2000 we have started to grow pumpkins. We started wholesaling them in 2002. With the decrease in the number of farms in the area, we saw an opportunity to provide the community with the Halloween activities that they have become accustomed to, with our own flare. Now in September and October we offer hayrides, pick your own pumpkins, a corn maze, farm tours, pony rides and many other activities. We also are hosting the Creepy Hollow haunted corn trail on Friday and Saturday nights in October. Come visit us during our Fall Festival and see how much fun you can have down on the farm!
During the summer months we have our own Jersey Fresh produce stand. We have white and bi-color sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini and many other farm fresh vegetables and fruit we grow right here on our farm.
Another proud accomplishment for us was at the New Jersey State Agriculture Convention when Rich Jr. was named the New Jersey Outstanding Young Farmer for 2010. Then in February of that year, Rich and Debbie traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina for the national competition, and were very honored to benamed one of four National Outstanding Young Farmers by the US Jaycees.
We have been lucky to have a large supportive family, the assistance of good employees, and the friendship of great neighbors.
We are looking forward to the up and coming 5th generation to operate Norz-Hill Farm; Alex, Susie and Megan.