Wall Township, New Jersey · Nonprofit community farm

Allaire Community Farm

A public farm built around rescued animals, therapeutic and vocational programs, community partnerships, and seasonal farm visits that help support the nonprofit mission.

Visit Allaire Community Farm See what defines the farm

The farm

The visitor attraction supports a much larger community mission

Allaire Community Farm began in 2013 and describes itself as a nonprofit community farm with a dual purpose: operating a working farm and creating healing, educational, and vocational programs around animals and nature. Founders Sean and JoAnn Burney are named on the farm's About page.

Public visitors can still come for a straightforward farm outing: see and feed animals, take wagon or train rides, attend seasonal events, and visit the market. But the farm repeatedly explains that revenue, donations, volunteers, and public programs help sustain its rescued animals and mission-based work.

To compare this kind of animal experience with other destinations around the state, browse more animal and alpaca farms in New Jersey.

What defines Allaire

Nurture through nature is the center of the operation

The farm uses rescued animals and a working-farm environment to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, veterans dealing with PTSD, teens facing mental-health challenges, and families dealing with cancer or financial hardship.

That mission is not a side program added to a petting zoo. It is woven through the farm's therapy, vocational training, school partnerships, animal rescue, volunteer network, fundraising events, and public visitor experience.

Founded 2013
Organization 501(c)(3) nonprofit
Model Rescued animals + working farm + therapeutic programs
Public visits Help support the nonprofit mission

Mission programs

Named programs serve very different groups

Allaire does not describe its community work in broad, generic terms. It runs distinct programs with different audiences, goals, schedules, and types of farm-based participation.

01

H.O.P.E.

Adults 21+ with I/DD

Harvesting Occupational and Personal Excellence is a pre-vocational program focused on farm work, animal care, gardening, farm-market tasks, professionalism, communication, independence, and employment-oriented skills. The program runs Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
H.O.P.E. program details
02

S.M.A.R.T.

Community inclusion

S.M.A.R.T. uses agricultural activities, animal care, gardening, lessons, crafts, and outings to help participants with special needs build social skills and stronger connections with the surrounding community.
S.M.A.R.T. program details
03

G.A.I.N.

High-school work-based learning

Growing Academics In Nature partners with local high schools. Students take part in planting, harvesting, weeding, animal care, paddock and stall cleaning, egg collection, groundskeeping, and other seasonal farm jobs.
G.A.I.N. program details
04

HAVEN

Therapy through animals, art & nature

HAVEN blends expressive arts, animal connection, and nature. The program includes individual therapy, community art-therapy groups, animal-care groups, and fixed-length needs-based groups, including teen animal-assisted therapy programming.
HAVEN program details
05

Veterans Program

Carriage driving & equine connection

The farm describes carriage driving and horseback-riding activities designed to support veterans affected by PTSD and difficult reintegration, with an emphasis on calm, presence, and connection around horses.
Veterans program details

Public farm visit

Visitors can still come simply to spend time around the animals

The seasonal public experience runs April through November. No reservation is required for a standard visit, and the farm accepts cash or credit.

Visitors may see, pet, and feed animals from outside their pens. Guests may not enter the pens or hold smaller animals, and outside animal food is prohibited because the animals are kept on specialized diets.

Current visiting information

Adults 16+ $6
Children over 1 $4
Monday–Saturday 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Sunday 12 p.m.–4 p.m.
Reservations Not required
Season April–November
Wagon ride $3
Farm train $3

Rescued animals

The animals are both residents and part of the farm's mission

Allaire repeatedly describes its animals as rescued and presents the farm as a sanctuary connected to healing and hope. Group visits include rescue stories, and the public experience is built around seeing animals in paddocks and feeding approved farm feed from outside the enclosures.

The farm's pages name a broad mix of residents, including goats, pigs, chickens, guinea hens, turkeys, peacocks, ducks, rabbits, sheep, donkeys, alpacas, cattle, horses, and mini-ponies.

Goats
Pigs
Chickens
Guinea hens
Turkeys
Peacocks
Ducks
Rabbits
Sheep
Donkeys
Alpacas
Cows
Horses
Mini-ponies

Community ecosystem

Volunteers, partnerships, and outreach extend well beyond normal farm visits

The nonprofit depends on more than admission revenue. Volunteers, partner organizations, school programs, sponsors, and direct community support all appear repeatedly throughout the farm's website.

Volunteer network

The farm says it relies heavily on volunteers and maintains a structured volunteer inquiry system with regular weekly availability.

POAC Autism Services

Partnership programming includes joint seasonal events such as Easter egg hunts, plantings, fall activities, and Christmas events.

High-school partnerships

G.A.I.N. connects local high-school students with hands-on work-based learning in animal care, growing, harvesting, and farm operations.

Families facing hardship

The farm says its gardens and greenhouses help provide weekly free produce to families dealing with cancer or financial hardship.

At-risk youth

The mission includes support for teens dealing with depression, anxiety, and other mental-health challenges through farm- and animal-centered programming.

Sponsors & supporters

Business and community sponsors are given their own section on the site, reflecting the nonprofit's broader local support network.

Beyond a regular visit

Parties, group trips, riding, and youth programs are substantial public offerings

These activities are not the farm's central identity, but several are developed enough to function as important recurring programs and revenue sources.

Birthday parties

Two-hour farm parties with animals and rides

Seasonal parties run April through November in a covered pavilion. The base package is $500 and includes 15 children, up to 30 adults, a host and assistant, a petting-zoo visit, goat feeding, egg gathering, a wagon ride, and a pony ride.

Birthday party details

School & group trips

Animal visits, rescue stories, egg gathering, and wagon rides

Group trips are designed for schools, camps, recreational programs, nursing homes, and special-interest groups. Optional additions include plantings, pavilion use, train rides, and seasonal pumpkin picking.

Group trip details

Equine activities

Lessons and carriage driving

The horseback-riding page lists 30-minute riding lessons, one-hour carriage driving, and extended equine lessons for beginner riders. The farm also notes membership in PATH Intl.

Riding and carriage information

Summer programs

Jr. Farmers and Growing Gardeners

Seasonal children's programs combine animal care, gardening, farm jobs, greenhouses, ecosystems, agricultural education, crafts, and other hands-on activities for ages 7–12.

Major fundraiser

Old Fashioned Christmas on the Farm

The farm describes its Christmas event as its biggest fundraiser of the year. The seasonal experience transforms the property with lights, Santa, hot chocolate, market shopping, indoor and outdoor animal areas, holiday movies, a model train house, and Yuletide wagon rides.

Proceeds support the animals and the nonprofit programs, making the event more than a seasonal attraction.

Current farm events

Farm market

Produce and farm goods support the broader operation

The retail side includes produce grown at Allaire and sourced from Jersey Fresh farms, organic and greenhouse-grown options, custom herb and spice blends, and farm-fresh eggs available from a refrigerator outside the market.

Compared with the farm's animal, mission, and community programming, the market is a supporting part of the operation rather than the main reason most visitors come.

Farm-grown produce
Jersey Fresh produce
Organic and greenhouse options
Herbs and spice blends
Farm-fresh eggs

Before you go

The public-visit rules are stricter than some of the farm's private programs

No pets

Pets are not permitted. The farm publishes separate rules for trained service animals.

No public picnicking

Regular visitors may not bring coolers or bagged lunches, although group and party programs have their own exceptions.

No outside animal feed

Feed brought from home is prohibited because the animals are maintained on specialized diets.

Seasonal schedule

The farm closes for major holidays and also has an off-season. Check current information before a long trip.

Visitor questions

Questions about Allaire Community Farm

Is Allaire Community Farm mainly a petting zoo?

No. It has a seasonal public petting-zoo experience, but the organization presents itself as a nonprofit community farm built around rescued animals, therapy, vocational programs, education, and community support.

Can visitors pet and feed the animals?

Yes, but interaction is controlled. Visitors may pet and feed animals from outside the pens using approved feed sold by the farm. Guests may not enter the pens or hold smaller animals.

Do I need a reservation for a regular visit?

No reservation is required for ordinary seasonal admission. Separate programs such as parties, group trips, lessons, and camps require their own arrangements.

Are pony rides available every day?

No. The farm's FAQ says pony rides are offered for special events and as a birthday-party option rather than as a standard daily public attraction.

Can visitors bring food or have a picnic?

Regular public visitors are told not to bring coolers or bagged lunches and may not picnic. Group trips and birthday parties have separate food policies that allow certain outside food under those program rules.

Does the farm offer animal sponsorships?

Yes. Allaire offers sponsorships that help support food and medical care for rescued animals. Sponsorship does not mean ownership or adoption.

Location