Best's Fruit Farm

About Us:

The Best family has been raising quality fruits and vegetables in Hackettstown since 1945. Located in the scenic northwest corner of New Jersey, the farm sits on 48 acres adjacent to their retail farm stand on a hill known as Buck Hill. From the top of the hill you can see the majestic Delaware Water Gap to the west and the historic Musconetcong Valley to the east.  It is from this valley that the Best family has roots that include a family history of farming. The fifth generation on the farm is actually the 13th generation in this country.

Ernest Robert Best, a former grocer in Hackettstown, and Dorothy, his wife and also a former home economics teacher in the Hackettstown school system, purchased the farm in 1945. At that time their son, Robert Ernest Best was ten years old. The three of them lived very modestly as they began farming, planting the orchards, and also supplementing their income by growing tomatoes, raising chickens, and supplying fresh eggs to the area.

In June of 1955 Bob proposed to Ruth Marie Walters, who had grown up at the Hackettstown Airport just on the other side of town. They were married only one month later in July of 1955. Their daughter Kim was born in the summer of 1956 and they gave birth to a son, Robert, Jr., in 1958. The present day farm is now owned and operated by these four “Bests”. Bob, Jr. oversees the farming and Kim operates the farm stand.

Growing a quality product has always been foremost in the Best’s thinking when it comes to farming. “Good, better, best. Never let it rest…until your good is better, and your better Best!” During the 1960s they participated in the NJ State Farm Show in Trenton, NJ, taking numerous first place awards and winning “Best of Show” two years in a row.