Harmony Farm is home to equines, canines, and birds. Nicknamed Hollywood, this noble Clydesdale enjoys greeting holiday guests in his ornamental tack.

Mugs of hot cocoa complement maple cut-out cookies, homemade fudge, peppermint sticks, and cinnamon-dusted pecans on a chilly day.

Sleigh Bells Ring: A young guest and her four-legged friend sneak a peek at an antique sleigh full of goodies. She is party-ready in a cotton plaid dress, red quilted car coat, and ruffled shoes from the Janie and Jack Boutique. Poncho the donkey is positively radiant in his jaunty bayberry wreath.

Nestled in the heart of Morris County’s Roxiticus Valley and just a stone’s throw from the U.S. Equestrian Team Headquarters is Harmony Farm, a horse-lover’s paradise. Though it appears to be a scene from a Currier & Ives picture book, this bucolic setting exists in present-day Chester Township. The 165-year-old, 24-acre estate is reminiscent of days gone by.

The property, surrounded by trees and flowers, is protected by conservation easements that include two streams and a large pond stocked with fish. Although the compound and its traditional barn-red outbuildings suggest commercial agriculture, Harmony Farm is simply a homestead for the owners and their creatures, great and small.

For the farmhouse’s residents, it was love at first sight. In fact, it was purchased in 2002, the minute it went on the market. After settling in, the new homeowners came across the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation online (see page 62), and decided they had an ideal space for horses.

To date, they have rescued six thoroughbreds, three donkeys, and two dogs—standard poodle Ginny and beagle-corgi mix Greta. In the stable, built in 2001, every stall is occupied by a horse or a donkey. Ten Clydesdales also board on the property. It’s a full house, to be sure.

Life on the Homestead
The original residence, built in 1842, was renovated and expanded in the 1990s, and the present homeowners modernized the structure in 2004, carefully preserving its architectural authenticity.

On the second floor of the main home, the lady of the house maintains an art gallery. In the renovated caretaker’s cottage and adjacent barn—once a hot-house for carnations—she enjoys entertaining in the studio, where friends gather to paint and chat on Sundays after church.

The serene surroundings are abundant with natural delights, such as the sounds of mallards and geese on the pond. The birds have found a home at Harmony Farm, and the homeowners take pleasure in caring for these feathered guests, feeding them daily. The typically migratory birds display their delight by staying put all winter long.

A Hearty Farmhouse Brunch
Once the holidays roll around, Harmony Farm welcomes family and friends for a festive brunch with carriage rides for the children. The home is decorated inside and out with yards of mixed-greenery roping, boxwood wreaths, and mini topiaries. Windows are adorned with sheer fabric, branches, and berries.

In the cozy kitchen wafts the fragrance of just-baked apple pie and Belgian waffles drenched in orange marmalade syrup and topped with fresh fruit. Cheery flowers, mercury-glass votives, antique silverware, and hand-sewn placemats complement the family’s old rustic table. Apricot bellinis kick up the grown-up festivities as children play contently with the ducks and dogs.

The farmhouse, resplendent in shades of cranberry, rust, chocolate, and sage, is chic and sublime as Frank Sinatra standards establish a cozy mood on a blustery day.

Holiday Styling Tips

Deck the Halls: A bright and cheery farmhouse brunch is served as youngsters intently watch ducks congregate on the pond. Belgian fruit waffles and a fresh-baked apple pie grace the rustic table, and a punchy treatment of shimmery fabric, copper taffeta ribbon, and a branch-and-fruit garland dresses up a window. An old wooden goose sculpture presides over the festivities.

Decorate Your Home—Inside and Out
❆  Embellish columns, door frames, and beams with simple pine roping or pricier mixed garlands. Mix reusable silk greenery with fresh greens to stretch your budget.

❆  Decorate with formal lanterns or even paper bag luminaries—especially warm and welcoming when filled with votive candles.

❆  Use fresh berries and citrus fruit, and salvage evergreen branches discarded from the base of your holiday tree.

❆  Instead of a single wreath on your front door, arrange three full-size wreaths in a vertical row, attached with a pretty ribbon. Keep it simple with boxwood, magnolia, or lemon leaf wreaths rather than unwieldly evergreens.

❆  Dress up your window treatments—or bare windows—even if you don’t have sewing skills. Simply thumbtack sheer fabric and garland to the window frames.


❆  Make any table setting sparkle with glass ornaments, mirrored votives, holiday china, and old silver.

❆  Don’t worry about making your tabletop too matchy-matchy. It’s fun to use elements that complement each other without being perfectly coordinated.


Pamper your pets
Have your animals join in the merry-making, too! A silk ribbon or sporty bit of garland will give any creature a touch of holiday spirit. Don’t forget bags of carrots and peppermints for the horses, and special treats for other animals.

Dress up the kids
Fashion-forward youngsters will be photo-ready in festive sweaters, jackets, and shoes. Velvet hair ribbons for girls, and dapper vests for boys make for magical scrapbook memories.

All children’s clothing and accessories in this feature are available at Janie and Jack boutiques throughout New Jersey.

Pony-up to Help

Over the River and Through the Woods: Country-chic youngsters set off for a ride around the farm with a light picnic lunch. Their antique carriage hails from Amish country, and is adorned with a wreath and swag.

Founded in 1982, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) is the nation’s largest equine rescue organization. Headquartered in Saratoga Springs, New York, it welcomes thoroughbreds when their racing days are behind them, and offers a humane alternative befitting such noble and deserving animals. Sadly, the owners of thoroughbreds often have modest resources and are unable to maintain even a single thoroughbred once it is unable to earn its keep on the track.

Some retired race horses that arrive at TRF are infirm, and unable to do little more than pass their days in paddocks and fields. However, many TRF horses have been trained for second careers as show jumpers, companions, handicapped riding horses, and even polo horses.

The TRF, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit tax-exempt organization, invites equine lovers to adopt a horse, offer foster care, or make contributions. While many New Jersey property owners are interested in farm assessment tax advantages, thoroughbred adoption is a big commitment, says the TRF. It requires daily maintenance and care, regular grooming, and veterinary/dental care.  (518-226-0028; trfinc.com.)