Summer is short and so sweet in Minnesota (ok, Wisconsin too)! Let’s savor each day with plenty of outside time, fun new experiences, family time and play… for us this mean plenty of farm visits!

I’ve got quite the line-up for you guys! I’ve gathered my favorite farm visits that are also family friendly. These farms will get you feeling one with nature, closer to your roots, and eating farm to table to boot.

These are the real deal. Real crops, real animals, real history, real fun. Grab the sunscreen, pack the picnic basket and buckle up!

Bruentrup Heritage Farm

Dairy Day Ice Cream Social June 17 FREE
Locally made ice cream at a farm, nuff said.

Farm to Table Summer Camp: August 5-8
Camp for kids entering 2^nd-5^th grade that brings them through the Farm to Table process of milk to butter, cheese and ice cream- and making their own bread from farm fresh ingredients! More info HERE.

Bruentrup Heritage Farm is nestled between Maplewood and White Bear Lake and comes with the idyllic big red barn and front porch. Run by the Maplewood Area Historical Society, this is a community hub of family fun activities. The Bruentrup family donated their farm to the society in 1999 and the community has been in love with it ever since. This is also an amazing spot for weddings if you know anyone who’s looking Their Facebook page is the place to follow for event updates and announcements.

Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center

Apple Festival October 12 & 13

The annual highlight of this little gem of a non-profit nature center is their Apple Fest! Good old down-home fun where kids can pick heirloom varieties of organic apples, get dirty and play in the hay bales- they’ll have to run off all that cider and apple crisp somehow…

The Carpernter St. Croix Valley Nature Center is the best kept secret on the river. They have both MN and WI campuses and miles of glorious trails overlooking the river that divides them. The apple orchard is magical, and be sure to check out the old farm house off of the north loop trail! They hold some sweet Summer Camps, a good selection still have availability, check out the variety of options HERE.

Co-op Farm Tour

July 13th FREE

Mark your calendars for the ‘Eat Local’ Co-op Farm Tour. This event lets you tour some of the best local farms in the (extended) area. There are a record high 26 farmers participating this summer! Farms include Beef, Dairy, Fish, Flower, Honey, Hops and good old Vegetables. This is kind of the grand-daddy of all farm visits!

Pack a picnic, bring lots of ice cold water and an extra cooler for all the (REALLY) farm fresh food you can find that day! It’s a great way for kids and adults alike to see first-hand where the food they eat starts out. The farms that participate usually have something to entice the little ones out- check each farm’s page link for more info.

Gibbs Farm  

General Admissions: $8 adults, $7 seniors 62+, $5 children 4-16

Ice Cream Sunday: Every other Sunday, June 16^th to August 25^th
Make your own sundae and enjoy fresh local dairy!

Prairie Festival: August 3^rd included in General Admissions.
Celebrating the Dakota people and foodways, past and present with stations to learn about the seasonal ways like wild ricing.

This is the little farm that could. This well loved historical farm is tucked into the east side of the cities along the edge of U of MN Ag land. Costumed staff provide a glimpse into nineteenth century Pioneer and Dakota daily life.

There are both original and replica buildings, including and one-room schoolhouse (my kids favorite) a log-and-sod home, plus the original Gibbs farmhouse and barn. What sets this place apart is the inclusion of a Dakota summer bark lodge, and a tipi and their almost equal representation of Indigenous history along with European settler history.

The historical tours are led by knowledgeable costumed interpreters open most weekends in summer. Pioneer Tours at 10:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm. Dakota Tours are 11:30am and 1:30pm.

MN Food Association: Big River Farms

Small Scale Composting with Worms: June 22, 10-12

Growing Oyster Mushrooms: June 29, 10-12

All About Monarchs: July 27, 10-12

The staff at Big River Farms provide farmer education and technical assistance in all things sustainable farming. This summer they are doing a few new classes lead by their farmers in training; organic weed management, composting with worms, planting for monarchs and growing your own mushrooms.

The classes are probably more adult friendly than family friendly, but they made it on my list anyway. An adult could go to the class and the rest of the crew could wander and enjoy the beautiful farmland, or is worm composting a perfect start to a romantic date night… They also go above and beyond welcoming families during the Co-op Farm Tour.

Oliver Kelley Farm

Admission: $12 for adults, $6 ages 5-17 FREE for 4 and under and MNHS Members

Dairy Days:
June 22 + 23

Poultry Weekend:
July 20 + 21

Pickling Weekend:
August 17 + 18 

This is such a unique experience, and I’m so proud of our MN Historical Society for preserving this one of a-kind-farm for generations to come. Visiting is a way to get up close and personal with farm life from 150 years ago (that’s the 1860’s for anyone else who can’t do math).

The costumed staff are experts in teaching without preaching and making you feel part of the farm. I know that sounds corny, but go see for yourself. There’s always some in-season farm task, skill/job to be done and everyone gets to pitch in. It’s a real working farm, so visitors can meet the animals in the barn, help work in the fields and gardens, and see what’s cooking in the farmhouse.

The Oliver Kelley Farm is a National Historic Landmark which became a way more family friendly farm visit after opening their new visitor center! The addition of a farm lab to the site takes it above and beyond. Yes, I’m gushing but this is one of my happy places! My kids love the BIG oxen, and all the barn cats, and pumping water from the well to water veggies.

Tamarack Nature Center

Meet the Gardener: Mondays 10:15-11

OK, this one is more garden than farm, but it’s a comprehensive garden laid out in a way that gives you solid ideas you can take home and make your own. And since my real motive is actually to get you growing more of your own food this fits perfectly

Plus this Ramsey County Nature Center boasts the Discovery Hollow Nature Play Area. It doesn’t get much more family friendly than helping plant in a community garden and then wiggle your bare toes in a stream before hiking to the perfect picnic spot. They rotate topics for “Drop in Discoveries” on Saturdays. I’m super excited for the ‘Meet the Bees/Garden Party’ drop in sessions, on June 22, July 27 and August 24. Tamarack also holds a slew of the most desired summer camps in the metro area. A few spots remain.

White Pine Berry Farm

Strawberry Shortcake Social: June 29

A PYO farm run by The Zwald family, White Pine is a newbie on our list this year because of their Organic Certification! The name sells them a little short, as they also grow; asparagus, beans, ginger, (!!!) plums, tumeric, tomatoes and watermelon, yes my mouth is watering…isn’t yours!?!

They’ve got some fun events planned for this season with “A Day in the Country later this Fall. Check them out as part of the Co-op Farm Tour on July 13^th. Follow their Facebook Page to stay in the loop.

Honorable Mentions

These family adventures are too good to miss! While not technically farm visits, they tie in gardening, local food and getting back to Nature. I just had to mention them…

Blueberry Fields of Stillwater – Organic P-Y-O blueberry farm from heaven. I love them so much I did a story on them last summer!

Borner Farm Project: (delicious) Pizza Nights with a chill vibe on a mostly volunteer run farm in the middle of Prescott WI. Boom!

PolliNation Festival– August 25th The most fun you can have helping save the bees!

So, the only question now is which farm will you visit first?

If you happen to have a farm you love to visit, I’d Love to hear about it- as you can tell I’m a little obsessed with farm fresh!

Looking forward to digging into Summer!

Michelle

The post Family Friendly Farm Visits appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

July 15: Eat Local Co-op Farm Tour 

The barn doors are wide open. Twin Cities co-ops have gathered 27 of their hard-working farmers together to open their farms, fields, milking rooms etc. to you for the day. Use this Farm Tour guide to map out your self guided tour and see which farms have special activities, music, even samples that match your interest. This is a great FREE way to let your kid milk their first cow, see actual farm work being done, pull their first carrot and talk to farmers about how they farm. Be ready to stock up on farm fresh produce-right from the farm! Last year my boys and I experienced a great sense of community at Big River Farms,  along with a great wagon ride, samples and music. We bought a few things that had been picked right from the fields we toured. This year they’ve added a little something extra with pollinators! I remember it as one of best days with my boys last summer.

Wagon riders at last year’s Big River Farms’ tour day.

Tips: Wear farm appropriate clothing (farm boots, sun hat), bring along some bug spray, a cooler for things you buy and a lunch if you want. Learn from my mistake last summer! Print out a google map, because these are RURAL farms, you may lose service once you’re on the road!

Stay up to the minute and Follow on Facebook. TC.Farm (also featured below in the Tullibee Butcher Dinner) went the extra acre this year and created their own guide; which looks awesome!

Details: 10am-4pm. 31 locations across the extended metro area.

Photo credit: Alex Johnson Photography

July 15: Minnesota Waldorf School Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival

While not directly local food/farm related, I’m pretty sure a few hootenannies and shenanigans will conspire on the festival grounds. My kids are stoked to see The Okee Dokee Brothers! And The Roe Family Singers will get your feet moving for sure. Full line up and schedules for all the performers and extras HERE; like Log Rolling, Obstacle course, Dunk Tank and Face Painting for the kids and beers on tap, artists vendors to browse between sets. And then there’s the food truck line up. Bring on the Hoe Down!

Details: Saturday July 15^th 12-8,
tickets available HERE ,  $14 children, $25 adult
MN Waldorf School 70 County Road B E, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55117

Copyrighted photo by Scott A. Schneider

July 15: Midsummer Festival at Cedar Lake Regional Farm Park

This event is in conjunction with the Credit River Antique Tractor Show. Antique tractors don’t come on tour very often, so if ‘making hay back in the day’ is your thing you better get on this! There will food concessions and music to go along with trying out some fishing, kayaking and archery. This ‘farm park’ has transformed over the last few years. More info on the park HERE. And register for free HERE

Details: Saturday, July 15th. Free. 10-5, children 13 and under must attend with an adult.
Cedar Lake Regional Farm Park, 25875 Juniper Avenue, New Prague MN 56071

July 15 & 16: Wine Meets Art at St. Croix Vineyards

Being able to enjoy locally grown/crafted award winning wine while strolling through over 20 booths full of locally made art, yes please. Add in local food trucks like Elaine Chang and Nella’s Smokehouse Barbecue and live music floating by? Summer bliss! And the vineyard itself is something to behold, nestled next to Aamodts Apple Farm it adds a family friendly flair. Local wineries are popping up all along our wonderful river valleys here in the Midwest and I am tickled Rose by each of them, but St. Croix Vineyards has been doing this a while and knows how to throw some fun events (Wine stomping anyone?), along with bringing home all kinds of medals for their wines.

Details: 11am-6pm, July 15^th & 16^th, Winery tours start at 12.
St Croix Vineyards 6428 Manning Avenue Stillwater, MN 55082

July 16: Tullibee Butcher’s Dinner

Feat. TC Farm’s “American Guinea Hog”

A roast to remember with Hewing’s own butcher Brian Merkel and Tullibee Chef Bradley Day along with the farmer  T.C. Farm .  This seems like a pretty unique opportunity (only once a year) to taste “the Forest Hog” which are raised solely in open pasture.  Since I am out of my depth (I’ve never heard of this kind of hog before, have you?) here’s some information direct from their

Charcuterie board at Tullibee.

website: “The team at Tullibee will be preparing chartucerie, roasts, pastries and desserts showcasing the pristine protein versatility of this amazing pig. While large format roasts cook over the open hearth, guests will have the opportunity to engage with the chefs, farmer ad butcher…”  This sounds amazing, if anyone goes, please let me know how it was!

Details: Sunday, July 16th, 6-9, $55 per ticket. Come hungry
Tullilbee is in the Hewing Hotel, 300 N Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55401

July 16: SociableSummer – Americana Fest

Sociable Ciderwerks offers a lineup worthy of a laid back Sunday afternoon! So much goodness squeezed into one chill space. Music plays a big part of these gatherings and to prove it they’ve got Bill DeVille of 89.3 The Current hosting the event, featuring: Roe Family Singers, The Dead Pigeons, No Man’s String Band, Dead Horses

Food trucks from Red River Kitchen, Butcher Salt, The Anchor Fish & Chips, Potter’s Pasties to sweeten the deal.

Details:  Sunday July 16^th 2-9pm. $5 Wristbands: The event is free to attend. However, if you will be imbibing 21+ Wrist bands available at the door for $5.00 with a portion of proceeds benefiting SACA Food Shelf & Thrift Store. VIP packages available.
Sociable Ciderwerks, 1500 Fillmore St NE Minneapolis, MN 55413

Well, then…

If those events don’t get you out of your own garden (I’m so guilty of this sometimes) and into the world of local food this weekend- I don’t know what would. I’m just enthralled that all these events are even possible. Think about it: The farmers are dedicated, the chefs are dedicated and the event planners are dedicated. So many people working together to craft these experiences to satisfy your summer quest for a delightful eating experience. Three Cheers for local food.

I can’t wait to dig into this weekend!

Michelle

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