MAGICAL! I don't know how this does not have a full 5 stars!…read more We signed up online, expectations were provided, as well as followup communication, and text reminders to complete online waivers. On site, there are punny signs that lead you up the road that say things like, Keep Goating. Once we pulled up, we were greeted by someone who helped us to park. There is a port-a-potty on site, as well as a water spigot for access to clean water. There is a trailer on site, as well with souvenirs, ice water, local root beer that uses the goats on the labels, as well as non-aerosols bug sprays, as the goats are sensitive to aerosol sprays. There was a large group during our time slot, so there were two waves who were taken out with separate goats. If you don't feel giddiness when goats run up beside you as you start hiking, I'm sorry. It was a chill and happy vibe throughout. Our guide, Jason, was welcoming, friendly, and incorporated humor. The trek had 3 stops. Jason would talk about the history of the property, the family, how it all came to be, and the goats as breeds, as well as some of them as individuals. There is a stop where you can have your picture taken with goats, as well as feed them carrots. (Who knew the big Boer goats would be so picky about carrots that have landed in dirt?!). This could almost (in my book it could) be counted as a therapeutic experience! The goats expect nothing but company, and appreciate a scratch, and carrot slice. They're just happy to be along snacking on their favorite greens and going for a little hike!

What a hoot! We did their wine and goat hoof it event after staying a few days in Galena…read more You start out trying out Illinois wines. These are from Fergetaboutit Vineyard, and to be blunt, they were the best wines we have tasted in Illinois. If you like wine and have tried wines from France, Spain, Italy or California, yes, I mean that. The "hoof it" part was fun. You get set up with a guide (don't forget to tip the guide) who lets around a dozen goats out of the pen, and you walk with them on a 1.2 mile hike. It's mostly shaded (so shaded that we didn't wear sunscreen, and I don't tan, I scorch, and got NOTHING, so it's pretty shaded. There is poision ivy on the trail, so if you see leaves of three, let them be. The goats are quite affable, but listen to the guide. At the end before they approach the pens (which the goats will run towards) they let you feed the goats with carrots and you have to show the goats you don't have carrots in your hands (two hands up, open) or they will jump on you to get "your carrots." They stop several times. The pace is best described as "sedate" - you'll have a hard time breaking a sweat. Our advice, stick to the path, don't go off into the weeds. Some other things: Pack in, Pack out - they don't have trash cans, so what you bring in, you carry out. You will get a glass for each person who signs up for the wine event (which has the logo on it) as a momento. We got out a little late. The goats all have names, but you don't have to remember them. But you will. Little stinkers. Another tip: Once they get let out of the pen, they have a tendancy to "dump and run" so watch your step, or you'll get some fresh goat crap on your shoes or feet or LEG.

We loved our time at the GalPaca Farm and seeing these mystical creatures. Pronounced Gal-Paca, not…read moreG-alpaca! The owners (2 Gals) were super friendly and interactive with us on any questions we asked. We loved hearing their story and how close the community around them is. On this street alone, you can hit a pumpkin patch and an apple picking farm all 5 minute drive from one another. They currently had a 'Yarn Hop' going on which we thought was so fun. With that, they really put standards in place for COVID safety precautions. At the front entrance, there was someone waiting to understand how many people were in your car (and if there were any children) so that they could contain crowds. Masks were worn and there is specific areas for parking marked. When we arrived, we were given a couple of carrot bags to feed the alpacas. They were all roaming, minding their own business eating the grass, but once you shake your plastic baggy of carrot goodness, they'll start walking to you instantly. They eat with their bottom teeth and are just the cutest things. I'm also extremely jealous of their eyelashes, extensions can't get you that amount of volume! Right next door, they have a another barn with their shop of goods, including honey/bee products. My friend got the alpaca gloves, another got the body butter, and I snagged a GalPaca shirt. There's lot to choose from and they're all labeled nicely. The cutest thing is, if you purchase yarn, there are the names of the specific alpaca it came from. So cute! Even though it's getting a little chillier, I would make my way out here to explore! A short 30-40 minutes from Madison and lots of other farms to see. You can also then go to more of the city area of Mt. Horeb afterwards.

Loved my time at GalPaca alpacas! We went during the local Yarn Hop even though my friends and I…read morearen't avid knitters. It was well worth it to spend some time there and watch the alpacas! Right away as we pulled in, we were given a baggie of carrots and the alpacas perked right up and came straight to us at the gate. Seeing and feeding the alpacas was so much fun! GalPaca Farm Alpacas was very conscious of the pandemic and made sure to ask about the number of people we had in the car and to limit the amount of visitors to make the experience fun and safe for all. Definitely check out the store inside, they have a full variety of items like alpaca wool gloves, socks, and dryer balls. I picked up some wood cutting board balm and some solid lotion bars made in-home and I love using both on a daily basis. Hope to get back out there when the weather is warm again!

Eugster's is one of those pumpkin-picking-apple-orchard-petting-zoo family farms, this one in…read moreStoughton Wisconsin. Coming for "Lavender Days there was plenty of lavender around for sure. Plus goats, cats, kittens, pigs, ponies, donkeys, chickens, turkeys, sheep, etc... Wife seemed pretty happy walking a goat through the lavender field.

We spent a fun morning here this past Monday. They have so many baby goats and for $2 you get a…read morebottle of milk to feed them. These baby goats do not kid around when it comes to drinking their milk and the bottle will be gobbled up in a flash. You can also feed chickens and they have a model cow you can pretend practice milking. Plan to spend at least two hours here. Right now they have a gorgeous lavender field filled with bees. Very picturesque and looks great in photos.

I love this place so much. It's a 1890s living history museum, and there's so many interesting…read morethings to learn about here. In the winter, they do ice carving demonstrations that you can participate in. In the summer, they make hand-churned ice cream with the harvested ice from the winter and host an "ice cream social" for everyone to participate in. They also do maple sugaring demonstrations in the spring. Every hour, there are house tours where you can learn some history about life in the 1890s. The farm animals are adorable too. It's also free to get in. Perfect for adults and kids!

The website promotes the idea of having several things to do, which we didn't find to be the case…read more We arrived at 10am which is supposed to be tours of the farmhouse, didn't happen. One lady did say that, "someone probably looked outside and didn't immediately see anyone so they skipped it." We did walk around and see pigs, pet the sheep, saw cows. The horses were off under the sheds. A 30 min walk. Tha

We love coming to the farm every October with our friends. The pumpkins are excellent - in great…read morecondition, organized by size, and have all of the variations in color you need. I appreciate the colorful corn (though we can maybe start referring to it as flint corn these days...), and and the warty pumpkins. The biggest draw for us, though, is the new calf they usually have in the barn, and the hayride up to feed the cows. It's definitely a core memory for the kiddos.

Came here for a Christmas tree even though I'm Buddhist. As a Buddhist I appreciate how well cared…read morefor the farm animals are, the cows see hale and hearty. Actually I'm not quite sure what "hale" means, but the dairy cattle look very healthy and happy. The Christmas tree selection was outstanding, the service prompt and friendly. This giant of a fellow, must have been 7 feet tall, expertly tied the chosen tree to the top of our vehicle after a fresh cut. Very popular place, a couple days after Thanksgiving they had already sold out of trees over 10 feet tall.

We visited in October 2020 during the pandemic. I did a lot of research to find the farms that are…read moretaking proper safety precautions with a setup that allows for social distancing. Dollinger Family Farm checked all the boxes, so we gave it a shot. I'm so glad I did because we had a very positive experience. We arrived on a Saturday right when it opened to avoid crowds. There were others there, but distancing was so easy. There were signs everywhere about wearing a mask and there was also a hand-washing station. We noticed a lot of other farms that are an easy drive from like Chicago did not take this pandemic seriously at all, so we loved supporting a farm that did take it seriously. We looked a bit at the animals--so cute!--before heading over to look at the pumpkins (AKA the main event). They had a tractor set up with a bunch of assorted squash for the perfect photo op. Then, pumpkins were sorted into piles based on size with a sign with the price. For example, a pile with $8 pumpkins. I believe the most expensive were $12. We selected two $8 pumpkins that were huge! My only suggestion would be to actually label the pumpkins with prices. The people in front of us in line picked a pumpkin from the $9 pile, but the employee insisted that this was too big of a pumpkin to have come from that pile. She said sometimes customers move the pumpkins around. I don't blame the customers for being a little frustrated because they obviously picked their pumpkin with the price in mind. We were worried this might happen to us, but they did not question when we told them we picked $8 pumpkins. The service was excellent. An employee actually took our pumpkins and we could drive up to pick them up before leaving. It was so helpful not to have to carry these huge pumpkins over to the car ourselves. We will definitely be back next year!

It was closed I think!! They should of put that on their post. It took time to find then when we…read moregot there no one was anywhere around! Very disappointed!

My husband and I decided to try out the farm tour at Berning Acres while we were visiting Galena,…read moreIL this summer. We had visited another dairy farm in the past and though it was interesting, it didn't hold a candle to Berning Acres. Farmer Natalie reached out in advance and let us know the "ground rules" for everyone's safety. We arrived a little before our tour and waited until it was time to go inside. We were joined by a multi-generational family group, including grandparents in their sixties, their adult children, and grandchildren aged about 2 to 10. There truly was something for everyone. Natalie was very engaging with each age group and made sure we learned all the cool things about their "girls." From the time the tour begins, you are immersed in all aspects of the farm, the cows, the fermenting hay, the workers doing their jobs and the delightful Berning family (we only met her sons but I'm confident that her daughters are just as wonderful) and their other farm animals! We were able to get up close and personal with new born cows, feed three-week-old calves and learn about all of the spoiling that goes into those mama cows as they prepare to birth their calves. We even had the chance, if we wanted to try our hand at milking. Natalie was very candid about the effort and investment involved in family farming, highlighting how advancements in technology help ensure the health and proper nutrition of cows at all ages. Aside from the farm tour, they also offer a farm camp and some really cool adult adventures with craft beers and wines (great ideas for a girls' weekend!), they have amazing Berning Acres cheeses as well. #galenaadventures #familyfarms

Heard that Berning Acres was awesome and they did not disappoint! Louis was an absolutely amazing…read moretour guide and an even more impressive young man-- my seven year old and I agree that we would give him 10/10 stars! Immense respect to Natalie and her crew for the tireless work that they do. Lucky to have spent the morning learning from them! Highly recommend!

My sister and I had a fun time feeding the animals. The gift shop is awesome with so many beautiful…read moreand soft things. Barchetta (? The rooster) is beautiful and so friendly. Everyone their was so nice. Loved it!

What a nice family run farm Alpaca Pines is. We stopped by thinking it was Boone County Farm Stroll…read moreday. It wasn't; we were a day early. The owners Bob and Vicki Donley were super nice about it and took the time to show us around. We spent time in the back learning about the mill and yarn making process. Outside we checked out the alpacas. Interesting animals. Back in the store we browsed their finished alpaca products and we left with a couple things. This is definitely a five star destination.

I had SO much fun at Schuster's!! We came for Blooms on the Farm but really were surprised with all…read morethe fun little activities throughout the rest of the farm. You can wander around and find fun games, photo ops, and great food. The farm animals of course were adorable. I thought the entry ticket and flower ticket were very affordable for the abundance of beautiful zinneas we picked, access to fun yard games, and super kind staff. Highly recommend holding a baby goat if you can!! We also enjoyed corn hole, the "corn pit", kids playsets, and the jump pads. This is a great place to be summer or fall and there is something fun for everyone!! Worth the short drive from Madison for sure

I was there on a Saturday on October. The place was lively. There were a ton of activities,…read moreespecially for kids. Entree fee includes 2 apple cannon shots. There was hay ride, a kids train ride, corn pit etc. Couple of times a day there was candy canon, where they shoot candies to the people. Apple caramal apple slushie was my favorite food here. It comes with a caramal apple and a cider donut on top of slushie. Hot cider and pumpkin cake were good. There was pumpkin picking in the middle of hay ride. I picked a small pumpkin. Price was reasonable. People were picking huge pumpkins and in larger numbers.

My girlfriend and I visited this family run organic farm and had a really pleasant time walking…read morethrough the seeding greenhouse, the fields just beginning to sprout, and the mushroom forest. We sampled spring onions that stayed with me for the rest of the night reminding me of the simple beauty of great produce, vibrant spinach, amazingly peppery arugula, and sorrel w/ a blast of citrus. The farmers and their interns were very friendly and seemingly happy to have visitors. We are really looking forward to becoming members of the CSA and receiving amazing, locally grown produce every week. Top notch concept and execution, everyone should support something like this in their area.