Brand Farms really is a one-stop shop for fall fun! It gets quite crowded during the weekends but…read morethere is plenty of free parking after going down the gravel road leading up to the farm. There were attendants gesturing where to park which was helpful. After parking, there's a small shopping area where you can purchase baking and dip mixes, meat, eggs, jams, honey, and more. This is also where you can purchase empty bags for apple picking. You can pay with credit card or cash here. I tried the maple syrup breakfast sausage links and they were delicious, but definitely on the sweeter side. There is also a food truck where you can get apple cider donuts, and there were baby cows to see too! After exiting the shopping area, you can ride a wagon with straw bales over to the other area of the farm, or you can walk. It's a bit of a hike so I would recommend riding the wagon. The next area has so many activities: pumpkin patch, apple picking, paintball shooting, bouncy mats for children, and other little games and activities for children. There were so many photo spots as well. My favorite activity was the apple cannon, where you can pay $5 (cash, credit card, or venmo) for a bucket of apples, load them into a cannon, and blast them into old cars. The cannon is SUPER loud so bring ear plugs or ear protection -- my ears still hurt a little bit the next day. There was also live music and a couple food stands selling items such as apple cider and walking tacos. If you walk a little further you'll reach rows and rows of apple trees, sorted by type with clear signage. There were a handful of varieties to choose from, such as honeycrisp, sweet tango, sno-sweet, and crab apples. There were a lot of bees and mushed apples on the ground so I would wear appropriate clothing and shoes that you don't mind getting a little dirty.

Went back after a few years. It was a lot busier which is to be expected however they can not…read morehandle how many people are going. There are no signs telling you where to get what. We bought tickets online in advance, but there was no sign for online sales. Then once we finally found the right line there's only one iPad so the guy had to walk away to get it to scan our tickets. Once you get out of the main area (we ended up walking because only two trackers were going and the line was super long) it was good. We liked the lower area but the front was a total mess and took way more time than it needed to. Pretty disappointed. Hopefully they can fix the front area before next season. Also, there were SO many bees.

Simple. Keep this word in mind as you travel to Whistling Well Farm. If you are seeking out a state…read morefair experience or something with loud and boisterous events, this is not it. Contrary it's every reason why we enjoyed it. Highlights include: dog friendly, nice parking, friendly staff, proficient store with basic items such as honey, caramel, chocolate covered cherries, plush dog toys, coloring books, apples, etc. Outside you will find a pumpkin patch, goats and even a DJ with a dance floor. If you have kids, this is a great outing for the family. My group walked our dogs around the space, split come apple cider donuts and snapped a few pics by some of the fall decor. Notes: dogs are not allowed in the gift shop and there is a food stand that serves hot dogs, cider, chips and apple cider donuts. We did not see any alcohol onsite.

Such a great apple orchard! If you're looking for a place to take in the sights, eat delicious…read moreapples and shop for goods without having to navigate through crowds and struggle to park; this is the place! Only PYO Haralson's were advertised today, but we scored some delicious Honeycrisp apples (had to reach high). The food products are plentiful and almost everyone there had a half gallon of apple cider in their hands. I didn't buy any today, but I did last year and it was delicious. I didn't buy any buy three sweatshirts, which were modestly priced at $25. I highly recommend trying this spot out.

Local treasure. Family visiting from NY always asks to return to visit the farm and the farmer,…read moreDonna. Another local treasure. A special place with something new and different each time you visit.

It's like a farmers market but open every single day! The produce is knock your socks off good…read more There are also jellies and cookies too. They have free range chickens who lay eggs that are for sale as well. WAY better than any other eggs I have tried. Donna is a sweet lady who is genuinely happy to see you when you stop by. This is the place to come for excellent produce quality at lower prices than mackentuns

Very well organized. Apples were amazing and the lady that charged us was really warm and helpful…read more Loved everything about it, including the slushies!!! Will be back.

Made my first trip to Sweetland Orchard with a few friends this past weekend and we had such a…read moregreat time! It was a very unique orchard experience. We had ordered a tasting kit which had a large variety of food and drinks to try! We had the Cider Tasting Kit with additional add ons, such as the, Apple Tasting Kit, Heirloom Apple Tasting Kit, Odenthal's Jalapeno and Cheddar Beef Sticks, Shepherd's Way Friesago Cheese, Sweetland Orchard Cider Donuts, Sweatband Orchard Farm Bread Picnic Loaf, and the Vikings and Goddesses Apple Carmel Hand Pie's. Kits are available if you place your order at lease 12 hours in advance. If you do not order a kit, there are items available for purchase as well. You are free to roam to roam the orchard and enjoy all there is to offer. The setting was just the perfect spot for fall, with colored trees around and rolling hills. We brought our kit our to the orchard and had a picnic. We brought a quilt to sit on (there are some picnic tables available, but it is probably wise to bring a quilt to lay down to sit on just in case there are no tables available). Everything was incredibly delicious and I am planning to get back there again soon! It is dog friendly! I love when places allow dogs, it is but probably best to bring your dog only if it will not disrupt other guests or the animals that are on site (chickens, pigs, etc.).

We've been coming to fall harvest orchard for a few years and it seems to get better each time!…read moreEntrance is free but you can buy wristbands to be able to do more of the activities like the giant slide, large corn pit, mini putt, etc. The wristbands are well worth the price for the little ones in my opinion. They're able to do as many activities as they want and there are SO many to choose from. However, you can have plenty of fun there without the wristband. There is a smaller corn pit, animals to pet and feed, and other free activities to enjoy. There are also plenty of food trucks and spots to grab drinks which makes it ideal to spend a few hours there at least! In addition, they do have some apple trees to pick apples from if that's something you're looking for. It does get VERY busy so I'd recommend heading there pretty early. Looking forward to coming back for many years to come!

A visit in September at Fall Harvest Orchard is such a fun and welcoming place for families!…read moreThere's plenty of parking, which makes it super easy to visit even on busy weekends. It's a great place for kids -- tons of space to explore, cute animals, and plenty of fun activities to keep everyone happy. I especially love the variety of apples -- so fresh, crisp, and flavorful. You can tell everything is grown and handled with care. Whether you're there to pick apples, grab some cider, or just enjoy the fall atmosphere, it's a wonderful experience all around. A perfect fall tradition spot -- highly recommend!

I take a yearly trip to Mankato and pass by this place every time. Not this year. Since I want to…read morelive, I'm gonna start stopping here. It's all lined with pumpkins now. Inside is massive. Loaded with bags of apples of all types. I got the yellow and the very tart. The man at the counter thought I was very brave. There are jars of anything that can be jarred. I got beets, pickled carrots, sauerkraut, a couple of bottles of dressing, a very teeny honey. Being an apple orchard I picked up a couple of pieces of apple pie and streudel. Loved them. I picked up frozen apple cookies and then realized you have to do your own baking so I'm saving those. I spotted a large jar of a garden spaghetti sauce. I'm getting extra next time, it was delicious. I had to use the bathroom before the long drive home. Then I spot the preserves, which I restrained myself from. It's not too far from Renn Fest so I'd make the trip from there too. Loving an apple a day this fall.

Very friendly staff, great apples at a good price and very yummy kettle corn. Great place to stop…read morewith a family.

Who knew there was a hands on alpaca farm right in the Twins Cities. Owner has a farm with full…read moregrown and baby alpacas plus a small gift shop with alpaca wool merchandise for purchase. For $10 you can take Salomon and Talledega out for a leisurely stroll around the marked trail surrounding the farm. 80% of the trail is pretty shaded so nice during the summer time but still hot. Sometimes our alpacas just wanted to stop and stare at the lady alpacas from across the trail. It was a moment trying to get them focused on the exercise. Lastly, we purchased some alpaca wool mittens and socks which were so soft and comfy. Check their website for events or appointments to visit.

So much fun! Who doesn't like baby animals, cookies & cupcakes?! The alpacas were so cute! Cutest…read moredonkeys, baby goats, chickens, turkeys, rooster & kitties! Surprise gift shop & bakery! Beautiful selection of alpaca yarn!

We love Little Hill!…read more In the summer, it's such a great way to start a beautiful summer morning with picking fresh blueberries. Their operation is always very organized and the owners are so friendly. Their farm store is really nice as well because they bring in great stuff from other local farms and local makers so it's nice to get so much in one trip. Just last week, we got frozen berries, beef from a local farm, root veggies and popcorn from their neighboring farm, Little Hill syrups, and locally made tea blends. Way better than going to the grocery store! Thank you Little Hill, keep up the great work!

First time to Little Hill Berry Farm and it was a blast. The stay were so sweet and friendly as…read morewell as helpful. Aaron provided info on how to pick blueberries. The weather was amazing and it was not a bad drive from Minneapolis. Would definitely recommend and will go again!

Decent prices on grass fed and they have more organ meats available for those who are interested…read more Nice people. They have been easy for me to contact. I think they have set hours on Saturday or Sunday for meat purchases but so far I have just been calling and setting up a time.

I'm writing this review based on my own experience only. I…read morereally wanted to give Zweber Farm meat a try. We've been incorporating a lot more organic food in our house and since they are close, thought it should be great to support a small business. But I just can't seem to get anyone to get back to me. In spite of numerous phone calls, messages, and promises over the past few months, I haven't even been able to get eggs. So, sadly, I give up. Advice to this business would be to consider being open for will call during predictable advertised hours.