If you have not had a chance to visit Rusty Bucket Acres, you MUST put it on your Bucket list (pun…read moreintended. LOL). Whether you live in Stillwater, MN, or live in Seattle, Washington - a visit to RBA is a must. The moment you drive up to RBA, you know that you are in for an experience to remember. Lorna and Shelly greet you with big smiles, positive energy and true joy in sharing the amazing animal sanctuary they have worked hard to build, grow, and maintain. The animals are the true stars on this farm. Each one of them has a gift just waiting to be shared. Maybe it is a hug from Zeke (one of the mini donkeys), or for you to kick back and lay on Dave (the mini cow) or let Kenny (one of the goats) snuggle up against you - you will be loved. These animals can pick up on how you are feeling, and they offer the healing capabilities they have to offer. Pull up a mat in the pasture and just let yourself relax. I have had the honor of volunteering AND visiting the farm multiple times and every time is a new experience. I'm so thankful to live close enough to visit as often as I would like. Make sure RBA is on your list too! Tips for when you visit: 1. Dress for a visit to a farm with LIVE ANIMALS: Know you will be licked, rubbed up against, sat on and loved on by animals. You will get dirty, and it is fantastic! 2. Don't be afraid of the animals: These animals are worked with every day, and they know you are there to learn and love. Let yourself love on them - let them love on you. 3. Help keep the farm up and running: It is not mandatory to donate, but I strongly encourage to do so. Whether it is $10 or $100, every dollar is spent to keep this sanctuary available for others to experience. If you can't give money, they also love when people want to come and volunteer. 4. Most importantly - have fun! It is an experience you will always remember!

This farm has something for everyone! You can feed animals, sit on the Healing Hill and the animals…read morecome to you, sit by you, snuggle with you and you will automatically feel the stress leave your body. They will be offering a calendar of classes (which will include a visit with the animals) where you will be using items from the farm to make works of art! They are open to the public (must reserve a spot), will take donations to keep the farm running, and will do private events. They keep adding wonderful new animals (alpacas, sheep, goats, ducks, chickens, a pig, a horse and the donkeys - I've probably forgotten some.) If you are in need of some respite and relaxation, you must try Rusty Bucket Acres - and bring the FAMILY!

Such a fun place to go in the summer with family and friends! The pizza is really good. We had the…read moreField of Dreams which was a weekly feature with sweet corn from Iowa that was delicious. We also had the pizza fries which was basically garlic bread but really good. The pizza was large and we had lots of leftovers. So much fun interacting with the animals too!

It had been a few years since we visited but had the perfect opportunity (and weather) on a recent…read moreweekend. We visited a Saturday when they open at 4 and got there just a few minutes before they opened. There were a few other parties and the parking slowly started to fill over the first hour or so. Apparently the wait for pizza can get up to two hours so arrive early and make a day/evening of it. It's a farm so expect rustic. After driving down a dirt road and parking in a field you make your way to the barn to order. Other items to note are porta potties, farm animals and trails. They are a clean farm so you bring in everything (drinks, sides, plates, napkins) and take everything out...including the pizza boxes that they serve your pizza in. All the info says to bring your own chairs/tables as well. They do have plastic tables and lots of folding chairs that must be for events because they don't set them up. We forgot our chairs so opted for one of the two picnic tables that says they are available for parties of 8 or less but felt like we got some side eye and then we we're actually called out on it by the owner to other customers which was sort of odd. So definitely bring your chairs/tables/blankets. Onto pizza...it's delicious. We've now tried the Lola, mn mess and pig and pork and all are amazing. This pizza is delicious and the experience is just unique enough to make it worth the drive. Pizza: 5/5 Setting: 5/5 Service/hospitality: 3/5

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.

Such a clean, outdoor space to explore with my little kids. Friendly staff and some indoor exhibits…read moreabout farming today. The self-guided walking tour mobile app that auto-plays information kept my kids' attention along the one-mile path. They loved exploring the unique outdoor historic farm buildings, one-room schoolhouse, and visiting the farm animals. Did I mention there's a corn maze all summer and fall? We'll be back!

From the owner: At Farmamerica, we offer engaging, outdoor, hands-on experiences like field trips, farm day camps,…read moreeducational exhibits, historic farm site tours, and special events like goat yoga and Meat-a-palooza. We strive to help people of all ages explore, discover, and connect with the evolving story of agriculture and its impact on their lives.

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!

We had a great time getting to walk alpacas with Miss Laurie! She was a great teacher in the…read moredifference between llamas and alpacas. We learned a lot and got to hug both animals! They are very well taken care of and loved. Sweet family farm that's been there for 2 generations. Quick drive out from the cities and definitely worth it!

"NO PETS SMOKING FOOD BEYOND THIS POINT"…read more I muddled over the significance of this sign as we entered Tweite's Pumpkin Patch. It's a place designed for kids. There is a little play town (2 stories) where kids run from room to room and up and down. There also is an escape tube to a deck in back of this building which has a slide. If you are one of those hovering parents, your life just got more difficult. Slides ... this place has 'em. From the 2 story black tube wonders to the 3 ft variety integrated into a "tractor". Be ready to play the contortionist as you climb up with your child to slide down the big tube. Nonetheless, we had a great time sliding. There are tires to climb on. Tubes and drums to bang on. There's a tractor ride with wagons. A stage with a kids show. A mini golf course ($3) A pumpkin patch where you can pick your own. There is also a corn maze which may be done independently from the rest of the patch($7). We had a great time. A helpful staff member Isaac walked our pumpkins out to the car. Hmm, that sign must have worked. We never saw a single pet smoking food in the whole place.

I took 4 kids to Tweite's on an MEA day. It was fairly crowded but not terribly so. The kid's…read moreages ranged from 10-12. There were lots of things to do...nothing super exciting. But still a place to get some fresh air and exercise. I would think it would be more fun to kids under 10. We have been to something in Texas that was similar that was much more fun. Before we went, I checked their website and saw they had a whole food court with lots of different options. Perfect! I planned our outing to include lunch in the middle for a break. However, when we arrived and paid (way too much for what you get) two of the 4 kids were starving. So I sent the other two off to explore while I headed towards the food court. It was closed. The only food offerings was a "snack shack" with a bit of a line, but not too bad. So we got in line. The only lunch offerings were hot dogs and nachos. Ok...fine. 35 minutes. That line took 35 minutes to get 2 hot dogs and nachos. It was just absurd. The hot dogs were taking the longest because a young woman was (without gloves on) having to pick up each hot dog and inserting a thermometer in. Then putting it back and picking up another one and doing it again...over and over until she found one hot enough. All while the other food is cooling off. What were they thinking? Then...you have to go into a different line to get drinks, chips and to pay. *Sigh* 45 minutes later me and the kids sit down to put some food in our bellies. The nachos...chili and cheese were inedible. I had a couple because I was just that hungry. But I have never had anything quite as disgusting. But the kids were ok with their hot dogs and chips. We headed off to see if we could find the other 2 kids. We thought the tractor-wagon ride was the best option. I think this is a good idea. It has 3 stops around the farm to cut down on walking. We were waiting for about 20 minutes by the chickens. Suddenly everyone there started getting eaten alive by some tiny bugs. Everyone was doing the bug dance. The worker there was completely disinterested. I even told her. One of the kids with me was getting big welts, but all three of us have them today. I have like 20. So we found the older two kids coming out of the corn maze. They said it "sucked" and wasn't fun so they just cut through. They have both liked them in the past so I think the lack of a map and the poor state of the corn stocks made it more frustrating then fun. But at that point these kids started talking about being STARVING. I was hearing people talking about how it was taking even longer to get food (one lady said she gave up after an hour) and sure enough, the line was longer and people looked more upset. At that point we decided to leave and get a real lunch and go to Oxbow (where we actually had a good time). The way Tweite's handled this was inexcusable. If they knew they would get a crowd (Of course on MEA days they would, they even opened for it specifically), they should have either been prepared to feed them, or put out a sign outside the drive in saying food offerings were limited and suspended their food policy about bringing your own in. I would have ran and grabbed lunch for the kids and we would have then come back and enjoyed the slightly enjoyable farm.