THINGS TO KNOW: -Heartland Farms is a neat little farm area…read morethat's about a five-minute drive outside of Waterloo. All roads are paved to get there. -During May, they sell asparagus. During June, you have strawberries. Produce is sold in Mid-Summer, and it turns into a pumpkin/family fun destination in October. -Heartland Farms is also the location of the Heart of Darkness haunted house attraction during October. -They accept cash, credit, debit, and Snap-EBT. This particular review is reviewing visiting Heartland Farms in the middle of October for their Pumpkins/Halloween event. PROS: -Open during weekdays! The other pumpkin farm in the area (in Waverly) is not! -Lots of stuff to do! Most of this is mostly family-oriented, explore-it-yourself type of activities. Kids will especially love it, but it's cute for adults as well. We didn't do any of the activities, but they have a giant jumping pillow, tons of set-up areas for cute posed family and kid photos, a giant pumpkin cannon, lots of farm animals. They also have hayrides as well as a walk-at-your-own-pace "haunted cornfield" with still "scary" scenes for kids. Lots of pumpkins, gourds, and other fall plants decorating everywhere too. -You can just go there to purchase pumpkins without paying the entrance fee. You won't be able to enjoy any of the attractions if you do that, though. You'll just be able to buy pumpkins. -You can check the event calendar which is publically posted on their website to avoid coming when a school or other large group is scheduled to be at the farm. CONS: -Definitely mostly set-up for families. There aren't a whole lot to do with just adults. I mean, you can definitely explore the pumpkins or enjoy the animals, but a lot of the events (jumping pillow, pumpkin cannon, and more) are designed especially for family and children enjoyment. -Didn't see a place to pick your own pumpkins straight from the field. Look like they come pre-picked for you. -Farm is a lot smaller than other farms I've seen. I'm certainly not complaining (since I didn't have to fight for parking or anything else), but it definitely has a smaller, cuter feel to it.

Hired a some teens to pick strawberries. Didn't communicate well with employees kept putting off…read morethe start date. Told teens to come get paychecks some did but they couldn't find anyone to get checks from. I have all of the screen shots. Communicate with your employees!!!! Pay them!!!

I have not been to the cattle congress in years! Probably 13-14 years. We took our 6 year old son…read morebecause he wanted to go to the fair. I'm really glad we did. The annual fair boasts lots of fair food. Fair favorites like cheese curds, mini donuts, corn dogs and fresh squeezed lemonade. And local offerings from local restaurants like Starbecks Smokehouse. There was a midway that had more rides than I thought they would. Rides for kids and adults. There was shows like dirt bike racing, rodeos and some girl escaping from a straight jacket while hanging upside down. They gave the cattle and animals and a building full of shopping vendors. You can also visit the petting zoo (which is available when the fair isn't going too). Admission is $11 per adult and $7 for kids, 6 and under free. It was a fun way to spend an evening. I would go again.

My husband and I have been attending the National Dairy Cattle Congress since we were about 10…read moreyears old, so we have many wonderful memories of Kids Day, the rides, vendors, entertainment, and all the things that once made it such a special event. This year we took our grandson and were disappointed by how much it has changed. Estel Hall had far fewer unique vendors and homemade items, there seemed to be much less for children to do, and overall the event just did not have the same excitement or variety it once had. The Cattle Congress has been a Waterloo tradition for 116 years, and I truly hope it continues. I would just love to see more effort put into advertising, entertainment, vendors, and activities so future generations can enjoy it the way we did.

One of the first farms I visited, as a "sight-seer" and the FIRST farm I took my son to. Even as a…read morenew mom, all kinds of thoughts floating around in your head, consuming your attention, I was still able to relax and enjoy the setting - The goats were probably most interesting and active The different activity areas were cool and unexpected; swings, climbing apparatuses, "lounging"/seating areas, inflatable jumper, etc Definitely enough to keep children entertained & occupied. We could've stayed even longer, but I came unprepared for the blowout my baby had... Plenty of easy parking

We had a blast here this Saturday as a family. My son loved the derecho slide and the corn palace…read more He was enamored with making bubbles so much he didn't want to leave. I enjoyed picking flowers and looking at the butterflies. The wine slushies were delicious and refreshing after picking the wildflowers/sunflowers. Ended with fries, wine and live music to wrap up the night. Beautiful farm to come enjoy the summer in. Highly recommend!

Wow, great family fun. Not to rural but close enough to spend a whole day in the pumpkins.read more

From the owner: We are a family-owned pumpkin patch focused on an affordable family experience. No admission or…read moreparking fees. Pumpkins, gourds, hayrides, a small corn maze, and pony rides for a fee. Check out our Facebook page or website for more information. Lots of photo opportunities! Open for the Season Saturday, September 13, 2025!

Just cannot say enough good things about the Center Grove Orchard. If you go to their website at…read morecentergroveorchard.com you'll see that there is MUCH more than a store on site. All sorts of activities for families, including a corn maze, Jumping Pillows, Pedal Carts, Super Slides, Goat Walk, and unlimited CGO Express Train rides. (Sorry ... I copied that from their website.) But, now I wanna talk about what's offered in the store. APPLES. And more apples. Pies, jams, salsa (best I've had in the area), dressings, dips, they have it all. The website claims 11 venues around the farm to enjoy. I haven't found all of them. But, inside the store they have the best dang coffee around, and awesome pies (with ice cream of course if you're interested.) Oh yeah, take home a couple frozen chicken pot pies. THE BEST Yep, you knew this was coming. If you follow me, you know I check out the restroom at places we visit, since I feel the condition of these facilities are as important as the food. On this busy afternoon, after what I'm sure were many men and young men in and out of the men's room, I can report the restroom was tidy with just a few areas of water dripped on the floor. Good job Center Grove! So, make the journey, you'll be glad you did.

Center Grove Orchard was such a fun place to be this past fall, and in years past. There is so much…read moreto do, you really can make a full day visit. Lost of farm animals to check out, tons of kids activities, a huge pumpkin patch, an apple grove where you can pick your own apples, a train to ride, a corn maze, and a market where there are farm made jams, jellies, peanut butter, honey, baked goods and more. There were also signs up saying there will be strawberry picking in the summer, and they also have fields of flowers in the appropriate seasons. They are striving to make their farm a year-round destination.

My family and I visited Blacks Heritage Farm and had a wonderful experience. Staff was very…read morefriendly and showed us where everything was . We enjoyed seeing all the animals and picking pumpkins. 10 out of 10 would recommend!

My wife, son and I went together and had a horrible experience. The employees barely paid attention…read moreto the children that were running amok. My son slipped on a busted pumpkin on the ground, breaking his arm. When the owner came out, she was very disrespectful and told us if we came after her for it, she would win because she has lawyers for situations such as this. Steer clear of this place. Not only is it a dangerous environment, but she clearly has no regard for the customers that visit the farm.