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!

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.

I went for an activity for my kids during summer. It was okay but I was expecting more. The…read moreadvertisement said they'd teach kids about pollination, but all it was were some puzzles and games in the grass. The kids chose to do an additional art activity for $5 each. All in all it was $30 for two kids and an hour of outside games. I like supporting small businesses and I love lavender, but the kid stuff is not really worth it in my opinion.

This is Nadine - and our group of ladies spent a beautiful evening at Lavendar Barnyard learning…read moreabout the art of growing this great plant in MN, learning how to care for the cuttings, shopping, and enjoying a summer evening with apps & wine. Lavender Barnyard is a unique treasure in Lakeville. Take time to enjoy the plants, the shop, and the farm!

I visited this farmers' market last Saturday on a friend's recommendation. It has all the…read moreingredients I love - it is small, perhaps 40 vendors at the most, mostly Hmong. The market is in a parking lot with plenty of left-over space for parking. It focuses exclusively on fresh vegetables, herbs and some flowers. The enormous variety of greens I found here left me dizzy. For the first time in the USA, I found red amaranth greens!! And then, jute greens - yes, they are delicious stir-fried with garlic. There were gorgeous squash blossoms as well as tender squash greens. There were several greens that were new for me and the vendors, many of them women, suggested how to cook them. I got a huge bouquet of zinnias for $5, and big fat bundles of basil, cilantro, dill, each for a dollar. The market also had more common produce like cucumber, green beans, zucchini, spring onions, new potatoes, etc. I am definitely driving across town to this farmers' market - can't wait for Saturday to arrive.

Not to be all sassy but I feel like this farmer's market is nothing compared to the Minneapolis…read moreFarmer's Market...it's pretty small and does not have as nice of a selection of fresh produce. Most of the vendors sell the exact same items for the same price so there's not really an advantage to walking around and browsing. The market itself is located in the parking lot of a strip mall so you can just assume anytime you go there on the weekends the lot is going to be a huge cluster. Prices range from $1-$10 for items and it really is limited to fruits, vegetables, and maybe some flowers depending on the season. If you are looking to spend a couple hours browsing for unique breeds of fresh produce, flowers, hot food vendors, or gourmet/artisan items...THIS MARKET IS NOT FOR YOU. If you happened to forget to pick up some carrots or lettuce from the grocery store in the strip mall as you are walking out to your car, this market might be a better fit. I would say if you don't live in the frog town area, it's just not worth the stress of University Avenue and pedestrian traffic for the trip out here.

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!

I'm from California and wanted to experience Minnesota in the fall. On our way back from seeing the…read moreleves change we found Fox Farm Market that completes our fall trip. This place is a great place to pick out that special pumpkin with your family. The gift shop is worth the visit. The shop smelled incredible with making you feel welcomed. I read that they had delightful jams so I pickup 2 jars along with pumpkin bread. Must see !!!

This place is simply amazing. October brings pumpkins, spooky ghosts, and the best gift shop…read moreanywhere. Dick suffered a stroke in Spring of 2018, but he works daily. Offers up warm cider and hands out pennies for gumballs! December brings snowmen, Santa and so many wintery decorations. We shop the gift shop for unique crafts and knick-knacks! Seek them you

It's become a lovely tradition coming to Knapton's in the fall! They have such a great variety,…read morefriendly staff, and always a really great harvest! Will come over the summer to get raspberries, but we always make it a point to come in the fall for apple picking. Apple picking is one of my ultimate favorite fall activities, we went this past weekend hoping for some Honeycrisp apples, but they weren't quite ready yet which ended up being a blessing in disguise because we picked a bag full of sweet tango instead. Honeycrisp has always been my go to, but I think my new favorite is sweet tango because I love their little size. Usually, I can't finish a whole Honeycrisp on my own, but I'll find myself eating two or three sweet tangos in a day! My husband and I are obsessed, and we may be coming back at least once if not twice before the season ends.

What a pleasure this place is the owner is always happy and helpful. I visit this place from the…read moretime it open until it closes every season. From berries to tomatoes to pumpkins this place does not disappoint!

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

Great place to visit for a family fun adventure. It's really easy to just walk in and start roaming…read morearound. There are wagons and some gravel road/trails that meander the property. If bringing a stroller, I'd suggest a jogging stroller or something with inflatable wheels. There are tons of pumpkins, all different sizes for carving. If you're looking for something more decorative, there are gourds galore! If you want something unique, they have all kinds of bumpy, lumpy textures pumpkins too. Of course there are apples, you can pick your own or grab a bag from the store. I've never had donuts but apparently they're good, I do know the caramel apples and caramel corn are delicious. For activities...take your pick between a small little zoo, I'd say more observation than petting. I saw pigs, bunnies, chickens and goats. There are a couple corn mazes but they aren't free, buy entry at the store cashier. They do have an area for a little bonfire some days and there are trails and a big pile of hay bales to climb around on. Pick your own apples is definitely an activity too! Nice little gem out there in Oronoco!

They do a great job!!! If you like apples, pumpkins, and a great atmosphere, this is the place to…read morego.

Wow! This is an impressive butcher shop! Sausage and meats galore. Over 100 different flavors of…read morebrats, etc?!! What a great selection and very much worth the drive. Friendly service and family owned staff give you all the intel and 412 you need.

This place is a 51 minute drive from my house in suburban Minneapolis and I chose to go there when…read moreit was snowing and the roads were slick. At some point it was like I was in the movie Fargo, a road in the middle of nowhere. But once I got there, they were friendly and efficient. They got me my half a hog quickly and stacked my boxes in my car. Couldn't have been easier. They had freezers and refrigerators full of other meats and cheeses, cheese trays for parties, one guy was getting smoked salmon that looked really good.