Why oh why did I wait until I was on my fourth preschooler to visit GALE WOODS FARM? The distance from my home, out past Lake Minnetonka all the way to Minnetrista may have had something to do with it. Let me assure all those who don’t reside in the western suburbs: it was worth every mile to see my 3-year-old delight in exploring the working farm.
First stop, the animals. Springtime on the farm means babies, babies, babies. Erin was able to climb right into the chicken coop and the lamb pen to get up close to the fuzzy offspring. There’s also a mock cow to try your hand at “milking”.
There’s plenty to do at Gale Woods besides the animals: In the kitchen, Erin loved grinding corn and mixing farm fresh ingredients for cornbread (and she enjoyed sampling the cornbread even more, drizzled with maple syrup harvested right from the farm). We also hiked out to the syrup shack to watch the spring’s sap being boiled onsite.
In the greenhouse, Erin helped scoop soil and prepare it for spring planting. There were also opportunities to craft with felted wool from the resident sheep and a chill-out room filled with books, coloring sheets, and small farm toys.
Whether it feels like it outside or not (and we all know in Minnesota it can change on any given April day), spring has arrived at Gale Woods Farm.
Gale Woods Farm
7210 County Road 110 W
Minnetrista, MN 55364
Hours: The barn is open only for scheduled events such as Spring Into Farming and Saturday Mornings on the Farm (typically ongoing through spring and summer). Please note that the activities available on your visit may vary. The visitor center is open Monday–Saturday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM, Sunday, 12:00–5:00 PM.
Find more Minnesota farm babies outings here.
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