Have you heard of the delicious trend called the pizza farm? If your family likes pizza and enjoys dining outdoors this is definitely something you will want to add to your summer bucket list. You don’t have to travel the world to have an experience involving pizza. We offer this family fun guide to the best pizza farms and fun things to do in the area, so you can make it a fun family road trip.
We have rounded up a handful of pizza farms in Minnesota and western Wisconsin, most of which are an hour or less drive from the Twin Cities. Think brick oven pizza picnic style in picturesque surroundings. Since these venues are located on actual family farms of a decent size, it makes sense that you’ll have to leave the metro area to find them. But the journey is half the fun, right? We recommend combining your trip to the pizza farm with a family outing along the route – and have provided suggestions where we feel confident.
Tips for visiting a pizza farm with kids:
Our take on the pizza farm is that it is more prep work than organizing a typical family picnic, but if you pack right, can be a novel summer outing. Keep these tips in mind when planning your trip to the pizza farm:
- You may need to bring your own furnishings. Be that a blanket, chairs, card table, etc. We’ve seen all kinds of setups. Pick the one that will be most comfortable for your family, but remember that you’ll have to haul these items from the parking lot & back.
- You’ll also likely need to supply side dishes, your own beverages of choice, and all other picnicking utensils including plates, napkins, cups and a garbage receptacle.
- Most pizza farms ask that you bring no animals. Often, they have their own that you can enjoy.
- These are often working farms. Proper supervision of small kids is necessary.
- Your (younger) kids are probably going to get filthy. Also, the bathroom facilities don’t usually vary from the portable type.
- We recommend checking the venue’s website or Facebook page before heading out on your adventure. Many pizza farms ask for reservations or have irregular hours. You don’t want to be disappointed, particularly as these farms can involve a drive from the middle of the Minneapolis-St Paul metro.
Minnesota Pizza Farms
Two Pony Gardens
1700 Deerhill Rd, Long Lake, MN 55356
Tasty details: Just 20 minutes outside the Twin Cites, Two Pony pizza nights are a fun way to see farm animals and learn how pizza ingredients are farmed and made. Normally the pizza farm events are prescheduled with seasonal entertainment and two types of pizza with fresh ingredients from Two Pony’s gardens. A complete experience to enjoy good food, nature and amusement. Reservations include 1-3 vehicles (depending on reservation), 2 hours of seating (picnic tables or blanket space depending on reservation) and the opportunity to purchase pizzas. Pizza nights often sell out and Two Pony Gardens recommends getting on their email list so you can reserve a spot as soon as reservations are available. Find 2023 Details and an email sign up here.
More family fun: Got a little (or big) train lover in the family? On your way out to the pizza farm via Hwy 12, cruise just a stone’s throw from the HISTORIC WAYZATA TRAIN DEPOT. Everyone will love the hands-on exhibits inside and the sweet model train layout outdoors. Open weekends & Wednesdays from 12-4pm with free admission.
Red Barn Farm
10063 110th St. East, Northfield, MN 55057
Tasty details: A 45-minute drive from the Twin Cities, Red Barn Farm Pizza farm often has live bands booked for pizza nights. Ingredients are sourced from the farm gardens, and the crusts are handmade and vegan friendly. The farm is open–by reservation–on Wednesdays and Third Sundays May-October (hours vary, but in June-August come between 4 pm and 7:30 pm). Cash and check accepted. 2023 Prices: 16 inch pizzas are $23.28-$27.94 and the gluten-free crust, 12″ pizza is $18.63.
More family fun: Combine a trip to the pizza farm with a sweet stop nearby at LORENCE’S BERRY FARM (pick-your-own June strawberries are their specialty) or LITTLE HILL BERRY FARM (blueberries in July & August). Work up an appetite for the pizza farm before you arrive at NERSTRAND BIG WOODS STATE PARK – just 10 minutes south. We’ve included this park on our list of Twin Cities Waterfalls to See with Kids.
Find more of the best Twin Cities-area strawberry farms to pick your own berries.
Pleasant Grove Pizza Farm
41142 160th St, Waseca, MN 56093
Tasty details: With multiple menu items including creative pizzas and a special dessert, Pleasant Grove is open May – October: Fri 4-8p; Saturday 4-8p; Sundays 1–7pm. In June through August, they also offer Thursday night pizzas. This farm is a little over an hour from the Twin Cities. Make a night of it, and make sure to check the website’s event section to see what band might be playing when you come for your pizza picnic! Your kids will love the resident farm animals, lawn games & nature trails. Costs range from $22-$27/pizza.
More Outdoor Dining Ideas: 10 Spots for Outdoor Summer Dining with Kids in the Twin Cities.
Alpha and Omega Farm
6714 Alpha Road, Princeton, MN 55371
Tasty details: About an hour from the Twin Cities, Alpha and Omega is a zero waste farm so you will need to pack in/pack out all of your pizza-eating needs. (ie: plates, silverware, napkins, games/cards, bug spray, table cloth, trash bags.) However, it may be possible to purchase a “Pizza Farm Kit” if you forget these things. Snacks and other outside food are allowed as long as you are purchasing pizza. Pizza nights are Thursdays, May through September and each Saturday in October for their fall festival. Reserve a crust for $10 and then order your toppings from the menu at the event. My stomach starts to growl just thinking about the pizza we gobbled down there this autumn. Full pizza prices are about $20-$23.
More family fun: This is a family-friendly working farm. Kids will enjoy the farm animals and adults may get to enjoy some live music.
Squash Blossom Farm
7499 60th Ave NW, Oronoco, MN 55960
Tasty details: A bit of a hike from the Twin Cities (about an hour and half drive), wood-fired pizza nights are offered on Sundays during the summer months from 4-6pm and often include live music. Reservations are strongly encouraged since these nights tend to sell out. $25 gets you one pizza and the entertainment of the night.
More family fun: Plan a Sunday pizza night after a weekend in Rochester.
Wisconsin Pizza Farms
Sawmill Pizza and Brew Shed
805 30th Ave, Clear Lake, WI 54005
Tasty Details: Just over an hour from the Twin Cities, Sawmill Pizza is under new ownership in 2023. Wood-fired pizza baked in the sawmill and brews from the brew shed are specialty here. Offered Sundays, noon-7:00 pm. Pizzas are $24. There’s occasional entertainment to add to the fun. Cash only. Opens Memorial Day Weekend and through September.
Suncrest Gardens Farm
S2257 Yaeger Valley Rd, Cochrane, WI 54622
Tasty Details: This farm is over 2 hours from the Twin Cities, near Winona MN. Wood-fired pizza is offered Friday nights (4pm-8pm) & Saturdays (3pm-8pm), May-September. Live music begins Memorial Day weekend. No reservations needed and credit cards accepted. Bring your own lawn chairs/blankets, etc.
More family fun: If arriving via Minnesota 61 from the Twin Cities, the drive passes through the charming bluff country towns of KELLOGG & WABASHA. Try those links for outing ideas or check out our take on:
- NATIONAL EAGLE CENTER, Wabasha
- LARK TOYS, Kellogg
The Stone Barn
S685 County Road KK, Nelson, WI 54756
Tasty Details: Another pizza farm near Wabasha, it is actually less a farm and more a boutique, you can enjoy pizza on the weekends. Fridays- 5 pm-9 pm, Saturdays 4 pm-9 pm Sundays, 12 pm-8 pm. Pizza in the barn is locally sourced from neighboring farms and from their property. Ice cream and beverages are also available to purchase. Dinnerware, drinks, and seating–indoor and outdoor–is all provided plus there are lawn games to entertain. No reservations are taken, only first come, first serve. Costs range from $20-$30/pizza. Credit is accepted.
If you want to start a new tradition with your family or just try it out, pizza farms may be the adventure you are looking for.
DIY Outdoor Pizza Night
My kids start asking for outdoor dining beginning in April, and they keep asking into November. It is nice to have a variety of menus. Use our recipe for Homemade White Whole Wheat Pizza Dough and cook it on the grill and eat at your picnic table. Then grab your favorite toppings — mozzarella cheese, goat cheese, onions, tomato sauce, garlic, peppers, tomatoes and basil, etc.  Make it a special night, bring your projector outside, throw up a sheet on the clothes line and have a DIY outdoor movie and pizza night.
This article was originally written in 2017 and is updated annually.
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