I love farms; I love them so much that after attending SUNY Geneseo for four years, I was convinced that I would marry a farmer and live up there forever. However, when I told my sister about my plans, she burst into tears and begged me to move back home.
So instead, now I just visit farms, and pretend to be a farmer in my cute little vegetable garden at home. Yet, I often find myself missing the heady scent of freshly fertilized alfalfa crops.
Lucky for me, my dear friend, Britney, works on the Suffolk County Farm & Education Center in Yaphank, NY, and she threw a birthday party there for her beautiful daughter, Lily, a few weekends ago. My family and I had never been out to her farm, so we were very excited!
The farm is a working farm, so there was plenty to see on our tractor-drawn wagon ride. Our kids were so excited to see and feed so many of the animals. Even better, they got to see Britney drive us around in a tractor!
I would definitely recommend taking a ride out to the Suffolk County Farm & Education Center. There are tons of friendly, well-kept animals to enjoy – baby chicks, cows, pigs, goats, donkeys – and the Nature Explore Classroom area is just lovely. It's a wide, open stretch of play area for the kids to run around in!
FYI – If you're looking for something to do this weekend, don't miss out on PumpkinFest! It's being held October 2nd and 3rd, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm. Or, if you're looking for something a bit more unique, try their annual Pumpkin Fling, Long Island's annual championship pumpkin catapult contest. This year's Pumpkin Fling will be held on October 30th with the first fling starting at 10am.
Here's what else you need to know:
Pros: incredibly clean; lots of animals to enjoy; wide, open picnic area; pleasant staff
Cons: Brit won't let you drive the tractor; you can't take the baby animals home
What to bring: food & beverages; good walking shoes; your camera
Admission: Open to the public from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Admission is FREE, but you must sign in at
the Visitor's Center prior to visiting the farm.
Location: 350 Yaphank Avenue, Yaphank, NY 11980, 631-852-4600
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