Jasmine and Andrew are dog lovers and it shows! I had my little terrier Sammy board with them for a…read morefew days. They took time to get to know my anxious little dog and took good care of him. They sent me updates and photos each day I was gone. Sammy had a blast and met alpacas for the first time

I'd just lost a family member and my boyfriend brought me here a few days after. It was such a…read morewonderful experience interacting with the animals and I even got to hold a baby bunny. This farm even had trampolines and a swing set which brought out my inner child. I loved how we could really take our time and just hang out. The owner was so kind and you can tell they truly love the animals and treat them well. Thank you so much for healing a little piece of my soul!

DIG DEEP FARM PUMPKIN PATCH REVIEW: This review is for the pumpkin patch at the harvest festival…read morepresented by Dig Deep Farms. This pumpkin patch is perfect for families with young ones. Besides pumpkins, there's a crafts table with stickers and coloring, a "corn maze", haystacks for climbing, old tractors, and a tented area for sitting. The corn maze is made of tall sunflowers which the little ones can see through so they never feel like they are lost. There's also a little hay house that's like a single room, that they walk in and exit a few feet away. It's a toddler's version of a haunted house. So cute. The pumpkin patch is only there for a few weeks before Halloween, and we make it a point to visit it every year.

This review is for their Halloween pumpkin patch…read more Short Story: A great place to take your kids to for Halloween! The patch area is quite sizable with lots of pumpkins of all sizes that you can choose to buy, a very short corn maze, lots of areas to take pictures, etc. The prices are quite seasonable with $5 for adults, $3K for kids, and under 2 is free (no ID checks). Verdict: I'm definitely going back!

Our favorite pumpkin patch and corn maze! I've come here for many years and have enjoyed the…read morevarious activities this farm has to offer. It gets crowded on the weekends so be prepared for lines. When you arrive there is a ticket booth near the parking lot to get ride tickets but if you walk further into the venue there are other ticket booths with much shorter lines. We took our 1 1/2 year old son on the cow train and he loved it. The corn maze is super fun and nice they have trivia questions along the route so you can answer questions to see which way to go.

What an extremely fun spot to plan an afternoon or make a pit-stop from a weekend back to the East…read moreBay. This was our first trip to G&M Farms in Livermore and it was incredibly special and actually quite the fun surprise off the freeway. As we were coming home from a night away, we wanted to stop and have a moment with our little amongst the pumpkins and support an East Bay pumpkin patch. As we were about to pass Livermore, we saw signage and oodles of fun happening for G&M Farms so we pulled off. There is so much to do here! You can grab a red Radio Flyer wagon and truly go hunting for the perfect pumpkin within the patch itself, or if you're on the hunt for more smaller pumpkins/gourds there is a whole gift shop/farm store that is so incredibly cute for basically every pumpkin vibe you can imagine. Plenty of spots to stop and take pictures with friends or family. There's a corn maze, drinks/snacks like mini donuts, popcorn, and corn dogs, and speaking of corn..oh-em-gee! Truly wanted to share a review for this reason alone. Looking for a sensory activity for your little? There is not a sandbox, but a giant CORN box for play. The adults also tried it (essentially we just put our feet in and it felt surprisingly really nice. Something unexpected and truly unique, fun, and interactive. We also noticed a few other activities on the pumpkin patch side like a tractor/train ride and I'm not sure if there was a petting zoo? Regardless, worth a trip if you haven't made your pumpkin haul yet. Plenty of room for strollers and very spread out. Can't wait to make the corn box an annual tradition. Looking forward to truly enjoying the patch next year with more time. Thank you G&M Farms for the memories! Still finding little corn kernels ;)

We did the $90 tour where you spend two hours learning about the farm, learning about the goats…read more Part of the experience was learning how to milk the goats! Then we got to see where the cheese is made and even personalize a goat cheese of our own. This was a really unique and interesting experience. I will have to come back in the spring when they have baby goats. The little shop is cute and sells their goat cheese and other products. With doing the tour, we got a 10% discount on the additional cheese we bought.

- I recommend the Farmstead cheese tour: $58. You see the entire farm and operation, and you get to…read moremilk a goat. It's great. - Mingling with the goats is very relaxing. It's worth the trip. - Starting around February/March you can see the baby goats; they are bigger in the summer. - Their goat cheese products have less of a gamey goat flavor; it's more of a clean tangy flavor from the salty ocean breeze. - Afterward, I recommend stopping at Arcangeli Grocery in town to pick up some of their bread. - Sante Arcangeli winery has wine tasting in the second floor hay loft. For the products in the shop, there is no info on the website, so here's the inventory: Strawberry Jam: $18 for 8 oz. Pescadero strawberries, lemon juice, sugar Olallieberry Jam: $18 for 8 oz. Pescadero ollalieberries, lemon juice, sguar Olallieberry Vinaigrette, 250ml, $26 Olallieberry nectar 250ml, $26 Olallieberry Vinegar, 375ml: Olallieberry juice and rice vinegar. $32 Chocolate pot $12. Looks like a pot-de-creme Milk pot $12. Looks like a pot-de-creme Lavender Lemonade $12 Goat cheese honey lavender 8 oz: $26 Goat cheese small rounds: $16 Goat cheese large rounds: $26 Goat cheese: small Classic french log, herbes de provence, chive, dill, or pepper: $14 Fromage blanc plain 5.5 oz: $16 Garlic herb fromage blanc 5.5 oz: $16 Tomato basil fromage blanc 5.5 oz: $16 Harissa $18 1/2 rounds ricotta $20 Chevre-in-oil jars: $26 Honey from the local hives: small $14, med $20, large $40 Estate olive oil: small $45 med $55, large $80 Quail eggs: $12 for a dozen Farm fresh eggs: $14/dozen 2 year aged feta They also sell products from other producers: McEvoy Ranch Mission Fig balsamic Vinegar 8.5 ounces $25 McEvoy Ranch Sweet & Spicy Mustard $18 McEvoy Ranch Classic Italian Bruschetta mix $18 McEvoy Ranch Artichoke & almond Tapenade $18 McEvoy Ranch Artichoke & lemon bruschetta mix $18 McEvoy Ranch Artichoke & Parmesan Pomodoro sauce McEvoy Ranch pitted olives Salt Air Cellars Meyer Lemon red wine vinegar, 8.5 oz $18 Salt Air Cellars Rosemary red wine vinegar, 8.5 oz $18 Salt Air Cellars seasoned salt: Coastal heat, coastal house, Meyer lemon rosemary $18

Walt from Walt's Adventures adventuring at the Menagerie Hill Ranch in Vacaville, California…read more Life can be interpreted as more fulfilling when filled with adventures. It is wise to step outside your environment and, in the case of this current venture, go visit an Alpaca farm. The Menagerie Hill ranch has beautiful animals. The host was awesome and knowledgeable. We increased our knowledge of the animals and of the farm but also got to feed them. We also had the opportunities to get close and personal with them for pictures. They were all friendly and fluffy. I recommend this unique experience for all because if you do not just break your usual pattern to stop and smell the roses or to pet and feed an Alpaca, life will pass by before you know it. Put your life on pause just for a few hours and go see the Alpacas. They would like to share peace with you. You can find them at the Menagerie Hill Ranch

This was a memorable trip. We were originally slated to visit in late June before my birthday but…read moreboth Deb and Kirk were recovering from surgery. We stayed in touch over the next several weeks before settling on an August date. We braved the high temps and winding roads to arrive at the ranch. It's a beautiful space on a hillside and you can see the herd and their guardian llama as you pull into the parking lot. We learned a lot about the alpaca life cycle, fed the boys, and my daughter got to hold and carry a cria. We bought two cute alpaca shaped soaps. I didn't experience any of the negativity others have complained about. It is a working ranch so it's not a petting zoo or a tourist attraction. Go with the flow and you'll have a great experience.

Bryerly Review. I…read morekeep pinching myself in order to believe that we have these majestic animals so close to home. When my husband & I went for our first meditation session we were warmly received by Anne and introduced to a few of the horses after which we watched the sun at this charming ranch. I love coming here and can't wait to spend more with these healing animals.

Today was my daughter's last day before starting Kindergarten and I wanted to take her to real farm…read morewhere she can see some chickens and maybe pick some vegetables. We arrived at Bryerly Farms and it was nothing like we expected (not a farm in the traditional sense) BUT it more than made up for it in hospitality and the majestic horses we got to meet - most of which were wild rescue horses. Anne was so warm, very patient with my daughter and her one thousand questions about farm life and she introduced us to all the beautiful horses and ponies by name! On our way home, my daughter kept saying their names and how she wants to take riding lessons with one of the ponies. We're looking forward to going back soon , as we've been invited for an Autumn party and to pick prickly pears :)

Amazing staff and amazing produce. It's so good to eat fresh. Prices are similar to grocery store…read morefruits and veggies but the quality is 100x better. Highly recommend this place and I am so glad I am 10 minutes away from it!

Wecame to the tomato fest yeserday at Smith Farms and it was, as always, outstanding in every…read moresingle way. So many more people this year and longer lines but . .we had plenty to eat and we stayed 2 hours. everything is done so perfectly . .the grounds, the flowers, the decorations must have taken days to do with the pumpkins and "people" dressed up in old clothes. The porta potties were clean and even a place to wash hands etc. We had a wonderful time . . Hats off to the Smith Farm crew! You earned a good rest!

The goats have moved on to greener pastures and I'm ecstatic with the results! There is not a…read moresingle square inch of green less than 6 feet off the ground anywhere. We thought this would take a week but it took 3 days - those goats take their work seriously. The good: -Billie and the goats and dogs (and emu) are all delightful. Billie was extremely accommodating and hard working. The goats and dogs are absolute sweethearts and all come running when they see you for pets. -Poison oak is now extinct on my property. -The ground is fertilized and there is nothing to clean up other than sticks. The bad: -Noise. The "baaa"-ing was one thing, but the guard dogs were pretty brutal through the night. We had some coyotes hanging around so there was lots of barking. So that's it, thanks for following. I'm really happy to finally be able to present this and I'm actively brainstorming on how we can get a goat co-op going in our neighborhood.

Lost Emu Farms run by Billie was one of the best decisions we had made. She came out to the…read moreproperty promptly on time to meet with us for an estimate. Her assessment was spot on and we decided to go with her services. She was kind, compassionate, extremely thorough and just plain fun to be around. The result of her services left our property so much safer and useable. We are so grateful for Billie and will have to have her back sooner than later! Thank you again!!! To anyone in the market for her services, we have recommended her to all of our close friends, if appropriate for your needs, you will be beyond satisfied! Best value ever!!!

This CSA box is the best value you could find anywhere. Soooo many fruits and veggies for a great…read moreprice. I'd love to be able to purchase a whole year at a time, especially because I know that that would be a help to their operation. The farm is so much fun and so beautiful. I love when CSA members are invited to pick fruits, veggies, and flowers. They also have a place for kids to play! My only gripe is that when I have tried to get in touch by email I have only received a response about 30% of the time.

I gave the Greenhearts CSA a try and overall, it was solid. They gave me a box of strawberries as a…read morewelcome gift plus another in that week's produce box. Also included blueberries, 2 green peppers, an onion, celery, snap peas, mini romaine lettuce (little gem), romanesco, spinach, and Nantes carrots. Their CSA model is a bit different than others I've tried. Rather than giving you everything from their farm, they source from different local farms. They also deliver which is probably why the price is a bit higher ($44 I think). And the produce seems to be a bit more polished. I mean the carrots and spinach still had dirt, the produce seemed fresh, it clearly still came from a farm. But it was like a smaller cut bunch of spinach tied together, not a huge more wild bunch mostly left alone. Strawberries and blueberries were in plastic boxes. I think the produce visually looked better (and the strawberries were noticeably more fragrant) than other CSA boxes which makes sense. These farms are producing them for Greenhearts which is essentially a distributor or buyer or something so aesthetics playing a bigger role than a farm selling you whatever they have directly makes sense. The produce was all good. But it kind of felt like stuff I could just get from a farmers market or something. The exceptions were maybe the romanesco - very beautiful - and carrots - I don't see the Nantes variety that often in stores and the roasted carrot dish I made was truly exceptional and the sweet carrots were the star. For me, I think I prefer the single farm model more and I don't mind picking up my produce. Given the coordination they have to do and the delivery aspect, I do think the price is probably fair though the quantities are generally pretty moderate. There's also fewer add on options than other CSA models if you care about that. Overall it was a solid box but I did wish there was more of a few items and you do pay a premium for the delivery and the visually nice produce.

I have a certain love for farms, and whenever the opportunity comes along to visit a local farm I…read moretry my best to take on that opportunity. I had the honor of visiting with Kristyn Leach and the Namu Gaji Farm several months ago. In case you're wondering about the name the Namu Gaji Farm provides fresh organic vegetables exclusively to the San Francisco restaurant Namu Gaji, but there's more to this story than that. Kristyn Leach is a native South Korean who as in infant was adopted by an Irish American family in New York. She was introduced to farming when she got involved in an urban community garden while attending college. Her interest grew and upon relocating to Washington state she began planting her own perilla. Perilla more commonly known as Japanese shiso is an essential herb in Korean cooking. When Kristyn moved to California she took on the task of managing a lettuce farm where she continued to grow her own perilla. She found work as a cook at Oakland's Camino Restaurant, and it was there where the chef introduced her to the Lee brothers of Namu Gaji. One of the brothers, David, was actively seeking a supplier of organic Korean perilla for their restaurant. Kristyn told us she had never met anyone who was so passionate about the herb. Their collaboration began there as Kristyn agreed to farm Asian vegetables for the Lee brothers. The Sunol AgPark located in Alameda County is a collaborative farm community owned by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission managed by a third party (SAGE) and shared by several farms who lease the land on an annual basis. It was there where Kristyn found an acre of available farmland to start the Namu Gaji Farm. Through her own studies she learned of traditional techniques of Korean peasant farming as well as New Age holistic farming. She combines ancient techniques as well as new ones on her farm. Unlike other farms she welcomes wildlife creating a natural habitat for birds and fosters specific insects and micro-organisms to provide nutrients in her soil. Bad insects are warded off by natural means as well. Sustainability is key on the Namu Gaji Farm. Kristyn does not till her soil and does all of her farming by hand. Her soil contains twice the organic matter as required by organic standards. She has even concocted her own fertilizer using kelp. Her annual water use is 50,000 gallons which is half of what the other farms on the Sunol AgPark use (between 100,000 to 140,000 according to a SAGE representative on our tour). Upon taking a walk through her farm everything just looked wild unlike any farm I've toured before. Because it was pouring rain on the day of our visit I kept the photo-taking to a minimum. On the farm she grows two types of peppers for Namu Gaji in addition to Korean melons, Kabocha squash, several types of radishes, burdock, Napa cabbage for kimchi and Korean soybeans. Today she grows more vegetables than the restaurant can use so she has created a CSA specifically for domestic abuse victims through the organization KACEDA (Korean American Coalition to End Domestic Abuse). She harvests her crops 3 times a week (twice for Namu Gaji and once for the CSA). At the conclusion of our tour we were treated to a delicious lunch (http://bit.ly/2bf2mVZ) cooked by Namu Gaji and incorporating perilla, soybeans, cabbage, daikon and leafy greens all grown on the farm. Interested individuals were also offered seedlings to start their own vegetable gardens.

Accidentally hit the review button and now yelp is badgering me to finish my review. I was…read moreresearching CSAs in the area for our family. I read the only other review and I was very impressed by the history of the farm and it's cultivators. I am also impressed that extra food grown is donated to a worthy cause. I you ever need a volunteer I would be interested.