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!

High quality fruits, friendly staff. The pears that they grow here are a gift to the world.read more

From the owner: Orchard owner Dr. Dwain Merickel first planted apple trees in 1970 at his family's farm in the…read moresouthern Minnesota hill country. Over the years, his orchard grew into a retirement project with a few hundred trees, and then into a successful business in the 1990's. Irish Mountain Orchard now has two apple orchards and thousands of trees. Original apple varieties planted included Fireside/Connel Red, Reagent, Haralson, and Sweet 16, with both Fireside and Haralson still grown today. When Honeycrisp apples were released from the University of Minnesota in 1991, we were one of the first orchards in Minnesota to plant them. Since the first few trees began to bear fruit, our commitment to Honeycrisp has grown to include thousands of trees, and our customers love them!

I'm surprised to see less than 5 stars! We went for our second year of strawberry picking at…read moreLorence's Berry Farm. We found the operation very well managed both times. They give you a basket and have a system to assign you to your own row for picking. Once done, you wait in line to weigh and pay. Lots of berries on the bushes and it's okay to sample as you go! The strawberries were so sweet and delicious - far more flavorful than you buy at the supermarket. This year they charged $3/lb and I saw a lot of full baskets. It is cash or check only so make sure to come prepared. Plenty of parking available. Call ahead to confirm picking hours, as they do sell out. I also recommend following their Facebook page for the latest picking updates. We didn't buy any this time but I did notice that they sell jams and asparagus at their farm stand as well.

Great little farm to go check out if you feel like getting a little dirty and getting some…read morestrawberries. It seemed like we were maybe a little late in the season or some real pros must have been through our rows a week or two before us because we weren't finding the huge berries. Although we are thinking if we went back in a couple weeks we might get some of the bigger ones. But for 45 mins of picking on a perfect day and 17lbs of strawberries you can't beat the price of $20.

Beautiful orchard. Owner is super sweet and kind. Highly recommend! Super exited to make some apple…read morecrisp with the apples I got!

I appreciated this was an orchard without all the extra fuss. The owner was so friendly and…read morepersonable, very helpful. I left with a bag of Haralson apples, that seriously made some of the best applesauce I've ever made (been making sauce for 15+ years). I'll definitely be going back again this year and next year and the year after!

We've been coming to fall harvest orchard for a few years and it seems to get better each time!…read moreEntrance is free but you can buy wristbands to be able to do more of the activities like the giant slide, large corn pit, mini putt, etc. The wristbands are well worth the price for the little ones in my opinion. They're able to do as many activities as they want and there are SO many to choose from. However, you can have plenty of fun there without the wristband. There is a smaller corn pit, animals to pet and feed, and other free activities to enjoy. There are also plenty of food trucks and spots to grab drinks which makes it ideal to spend a few hours there at least! In addition, they do have some apple trees to pick apples from if that's something you're looking for. It does get VERY busy so I'd recommend heading there pretty early. Looking forward to coming back for many years to come!

A visit in September at Fall Harvest Orchard is such a fun and welcoming place for families!…read moreThere's plenty of parking, which makes it super easy to visit even on busy weekends. It's a great place for kids -- tons of space to explore, cute animals, and plenty of fun activities to keep everyone happy. I especially love the variety of apples -- so fresh, crisp, and flavorful. You can tell everything is grown and handled with care. Whether you're there to pick apples, grab some cider, or just enjoy the fall atmosphere, it's a wonderful experience all around. A perfect fall tradition spot -- highly recommend!

A strawberry farmer myself as child, we raised a thousand strawberry plants. They told me here in a…read morerecent visit raise 20,000 strawberry plants. Various crops or types come and go; just know it is all delicious, well worth drive. Now the asparagus is almost done. Come early as it sells out right away in the morning. Soon they told me the raspberry crop will be ready. End of July or so. Great Strawberry smell as soon as you drive in. Wonderful fresh strawberry smell in your car ride home. Easy drive out here. The staff are attentive and waiting for you. Enjoy!

Why 2 stars? Our…read morefamily recently visited Lorence's Berry Farm for strawberry picking and had mixed feelings about the experience. On the positive side, the strawberries were abundant, vibrant, juicy, and very easy to pick. We had three generations together for a fun family outing, including my 4-month-old and 1-year-old granddaughters, and we were excited to spend time outdoors making memories. Unfortunately, the experience was overshadowed by an interaction with an older gentleman who appears to have worked there for quite some time. After a two-hour drive, I briefly pulled over to speak with my daughters and figure out where we should park before unloading the children and heading to the fields. We were apparently stopped in an area where parking was not allowed, although there was no sign indicating that. Rather than approaching us politely, he immediately began yelling. I explained that we were simply trying to get a game plan together and that a softer approach would have been appreciated. Instead of de-escalating the situation, he continued to yell as I drove away to find a proper parking spot. What was most disappointing was that he then directed his yelling toward my daughters while they were standing with my granddaughters. The commotion upset my 1-year-old granddaughter to the point that she started crying, while my infant granddaughter and daughter looked on. Later, I shared my experience with another employee, who apologized for the earlier behavior. However, while we were in line paying, we witnessed the same gentleman confront another visitor who had parked in the area because she could not find handicap-accessible parking. He berated her, refused to provide his name when asked, and the interaction became so uncomfortable that she began recording the encounter on her phone. Ironically, a short while later, the very same gentleman approached me and apologized for his actions earlier. While I appreciated the gesture, he immediately followed it by explaining that "it's a stressful thing," which felt more like a justification for his behavior than a sincere acknowledgment of how his actions affected visitors. The strawberries were wonderful, and the farm itself has the potential to be a great family destination. The fruit quality and ease of picking made for an enjoyable outing, but customer service and the way guests are treated matter just as much as the product. Unfortunately, one employee's repeated behavior toward multiple customers significantly detracted from what otherwise could have been a very positive family experience.

It's getting to be late October and I still hadn't bought my bag of Haralson Apples so in my quest…read moreto find some, I headed toward Northfield to the Fireside Orchard. On a weekday afternoon, it was mostly folks like me, out to buy a few fresh items. I could see the weekends being busier with families. The orchard has nice grounds to amble through, some tractors to climb and pose with, wagons to borrow, and a beautiful outdoor seating area. I found my apples and also picked up some honey. There were also jams, cheese, apple sauce, salsas, coffee, and wild rice options. Freshly baked goods and hot and cold apple cider were fall favorites as well. The orchard is only a short drive off the freeway so stop in and check it out.

Very charming area, staff in the store was amazing! We had a little accident with a jam jar falling…read morethrough a bag and they were so kind to promptly clean it up and replace the jam. Everything was really clean and orderly and the items we purchased tasted fantastic!

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!

Whistling Well Farm was the perfect spot for a laid-back fall outing! I organized a trip there with…read moresome colleagues, and it ended up being such an easy, low-stakes way to spend time together outside of work. There was plenty of space to roam through the orchard, chat, and enjoy the beautiful scenery without feeling crowded. The apple picking was great--we had no trouble finding plenty of apples--and I also loved that the farm is both dog-friendly and kid-friendly, making it a fun destination for all kinds of groups. They even had live music while we were there, which added to the relaxed, festive atmosphere. Before heading out, we stopped by the little farm store and picked up some local goodies like jams and cider. It's those extra touches that make the experience feel special. The only minor downside was that the pumpkin patch was a little sparse when we visited, but the orchard and overall atmosphere more than made up for it. Whether you're planning a family day, a casual date, or a group outing with friends or coworkers, Whistling Well Farm is definitely worth a visit!

Simple. Keep this word in mind as you travel to Whistling Well Farm. If you are seeking out a state…read morefair experience or something with loud and boisterous events, this is not it. Contrary it's every reason why we enjoyed it. Highlights include: dog friendly, nice parking, friendly staff, proficient store with basic items such as honey, caramel, chocolate covered cherries, plush dog toys, coloring books, apples, etc. Outside you will find a pumpkin patch, goats and even a DJ with a dance floor. If you have kids, this is a great outing for the family. My group walked our dogs around the space, split come apple cider donuts and snapped a few pics by some of the fall decor. Notes: dogs are not allowed in the gift shop and there is a food stand that serves hot dogs, cider, chips and apple cider donuts. We did not see any alcohol onsite.