Had a great time at Bauman's Harvest Festival! I was impressed how well the even was organized. The…read moreevent was fun for both adults and children. The staff was all friendly and helpful. I especially loved the apple tasting, apple cider donuts and the corn maze. The pricing structure was a little confusing I payed the higher price for activities I could not participate in I.e kiddie rides. It would have been helpful when I paid that that would have been explained to me. All and all I enjoyed my visit and hope to go back next year.

They close at 5p... didn't know that. Bought tickets at 4:30p and didn't tell us they closed in 30…read moreminutes. Everything closes right at 5p. No discounted tickets for coming close to closing time. Not able to get refunded tickets. Why sell tickets until 4:30p if you close at 5?!?!?! $30 per person. It's so busy and packed here you can't even do one thing in 30 minutes. As we were leaving we say One sign that says the hours on the side of one building. Crazy. They just want your money.

We like to pick out a tree on Black -ahem- GREEN Friday. We had long enjoyed Kirchem Historic Farms…read moreand were looking for a new spot after moving to the West side. We struck out twice: (1) closed with no notice online (2) overpriced, low selection. Luckily, we found Kraxberger Farms 3rd! They have a great selection of trees, and prices are reasonable but not low. We found a beautiful noble fir for $80 and they shook and bailed for an extra $2. I think it's maybe just over 7 feet? My kids were a bit disappointed for no tractor ride. They have saws for you-cut, but were also willing to help with a chain saw. Tiny little store, with trinkets, crafts, snacks, tree fertilizer. Nothing I had to have. It's run by a gang of children, and wasn't terribly efficient. I had to ask for my change several times. I love that it's a family farm, so definitely getting kids involved is great... they just need some defined roles. (Teacher here)

Someone complained in a different review about a narrow road in... that's their driveway to the…read moreproperty. Anyways, parking fills up kinda quick. It's cute, there's a lot of fun things to do besides getting a tree so it's a great family spot if you have small kids. Good selection of trees. There's music, hot chocolate, tractor rides. The trees are pricey depending on what you're looking for. We wanted a noble over 14ft tall and they did have that but it was also $250. They do have a shaker, bailer and great crew to help so you definitely get what you pay for here. Great quality and top notch service!

My husband and I have been coming here for the past 4 years to pick strawberries and are never…read moredisappointed. The strawberries are 'no-spray' and delicious. The staff is always so helpful. We've tried other strawberry u-picks in the past and none can compare! If you're looking for the best spot to pick, look no further and make the trip!

I live 45 minutes away, so I called for clarity that there was indeed blueberries. They said there…read morewas. I got there, and the rows were basically picked clean, and what was there was old, chalky, and tasted terrible. I went over to the blackberries, which is dumb, given their abundance everywhere. Nothing there that was good or ripe. I went in their cute little shop to see if I could find a manager, and I did see a man that had the air of being a manager, but I couldn't bring myself to pull him aside in front of everyone else having a good time, and say that I've been lied to and I didn't appreciate wasting three hours of my precious weekend. It's a shame because the farm itself is beautiful and very cute. There was goats and chickens and beautiful you pick flowers. Go to Hood River you picks for the rest of the season.

This is the place to go if you're looking to learn about lavenders and looking for help selecting…read morethe best variety for your situation. I really can't say enough good things about Chris - she was super knowledgeable, helpful, and patient in consulting which variety of lavender would best suit the space I had in mind and my use case (low maintenance and only needing one trim a year). Since she runs the place by appointment only, I first called then emailed with more details of the space I was trying to fill and what I was looking for. After some back and forth, I made an appointment to stop by, look at specific varieties, and pick out some plants. The day of, she went through the different families of lavender and helped me narrow down to a specific variety, looking at the dried cuttings from last year as well as plants in her garden. She also had plenty of other hardier medicinal plants available including multiple types of mints, thymes, rosemaries, and other herbs. All the plants are very reasonable priced and I couldn't be happier with my experience. It's very clear that Chris has a passion for her plants.

We're so lucky to have so many wonderful lavender farms in the Willamette Valley region, and Barn…read moreOwl is definitely one of my favorites to visit during lavender season in late June through July. Come here for the best selection of lavender varieties, the best lavender products like sachets, wands, and lotions & potions, and best of all... an opportunity to view how lavender grows, feels and smells in the garden. If you're anything like me, you need to see plant varieites in person, not just in your favorite garden design books. I can't make a decision on what's going in my garden unless I see how someone else has implemented it. Located in a residential setting, parking wasn't the first consideration when designing the layout of the farm. If you or someone you're visiting with has mobility issues, try dropping them off near the entrance before parking. The gravel path has a gentle grade and can pose risks for those prone to falls. But don't let that deter you from visiting the crown jewel of lavender farms in the area!

Individuality, quality and beauty is not the sole province of large cities. The Rare Plant Research…read morenursery is an exotic plant nursery, vineyard and winery on a stunning estate. It finely matches individuality, quality and beauty perfectly. There is nothing in the city of Portland, or anywhere, matching it. The world-traveling collectors from the Renaissance forward gathered plants into the great botanical gardens of Europe. English traveler collectors brought plants from all over the world into the conservatories, greenhouses, on their estates. They learned how to keep them alive in new climates. Eventually they propagated them, enriching Western landscape design. Rare Plant Research is an update of that in the countryside outside Oregon City. They are only open to the public one weekend a year. They do announce under a handful of RSVP-only events, Summer months, on their mailing list. Except at the once a year open weekend, plant sales are made online and shipped. The greenhouses are near the road. They are filled with exotic grasses, succulents, bromeliadish plants and vines. A few corners of the greenhouses have definitely gotten out of control and turned into jungles. Another greenhouse floor is dry sand, desert-like. Want a hardy olive tree on your land? They have Willamette Valley-proven ones. Ginger varieties. Are you beyond bonsai? They have some pretty interesting plants that look like miniature baobab trees, like under 1-2 feet, or barked bulbs with flowers. The real test is growing these outside the greenhouse. The estate is the demonstration it can be done, and it could not be more dramatic. At the top of the hill, above the vineyards, is a Northwest interpretation of an 11th Century Italian estate: the main house, a formal pond, outdoor verandas, a lakeside amphitheater, arbors and a small vineyard shed. Apropos, a greenhouse garden spans the space between the two main wings of the house. Around the home, the exotic plants from the nursery thrive, outdoors, in our Northwest landscape! It's pretty amazing in this setting, that for the open to the public event, the owner is with the plants and the customers, ready to share his experiences. I also note that the masonry work is first rate, including broken concrete retaining walls that look like something ancient from Italy. The space may be available for events, contact them for details. Rare Plant Research is a grand experiment in exploring what we can grow, from far away places, with different climates, here, in little Portland and its surrounds. We hope Rare Plant Research continues for a few generations of more plants and more grand gardens!

Nice place to spend a day when it opens to the public each year. Explore, wonder, enjoy!read more

Warm and sunny summer day at the Bauman Farm. Lucious peaches and berries . Fresh Walla walla…read moreonions, dill, pickling cucumbers and produce galore! Oh the baked goodies, stacks of them. Lots of fruit preserves, sauces, mustards, honey, so many delicious condiments!!! The garden area is full of veggie starts, annuals and perennials, so gorgeous! This is a great place to bring visiting friends and family to! We'll be returning this fall !

A great place to grab a coffee, snack, small gift, and a plant. The farm is quite large and boasts…read morean indoor deli/coffee/gift/ shop, covered green houses with a wide variety of plants, a covered playground, an outside playground, and small animals to feed and pet. Great for families, parties, business lunches, and events.

We visited Red Berry Barn to pick up strawberries as they were one of the few places open with…read moreHoods on Memorial Day. Walking in at 9AM, they had plenty of prepicked pints on a table and also an entire field of strawberries available for U-Pick. Pricing is actually cheaper for the pre-picked pints, but I assume that's because U-Pick means you're eating while picking as well. Red Berry Barn grows three types of strawberries on their farm. Firstly, probably 30-40 rows of Hoods, then some Shuksans, and finally the ever popular (for farmers, given the day-neutral designation) Albion. It's actually quite easy telling the three apart. The Hoods are overgrown, barely kept organized into rows, with lighter color leaves hiding all of the strawberry red deliciousness hiding underneath. The Shuksans in the center, are the tallest of the plants, with striking dark green foliage. The Albions in the last rows look almost emaciated, with small leaves barely able to support the ample stock of strawberries growing from them. Red Berry Barn doesn't have any particular system for organized picking unlike some other U-Pick farms. Most the field was flush with berries, so we just wandered around wherever we wanted to pick the strawberries. We went here specifically to purchase and pick Hoods. The strawberries here aren't like those of other farms. For some reason, the Hoods are much larger, perhaps 3-4x the size of other Hoods, but still with the protruding cap. The outer shell is also quite a bit harder than the typical soft Hood. The taste isn't the same either, being still sweet and plump with good strawberry fragrance, but missing some of the perfumy quality an excellent Hood has from some of the non U-Pick farms. The skin is also much firmer - usually Hoods only last a day or two before going bad due to how delicate their skins are, but on Day 2, these strawberries were still firm. I have no idea if it's the terroir or the growing and fertilizer regimen fed to the strawberries or not. The Shuksans didn't seem to be ready at the time we visited. I tried a couple that looked ripe on the plants, but they were still mostly hard and tasted like sour water. The Albions, however, were among the best Albions I've had, at least the most ripe ones which consist of perhaps only 5% of the crop. They're super sweet and almost reach Hood levels of perfumy quality but with a different taste. Most Albions, however, basically taste like cold storage grocery store strawberries. Just to hammer it in more - the best of the everbearing and/or day neutral varieties like Albion can be great, but on average, they are worse than June-bearing varieties! Albion especially I think is built for shelf life thanks to the waxy coat on the exterior and the firm interior. We ended up buying a half flat of Hoods to save us some time, and picked up a $16 basket that probably fit around 3-4 pints of strawberries. Red Berry Farm derinitely does in a pinch to get some fresh strawberries. I don't think their Hoods are as good as from other farms, but they're still miles better than any grocery store strawberry.

We stopped by for coffee and a snack on our way to the coast. Their marionberry donuts are a must…read moretry! Next time we'll try the apple cider donuts.

Gorgeous flowers! Admissions is 6 dollars per person if you buy online ahead of time. Went during a…read moreweekday and was not crowded at all. Lovely place for photo opportunities and would come here again.

Located a little ways off of I-5. They have a lot of parking available. There is an entrance fee to…read moreget in. There are multiple fields on all sides of the property that will require a decent amount of walking. Beautiful grounds with rows of iris' that are mixed in with a variety of other flowers. The fields themselves have giant tractor tire indents, which makes the walk around unsteady. Overall gorgeous and not as large as I expected but a great spot to have lunch at a picnic table.