Seattle Family Calendar
Subscribe
It’s farm time!
Spring has sprung, and it’s the perfect time to visit local farms, get up close with baby animals and watch gardens come to life. The Puget Sound area brims with excellent farms and petting zoos for kids, and in recent years, a few new ones have popped up that are well worth a visit. My kids and I recently took a tour around the Eastside to check out some under-the-radar farms and gardens.
First stop: Pivot Farm
Pivot Farm, Redmond
Brandelyn and Joe Tafoya, together with their kids, live on picturesque Pivot Farm, tucked away in a scenic part of Redmond. During the pandemic, they leaned into homesteading and started to keep more animals, including hatching chicks.
The family also began preserving farm produce and renovating the place. The first thing you’ll notice when you come to the farm is the beautiful white barn, complete with lights and a chandelier! The family keeps horses, goats, pigs and chickens, and has opened the farm to visitors — by appointment.
What to do?
The focus on this farm is animal experiences. Most kids love petting zoos, but some kids get frustrated by the crowds and can’t get quite close enough to their favorite fuzzy critters. For kids who want some quality time with cute baby animals, Pivot Farm offers a Baby Farm Animal Snuggle Session during which visitors can interact with baby goats, chicks and pigs, and take lots of adorable photos.
The farm is best known for its special Unicorn Riding Experience, which would make a great birthday treat. Lady is the farm’s resident unicorn, and when you arrive at the farm, she’ll be dressed up and ready to meet you. Kids will get to brush her, pick her hooves, give her treats and help her get saddled. Your kid will then take a ride around the arena on Lady, and learn a few tips and tricks about pony riding. Riders are asked to bring their own helmets (bike helmets will work); no previous riding experience is required.
While you are on the farm, you can also check out the chickens and fluffy baby chicks. If you are interested in keeping chickens, the farm sells hatching eggs.
Cost: The Unicorn Riding Experience ($56 per group of up to two riders; 30-minute duration) and the Baby Farm Animal Snuggle Session ($56 per group of up to five people; 30-minute duration) need to be booked in advance on the website.
Hours: The farm is open by appointment only. Check online for booking.
Find it: 27928 N.E. Fifth St., Redmond
Next stop: Infinity Farm
Infinity Farm, Issaquah
Infinity Farm in Issaquah was established in 2020 and is another farm that is accessible by appointment. The farm is intended as a space to host celebrations and community events — and to sell local produce. Visitors will see resident alpacas, chickens and cows.
What to do?
Families can visit the farm for Toddler Tuesdays, a program where kids ages 1–8 get to explore the farm and meet the animals. Tickets must be purchased in advance online. Become a member and visit every Tuesday, or book a onetime visit.
Infinity Farm hosts a number of family-focused events, such as a market day with local vendors. Check the calendar on the website for more upcoming events on the farm.
Cost: Toddler Tuesday costs $20 for an adult-child pair. Other farm events are typically free to attend, with local products available for purchase.
Hours: By appointment only. See website for booking
Find it: 16523 Issaquah-Hobart Rd. S.E., Issaquah
Next stop: Oxbow Farm
Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center, Carnation
Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center might not qualify as under-the-radar: Families may know it because of its fantastic Oxtober Fall Festival and popular summer camps. But Oxbow is also a great place to take the kids in the spring.
The minute you arrive at the farm, you will feel like you are miles away from Eastside hustle and bustle. Gardeners diligently work on site year-round, and there is always something to see in the fields or the greenhouses.
What to do?
This beautiful farm is situated in a picturesque setting, and visitors are welcome to park their car and walk around the farm for free. (No dogs are allowed, as it is a certified organic farm.)
Check in at the farm shop to pick up a map and a list of things to find around the farm for a scavenger hunt. This should keep the kids busy while you soak up the sights and the sounds of this bucolic wonderland. You can walk the fields and see all of the crops. Oxbow produce is sold at the farm stand and in farm share boxes, and native plants are grown on site for local nurseries such as Molbaks.
The main focal point for the kids is the big old yellow-and-blue tractor, which is ideal for clambering on. This year, Oxbow has added some fairy houses, so be sure to look out for these on your walk.
As the farm is on a floodplain, the farm stand sometimes has to close due to flooding. Check the farm’s Facebook page before visiting. Bring a snack to enjoy at one of the picnic tables that dot around the farm. We supplemented our picnic with some produce from the farm stand, which also sells a small variety of snack items and beverages.
Cost: It’s free to wander about the farm and watch the gardeners at their work.
Hours: The farm is open for visitors Wednesday–Friday, 2–6 p.m.; and Saturday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Farm stand hours are the same.
Find it: 10819 Carnation–Duvall Rd. N.E., Carnation
Next stop: tBUG
The Bellevue Urban Garden (tBUG)
The Bellevue Urban Garden (tBUG) was founded by Maybin Chisebuka and Nancy Gellos with an important goal in mind: Teach families and kids about the importance of growing healthy food and building a vibrant community centered around food. tBUG is a growing partner for FareStart in Seattle, and the organization also works with schools and the King County Library System to teach kids about growing food.
The best way to visit tBUG is to participate in events it hosts: hands-on activities for families with kids of all ages, some of which offer community service hours for teens. Contact tBUG3rdSpace@gmail.com if you are interested in visiting or volunteering at the garden.
Hours: By arrangement. Check social media for visiting hours or contact the garden.
Find it: 1608 156th St. S.E., Bellevue
