Rancho Alegre Farm means Happy Farm in Spanish. The Farm is 15+ acre working farm.
We all started in the 3000 square foot gathering place with owner Pilar Quintero. She talked to the children about the farm, and animals. They are a free range farm that is self-sustaining. She taught us how to make a basic cheese recipe. She also told the kids the rules of the farm.
Then we went to the garden, where we identified all the different types of fruits and vegetables. We also discussed when the right time to grow certain vegetables and fruits. Ms. Quintero said that when her family started the farm, she knew nothing about growing food. Boy has she learned so much since then.
Our next stop was petting Daisy the Pony. Ms. Quintero asked the children to identify if it was a male or female. She also taught the kids (and me) how to properly measure a horse. Daisy was 13 hands tall. She also stated that all of the animals on the farm have a job at the farm. Daisy’s job was to give rides to the guests. The kids then all enjoyed petting and grooming her. My eight year old’s favorite part was grooming Daisy.
Next we went on a hay ride. My 8 year old daughter had another Macaroni Kid that was smitten with her. She got a kick out of it. Hold on to the tractor, there was a big hill. We saw a lot of the farm.
We then went to the Worm House. They have a house that red wiggler worms lives in. The worms fertilize the soil. We learned about them. Pilar gave the children am opportunity to hold one. My 9 year old son, thought they were cool, awesome, and slimy. My girls had NO desire to hold them.
We then went back to the hay ride and off we went to the petting zoo. Ms. Pilar gave the kids carrots to feed the goats, sheep, rabbits, donkeys, and pig. We saw chickens and roosters. We even saw an egg. We even had an opportunity to milk a goat. My eight year old said it was like squeezing a water bottle. I also tried to and let me tell you it was harder than it looks. My five and nine year old’s favorite part was the petting zoo especially the bunnies.
Rancho Alegre Farm also operates like an online Farmers Market. The Gwinnett Locally Grown Market opens every Thursday morning at 9:00 am for easy online ordering, and closes the following Monday morning at 9:00 am. You can then pick-up your farm goods here at Rancho Alegre Farm on Tuesday from 4:30 to 6:30 pm.
I would definitely come back to Rancho Alegre Farm. In fact, I am going to try to get my Brownies out there for a visit. All of the kids were entertained and learned alot. It is about a 50 minute drive from Dunwoody. Rancho Alegre Farm can be found at 2225 Givens Rd Dacula, GA 30019 (770) 339-3065. You can find Rancho Alegre Farm on Facebook and Twitter.
I received complimentary admission to facilitate my review of this venue but all opinions are my own
