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I saw a new side of Sharp’s at Waterford Farm today and it has made me a convert! While my family loves the fall festivals going on at farms all around us, there is something to be said for the authenticity of the experience at Sharp’s Farm. It does not try to be big and bold, but it is still fun and exciting. A day at Sharp’s at Waterford Farm never disappoints!
If you are looking for a place to pick pumpkins (and popcorn) and do a corn maze you will find Sharp’s Farm packed on the weekends! There is a free weekend hayride out to the pumpkin patch(es) where you can pick pumpkins right off the vine. There are farm animals to feed, a greenhouse to explore, a corn maze to navigate, a country store to shop (also open weekdays in October) and a brick oven pizza truck to try (not open everyday).
If you have a couple kids at home or you have a group or school looking for a fun fall activity the educational tours at Sharp’s Farm have just what you are looking for! We did the Day in the Life of a Farmer Tour today and I am already trying to find a time when we can get back out for the Nature Knowledge tour and I can’t wait for spring because all three spring tours are on my list (Spring is Growing, Wonderful World of Worms, Ponds, Puddles & Creeks)!
Today we joined a pre-k class that was out on a field trip. There were only two groups out today so we had almost the whole farm to ourselves, but they do book up the closer to Halloween and Thanksgiving you get. The staff at Sharp’s Farm do a great job of getting groups going in different directions so not everyone is crowded in one place. We started with a bee talk by Farmer Chuck (Sharp) learning all about how important pollination is to our crops and therefor our food, how pumpkin flowers turn into pumpkins, how bees live, how bees produce honey and more importantly how we can collect it, how corn grows and how we can eat it. Farmer Chuck has pieces of the pumpkin and corn plants there for demonstrating pollination with his plastic bee. He also has beekeeping equipment for demonstration and had one lucky girl dress up as a bee keeper before we saw the bees in the observation hive.
We took a hayride with Farmer Alan (Sharp, Chuck’s son) which included seeing three bald eagles flying overhead, driving through Cattail Creek, and ending at the pumpkin patch.
Back at the farm we fed the chickens lettuce and fed the goats corn feed, saw piglets and pet calfs before doing the mini corn maze. The mini maze took us about 5 minutes to get through. Right next door to the mini maze is a 7+ acre maze for the more advanced maze enthusiasts. This year’s theme is Farm Dogs motif. As you navigate the maze you answer themed true-or-false questions at each fork in the path, learning interesting animal facts and agricultural concepts. The correct answers lead further into the maze, but incorrect answers reroute you to dead ends and judgmental scarecrows.
Our A Day in the Life of a Farmer Tour was pretty basic to meet the 4 year old group, but they can adjust tours to meet your groups need and I saw three moms doing their own tour when we started. My kids couldn’t stop talking about the hayride through Cattail Creek, the bees, the animals and the maze. For me, seeing the Sharp family’s love for farming is intoxicating!
Know Before You Go:
- Free Admission and Parking
- Free weekend hayrides
- Pick your own pumpkins & popcorn
- Open Houses are a great way to see the farm. They are available throughout fall with different themes (cost for children range $8-9)
- 7+ acre corn maze & mini corn maze
- Friendly farm animals
- Hand washing areas with soap & running water
- Portable toilets
- Picnic area by scenic pond
- Check Groupon for deals
- Book tours via email (farmquestions@sharpfarm.com) or phone (410) 489-2572
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