Patterson Farms Field Trip (Mt. Ulla, NC)

If you live in the Charlotte area, you are definitely going to want to check out Patterson Farms in Mt. Ulla, North Carolina. This summer, we decided to set aside one of our Saturday mornings to pay them a visit, and we were not disappointed.

Their Farmer's Market is full of yummy foods - probably some of the best produce we found this summer came from this market.

The big red barn was a highlight for our little ones, and this is where we began our morning. 

All throughout the year, they offer various programs for families, school groups, etc. and we decided to participate in one of their Learn & Grow Programs. 

(We are looking forward to going back for some of their "Pick Your Own" opportunities.)

We started by touring the barn...

(This pig had just given birth that morning!)

and feeding the animals.

Then a guide directed us through a harvest area where we were able to learn how various foods grow, and my little ones were encouraged to gather pretend-play produce in a harvest basket that the farm had provided for them. 

Our kiddos really enjoyed pretending that they were farmers, and I loved watching them learn all kinds of new things.

This pretend cow sprayed water from its udders...definitely a highlight for this crew. 

Our final task included getting to plant green beans - What little boy doesn't love playing in the dirt?

Our tour ended with our kids being allowed to trade in all the produce they had harvested in exchange for a cold drink or a little serving of icecream. Guess what they chose? You guessed it! 

It was definitely a hot, hot summer morning, and ice cream had never tasted so good!

While the icecream was indeed delicious, hubby and I loved getting to drive through the country - such a beautiful drive to and from the farm. 

At this point, we reserve homeschool field trips (such as this) for weekends - when daddy is able to join us! This was a bit of a drive for us, but it was well worth the trip. At the start of each season, I like to research field trip opportunities for our family and map out a tentative schedule for how we will make it to each location/event. If I am intentional about putting these kinds of the things on the calendar, they typically happen. We have such a great time doing these kinds of things together, and I am always amazed at how much my little ones learn!