FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, October 12, 2011

CONTACT:
Margaret Hart, Communications Coordinator
651.201.6131, Margaret.hart@state.mn.us

Options plentiful for family friendly fun on the farm!

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota families will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy fall on the farm during the annual Education Minnesota (formerly known as MEA) conference October 20-21 when thousands of children will be out of school.

“Visiting a farm is a great way to experience fall in Minnesota,” says Paul Hugunin, Coordinator of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Minnesota Grown Program. “It’s a great way to build family traditions that the children will enjoy, while supporting local farms at the same time.”

The MDA’s popular Minnesota Grown Directory lists hundreds of farms statewide that offer fall activities.

Here are four suggestions that the whole family can enjoy:

• Visit an apple orchard to pick up some fresh apples. At many orchards you can pick your own or purchase pre-picked apples. In addition to fresh apples, you’ll often find caramel apples, baked goods, pumpkins, hayrides and corn mazes.  There are more than 115 orchards in the Minnesota Grown Directory!
• Pick the perfect pumpkin at a local pumpkin patch.  Pumpkin “specialists” are plentiful in Minnesota, with a whopping 150 pumpkin patches listed in the directory.
• Feeling more adventurous?  Try your luck navigating a corn maze at one of the 22 Minnesota farms with corn mazes.
• Take a tour of a farm. More than 60 Minnesota farms listed in the directory offer farm tours. Among the tour destinations are farms that raise buffalo or emus or grow hazelnuts.
• Adults might enjoy taking a winery tour and sampling some Minnesota wine at one of the 26 farm wineries listed in the Minnesota Grown Directory.  There are also 6 farm-stay bed and breakfast locations that can provide a unique in-state vacation.

The free Minnesota Grown Directory is available online at www.minnesotagrown.com or by phone at 1-800-657-3878.  You can simply enter your city or zip code to find which locations are closest to you. The online directory also offers Google maps making it easy to find the farm and direct links to the farm’s website for all the details about the activities they offer.

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