Need a new summer activity with the kids? Head out of the city to spend some time on a real working farm. Crown S Ranch, an organic, sustainable, family-run farm in Winthrop, offers a Farmer for a Day experience. Families can experience day-to-day life on the farm, tour the grounds and pitch in with that day’s activities.
“It is really tuned to the families,” says Crown S Ranch co-owner Jennifer Argraves. “We let them know what we will be doing that day at the farm, such as tending to the chickens, picking apples and harvesting vegetables, and then they can decide what to participate in.”
It’s a fun outing and an eye-opening learning experience for kids. “It’s a great way to show them about sustainable farming, and help them better understand and connect with their food in a natural way,” says Argraves. “It's exciting to have people come out and see the farm. Parents love to experience it with their children.”
For Erlanger and her family, the experience sparked important conversations about the origins of their food, an impact that continued long after their visit. Good news for parents like Erlanger — Crown S Ranch offers a meat CSA. You can purchase shares of lamb, beef, pork, eggs and chicken directly from the ranch.Lisa Erlanger has made three trips to the farm with her family, the first when her daughters were 4 and 7 years old. “The experience has made an indelible mark on all of us in the most positive of ways. Jennifer and her family are so generous with their knowledge and their farm. They incorporated the kids into everything. We’ve played with goats, collected and cleaned eggs, harvested crops, fed them to the pigs, picked apples, and sat for hours staring at the cows,” says Erlanger. “It was also just an incredibly beautiful way to spend a day — closer to animals than most city children get to be.”
Make the farm part of a weekend getaway with any number of nearby resorts, including Sun Mountain Lodge (sunmountainlodge.com) and Winthrop Mountain View Chalets (winthropchalets.com), each located just a few miles from the farm.
Farmer for a Day will be offered every Friday and Saturday morning, May 23 through Sept. 26: Adults $30, children (under 12) $20; families (two adults and two children under 12) $60. Private tours are available for an additional fee. Visit crown-s-ranch.com to book your visit or learn more about their meat CSA. 7 Twin Lakes Rd, Winthrop
