Burke Ridge Farms in Ellington

I can’t believe it’s almost September. Where did the summer go?!

But the good news is, fall and all the wonderful activities and events associated with that season are right around the corner. And sometimes I think that fall might be even more fun than summer 🙂

If you love fall as much as we do, you’ll want to make sure you Subscribe to Out and About Mom by Email pronto because we’re putting together our Fall Bucket List for next week, and you won’t want to miss that!

In the meantime though, there’s still time for some more warm weather adventures like this one…

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My poor children. When they want some ice cream, we can’t just go down the street to our favorite local ice cream stand in town. Oh no, we have to go on an adventure worth blogging about 🙂

Here’s a list of some places we’ve sampled that sweet summer treat:

• Jessica’s Garden in Marlborough, CT
• b.good in Glastonbury, CT
• Shady Glen in Manchester, CT
• Robb’s Farm in Glastonbury, CT
• UConn Dairy Bar in Storrs, CT
• Whole Foods in Glastonbury, CT

So when Boo asked if we could get ice cream last Sunday afternoon, I thought this would be a perfect time to check out a farm and ice cream stand in Ellington, CT that a reader had recommended to us: Burke Ridge Farms.

Burke Ridge Farms is  a working farm that’s home to award-winning livestock, a vast greenhouse filled with plants & flowers, a cute country store, an adorable petting zoo barn, and, of course, an ice cream stand.

It’s all located on a beautiful, picturesque piece of property with lush lawns and lovely views.

There is a lot to look at here. But your crew will probably want to make the ice cream stand their first stop 🙂

As you can see, they serve Gifford’s Ice Cream, which we’ve had at a few other places around the state. Gifford’s is a family-owned creamery in Maine, and they have some amazing flavors.

I had trouble deciding, but eventually determined that I had to go with “Maine Lobster Tracks.” What a crazy name for an ice cream flavor, right?! I just had to see what that was all about. Boo surprised us by opting for chocolate chip over his usual plain chocolate; hubby went with, what else, coffee (if you’ve followed our other ice cream adventures, you’ve heard this before); and for the little guy: vanilla.

Boo waiting patiently for his ice cream cone.

I swear we ordered him a “kiddie” cone. This is either the biggest kiddie size ever, or someone back there was feeling extra generous 🙂

Right beside the ice cream stand there is a lovely sitting area. There are some tables and chairs on the concrete patio, or picnic tables out in the garden.

I think he likes chocolate chip 🙂

Maine Lobster Tracks did not disappoint. It was super yummy. Although, don’t ask me what was in it. Maybe you can try some and tell me!

After ice cream, we headed down the little path to the petting zoo.

There were just a couple of animals there today, but boy, were they characters!

You can pet the animals, and you can also purchase food for them (bring your quarters!). As you’ll see below, there is one food dispenser labeled “fish food.” More on that in a minute.

There is also this cute little pond with a path mowed around it. It makes for a nice stroll after stuffing yourself full of ice cream 🙂

So back to the fish food. You’ll notice a few areas on the side of the pond closest to the petting zoo where there is a cleared path to the water’s edge. If you creep down there, here’s what you are likely to see:

Can you see them? That giant mess of catfish? (At least, I think they are catfish.) If you want a better look, buy a handful of food from the dispenser by the barn.

When you toss a few of these little nuggets in the water, those fish go wild! It’s very entertaining 🙂

 

Besides a blog post, my other goal for the outing was to get one decent picture of me with my boys. I even coordinated our outfits! But alas, it was not meant to be.

At least we got a few cute ones of the kids for the scrap book (you know, if I actually had time to put together a scrap book–someday!)

After a few more minutes of goofing and giggling…

…we stopped in at the country store for a quick peek.

They have many interesting products including seeds, local honey, beef from their farm, their very own salsas, sauces, and dressings, and (right now) so many cute things to help you get ready for fall and/or Halloween.

You’ll also find a restroom in here.

After all that exploring and playing, I was looking forward to a nice, quiet ride home with two snoozing kiddos. Ahhhh.

So why not turn your next ice cream craving into an adventure at Burke Ridge Farms? After all, if you only head down the street, you’ll still have to figure out what to do with the kiddos for the rest of the afternoon 🙂

***Pssst! Just a reminder: Make sure you Subscribe to Out and About Mom by Email pronto because we’re putting together our Fall Bucket List for next week***

 

 

 

Burke Ridge Farms

95 Wappingwood Rd, Ellington, Connecticut

(860) 896-0888

Hours:

Open 7 Days a week from May 1 to Oct 31 9AM to 7PM.

Pricing:

Ice Cream: varies by menu item; about $3-$6 item. Petting zoo is FREE.

Details:

• Stroller Friendly: Yes, just be aware that you will likely be on grass much of the time.
• Coffee Mug Friendly: YES.
• Restroom: YES.  There is a restroom located in the country store.
• Baby Changing Station:  NO.
• Parking: YES. Plenty of room in the lot in front of the buildling.
• Food for Sale: YES.
• Outside Food Allowed: I don’t think anyone would give you trouble about it.
• Cash Required: YES.  Only cash and check accepted at the ice cream stand. Bring quarters if you want to buy animal/fish food from the dispenser.
• Evening/Weekend Hours: YES. 

Tips & Things to Bring

• Burke Ridge Farms has seasonal attractions and events all season, including a special fall festival. 
• Burke Ridge Farms also offers plants, flowers, mulch and other seasonal needs for home and garden.
• Cash and checks ONLY accepted at the ice cream window. Credit cards are accepted in the store.

• 4D Vision Gym – A vision training center located in Cromwell, CT where Dr. Juanita Collier, MS, OD and her staff show members how to utilize Vision Therapy to correct visual issues and make learning and playing easier and more fun.
• NEW Imagine Studio – Under the direction of Karla Kress-Boyle, opening this fall at 97 South Street is West Hartford’s only Creative Arts Studio. Focusing on building imagination and self confidence, our wonderful staff will be sharing their talents in Dance, Art, Music, Yoga and Theater programming.
• The Independent Day School – Located on a rural campus in Middlefield, CT this private pre-school, elementary and middle school serves families from over 20 communities.

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