What do farmers do for fun when they need to get off of the farm for a while? Go to another farm, of course. My family and I had the great pleasure of visiting Roba Family Farms this weekend to enjoy their family-oriented fall amusements. 

We have done business with them for a few years now and they were kind enough to gift us with a handful of passes to come enjoy their farm. I had never been there myself during operating hours, and was surprised to see quite the crowd flowing in and out of their gates.

With the grandparents in tow, we redeemed our passes and entered the base of the hill where sprawled a collection of pens boasting animals that were available for viewing and petting, as well as the animals’ habitats. They had tons of goats, sheep, rabbits, chickens, llamas, pigs and more. 

As we neared the far end of these pens, there was yet another pen open to the swarming children. It held a small herd of rubber bouncy animals that could be ridden or played with. My son opted to run around collecting all the white and black cows and organizing them by their perceived breed. Needless to say, his dairy-farming grandfather was quite pleased to see the preference over the other rubber animals available. 

Then we went into the corn maze, which was considerately separated into two zones: one far more sparse, and navigable even for a small child; and the other, a more developed crop of taller, denser corn that held the maze for adults and teens. 

As we finished our stroll in the corn, the boys decided to spend a little time in the tractor yard, riding and playing with tricycle John Deere tractors and carts. This was short-lived because just within eyeshot were yet more exciting options to explore as we meandered our way up the hill. First responders had their equipment, from ambulances to fire trucks, out for children to see and touch, their trucks open to brave young hooligans fighting for the right to climb up in the driver seat. 

Animatronic chickens sang punny covers of classic songs, entertaining both young and old, and a litany of large wooden play sets commanded the attention of my youngsters as they went from being pirates on a ship to conductors on a train and finally farmers on a tractor. 

The sandbox in between held its own appeal until we were able to convince the boys that there was even more yet to see and do. We walked through the birdhouse boardwalk, an incredibly creative lofted collection of small cabins with slides and swings galore. Then came the replica old tractors to sit on, the tractors chuffing after being cranked, and the ponds with koi fish to view behind these. 

Food there was aplenty. At the first small stand, we stopped to grab ourselves some kettle corn, which was very tasty—however, as we kept walking we realized there was an option for many palates. Apple cider donuts, cookies, burgers, cider, shakes and more. Had we not been planning to get dinner elsewhere, I might have been more easily swayed. 

Not even at the top of the hill yet and there was still more. Large bouncy pads installed in the ground made for the neatest trampolines you’ve ever seen. Potato cannons mounted on tripods and rigged to resemble large military guns lined the back line of the property and supplied great fun as we launched apples at metal cutouts with great speed and accuracy. When I tell you my two-year-old nailed a target more than 50 yards out, I can only say I was a little bit proud and a little bit leery. 

Next we fought Grandpa on the tug-of-war station before heading up to the cow train, which consisted of decorated barrels towed in a line behind another tractor. I had a difficult time getting myself out of the barrel at the end, but the boys didn’t bother to wait on their big ol’ dad.

Off to the sliding hill, where they grabbed burlap sacks and began climbing the hill to the top of the slides, where they awaited a push from Dad to send them to the bottom. Three or four times and Dad decided it was time to distract them, since it was a steep walk up each time. 

We turned our attention to the bubble garden, where large buckets of bubble juice awaited with stick and rope wands for making long large bubbles that drifted off into the path of the hay ride that circled the nearby pumpkin patch. There the boys chose a pumpkin for themselves, which I lugged to the checkout on our way out. 

A very fun low ropes course consumed some of their final moments before our departure and even after all this, there were still things we hadn’t gotten to see and do. 

The next time I think our farm is busy, I’ll just remember this and be thankful. 

The way out here, sometimes a funny farm is just a real fun farm. And it’s always a bit more enjoyable when you aren’t responsible for it. We had a fantastic time at the Roba Family Farm and may very well go again while the kids are still young enough to truly enjoy it. I was not paid or asked to talk about Roba’s but a good thing deserves some recognition. They’re real good folks over there and I would put my stamp of support behind their operation any day. If you get time to go check it out for yourselves, I recommend blocking out the day and packing up the kiddos for what is sure to be a great day of fun and memories.