Farm Visit: Experiencing Agriculture

Watching cows, experiencing farming up close, and finding out where milk, cheese, and other foods actually come from: A visit to a farm can be an exciting excursion for the whole family. There is often a lot for children to discover.

However, not every agricultural operation can simply be visited. While some farms open their doors to visitors, others are purely working farms. If you are looking for a farm to visit nearby, you should therefore find out in advance what is on offer and whether you need to register.

In this article, you will learn what you can experience during a farm visit, what you should pay attention to during your excursion, and how to find a suitable farm to visit in your area. We also provide excursion tips and insider tips, and we take you along to our own Backensholzer Hof to show you everything you can experience here.

Why is a farm visit worth it?

Agriculture is part of our everyday lives – at the latest by breakfast. Milk, cheese, bread, eggs, meat, fruit, and vegetables do not originate in the supermarket. Nevertheless, many people today rarely see directly how food is produced and where it actually comes from.

A farm visit can make this connection visible again. Depending on the farm, you can observe animals, get to know agricultural fields and buildings, or buy food directly where it is produced.

You should keep in mind that work continues on an active farm during your visit. Animals must be cared for, cows milked, machinery operated, and food processed. Yet that is precisely what makes a farm visit interesting: you gain an insight into real farming, not a backdrop created specifically for visitors.

Farm visit with children

What children can experience and discover on a farm visit depends heavily on the farm itself. Some farms offer guided tours or hands-on activities, for example, while others have playgrounds, farm cafés, or areas from which animals can be observed.

• Observing animals: Experience cows, calves, chickens, sheep, and other livestock up close and learn more about how they are kept and their daily care.

• Getting to know agriculture: Discover fields, tractors, feeding, milking technology, or other working areas of a farm – especially exciting during a guided farm tour.

• Playing and being outdoors: Sandboxes, climbing frames, pedal vehicles, straw play areas, or adventure playgrounds make a farm visit varied and even more interesting for children.

• Tasting food from the farm: Farm shops, farm cafés, or farm restaurants show how closely agriculture, processing, and enjoyment are linked.

Finding a farm nearby

When you are looking for a suitable farm in your area, first consider what you expect from your excursion. Do you mainly want to see animals? Should there be a playground? Do you want to eat something or buy regional food? Or would you like to learn more about agriculture during a guided tour?

The websites of the farms themselves, as well as regional tourism sites and map or search services, are helpful. In addition, you can find a list of learning and adventure farms for the entire region on the Schleswig-Holstein Chamber of Agriculture website.

It is best to find out about current opening hours in advance and read any available visitor information. If you cannot find what you are looking for on the website, a quick phone call in advance can also be helpful to avoid disappointment on site.

Our tip from Backensholzer Hof: We are a demonstration farm for organic farming. This means that you can drop by during opening hours and take a look at our farm without needing to register. On the "Ökolandbau" website, you will find an official directory of all demonstration farms for organic farming. These organic farms open their doors to visitors and provide exciting insights into their daily work and organic agriculture.

What should you keep in mind during a farm visit?

To ensure you can enjoy your farm visit in a relaxed manner, it pays to prepare a little in advance. What you should take with you naturally depends on the time of year, the weather, and the specific farm. You are generally well-advised to wear weatherproof, sturdy clothing and firm footwear – especially if you want to explore the farm grounds or take part in a guided tour.

With children, it can also be useful to bring a change of clothes. After all, puddles, sand, and mud have an amazing attraction. In summer, you should also think about sufficient sun protection.

It is best to inform yourself before your visit about which areas of the farm are accessible and what the situation is regarding accessibility. Agricultural operations have grown historically and may, for example, have uneven paths, cobblestones, or buildings that are not wheelchair accessible.

In addition to the right preparation, respectful behavior is also part of a farm visit. A farm is not only a workplace and a habitat for animals, but often also the home of the families and people who live and work there. Residential buildings, gardens, and other private areas should therefore be respected and not entered without permission.

Keep to the areas designated for visitors as well as to warning signs and instructions from staff. You should only feed animals after prior consultation and not enter agricultural working areas or machines on your own. Especially with children, it is worth discussing these rules briefly before the tour.

If you would like to bring your own dog, you should also check in advance whether dogs are allowed on the farm and whether they must be kept on a leash. Many farms have their own farm dogs that move freely around the grounds and consider the farm their territory.

Farm holidays

If a day trip is not enough for you, you can also spend several days on some farms. A farm holiday is particularly suitable for families, as children can get to know farm life over a longer period of time and, depending on the farm, observe animals, help with small farm chores, or use the play facilities.

The costs can vary greatly: crucial factors include the region, season, amenities, accommodation, and additional offerings. A simple holiday apartment on a farm can, for example, be significantly cheaper than a high-quality holiday house with a sauna or extensive activity programs.

In addition, there may be costs for breakfast, final cleaning, tourist tax, or additional activities. Therefore, the question cannot be answered with a fixed flat-rate price. It is best to compare the accommodation prices and included services directly with the respective farms and think carefully about what budget you have available and want to spend.

Our insider tip from Backensholzer Hof: On the "Bauernhofurlaub" website, you will find an extensive list of farms with visible pricing for direct comparison. You are guaranteed to find the perfect accommodation there for your next farm holiday!

Day trip and insider tips in Schleswig-Holstein

There is plenty to discover between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. In addition to well-known excursion destinations like St. Peter-Ording or Sylt, you will also find smaller towns, nature experiences, and special destinations in Schleswig-Holstein that can be wonderfully combined for a family day trip.

Ideas for your next day trip:

• Tating on Eiderstedt: Just a few kilometers from St. Peter-Ording, things are much quieter here. Old "Haubarge" (traditional farmhouses), wide meadows, and the historic Hochdorf Garden make the small town a beautiful destination if you want to get to know the original North Frisia.

• Friedrichstadt: Canals, historic gabled houses, and small bridges give the North Frisian town its very own character. "Little Holland" is particularly beautiful to discover by canal boat or kayak.

• Husum: The harbor, old town, and castle park can easily be combined on a day trip. A visit is particularly worthwhile in spring, when the famous crocus bloom can be seen in the castle park.
  
  

• Bungsberg: At 168 meters, it is the highest elevation in Schleswig-Holstein. In addition to views and hiking trails, there is a forest nature trail and a natural forest playground – a lovely combination for families.

• Gut Panker: The small village with its manor, castle park, shops, galleries, and farm shop combines country feeling with an excursion to Holstein Switzerland. Paths also lead through the fields around the village.

• Viking Museum Haithabu: If you prefer to experience history rather than just read about it, you can immerse yourself in the world of the Vikings here. Reconstructed houses, original finds, and hands-on activities make Haithabu particularly interesting for families.

Real insider tips in Schleswig-Holstein:

• Hallig Nordstrandischmoor: The Hallig Nordstrandischmoor is connected to the mainland by a tram embankment and is therefore accessible in a very special way. When "Land unter" (flooding) occurs, the Hallig is washed over by water so that only the higher-lying "Warften" (artificial mounds) protrude from the water.
  
  
• Nature experience area Galloway: This approximately 13-hectare, hilly nature paradise is located in the north of Schleswig. Here, shaggy Galloway cattle can be visited and admired.
  
• Donkey and Land Playground Nessendorf: Great leisure and animal park with an accessible donkey enclosure for petting, grooming, and cuddling. Located a few kilometers from the Baltic Sea at Hohwacht Bay.
  

• Adventure Forest Trappenkamp: For families who enjoy being outdoors, there is forest, game enclosures, barefoot and sensory paths, as well as several adventure playgrounds to discover here.

And sometimes the next insider tip is closer than you think: smaller farm shops, farm cafés, and farms like our Backensholzer Hof can also be a wonderful destination or stopover for a day trip through Schleswig-Holstein.

Farm visit at Backensholzer Hof

When you are planning your day trip to a farm in Schleswig-Holstein, you can of course also stop by our Backensholzer Hof. Backensholzer Hof is located in the North Frisian Oster-Ohrstedt between Husum and Schleswig. We are a demonstration farm for organic farming. This means that you can drop by during opening hours and take a look at the farm even without prior registration.

We are also a Bioland farm and manage our farm according to the guidelines of Bioland e.V. These include, among other things, the renunciation of chemical-synthetic pesticides, species-appropriate animal husbandry, and a circular economy that is as closed as possible. You can discover many of these principles directly on site during your farm visit.

You are largely free to explore our farm grounds. We only ask you to respect and not enter our private areas, such as residential houses and gardens. You will find corresponding signs on the respective paths.

Especially when visiting with children, special attention is required. Please ensure that the little ones do not climb into animal enclosures, play on large straw bales, or climb silo mounds. Even if there is plenty to discover there, these are working areas of our farm which, for safety reasons, are not intended for playing.

In addition to the private areas, there are also restrictions in some working areas. There are three large feed robots on our farm that automatically supply the animals with feed. Therefore, attention is required here as well. The robots are equipped with safety sensors and, of course, stop as soon as an obstacle or a person is in their path.

Visiting animals

At Backensholz, there are various animals for young and old visitors to discover. On the farm, you can see cows and calves as well as sheep and chickens, among others.

Playing on the adventure playground

For children, our large adventure playground is probably one of the most important stops on the farm visit. Right behind the farm kitchen, a large bouncy cushion, a zip line, a large sandbox, toy tractors, and various balancing options await you, among other things.

The playground is free of charge and accessible during the opening hours of the farm shop and farm kitchen. This allows children to let off steam while the adults take a little break on the terrace.

Taking part in a farm tour

If you don't just want to walk around the farm, but want to learn more specifically about how agriculture works at Backensholz, you can take part in one of our farm tours. A tour takes you through the agricultural area. This allows you to experience farming, animals, and everyday life at Backensholz up close.

You can find the current dates for such public farm tours on our website under our events. A minimum of ten people is required for individual group tours; they can be requested and planned with appropriate lead time.

Important to know: For hygienic reasons, our dairy itself cannot be visited.

Tasting cheese and farm products

After the tour, you can stop by our farm shop. The focus there is, of course, on our own handmade raw milk cheese. Besides that, you will find delicacies, organic wines, farm-own meat products, as well as various selected specialties and nice gift and decoration ideas.

Especially after a farm visit, shopping takes on a different meaning: after all, you have just gotten to know the place where some of the products are created!

Refreshment in the farm kitchen

In our farm kitchen, you can let your farm visit come to a cozy end with a small or larger snack. During the week, we offer our hearty lunch buffet for self-service at noon.

A colorful, freshly prepared buffet directly from the farm awaits you with alternating meat dishes, vegetarian meals, seasonal vegetables, various potato side dishes, pasta, and a selection of salads. And of course, something sweet at the end should not be missing – a small dessert selection is also included.

In the afternoon, there are smaller, savory snacks like crispy tarte flambée or fries for the kids. Coffee, cake, and homemade Belgian waffles are of course also a must.

Even in typical North German "gloomy weather," you'll be cozy with us. You have the choice between our cheese cellar, the dining room, and the gallery with a view over the playground. Especially for families, the gallery is very practical, as it allows you to keep an eye on the little ones. In good weather, you can sit in the sun on our terrace – right next to the playground. This is quite convenient for families: the adults can still have a coffee while the little ones let off some steam.

Information for your visit

You can find Backensholzer Hof at Schwabstedter Damm 10, 25885 Oster-Ohrstedt between Husum and Schleswig. Free parking is available.

The following opening hours currently apply:

• Farm shop and playground
  Monday 12 pm - 2:30 pm
  Tuesday to Friday 10 am - 6 pm
  Saturday 10 am - 5 pm
• Farm kitchen
  Monday 12 pm - 2 pm
  Tuesday to Friday 10 am - 6 pm
  Saturday 10 am - 5 pm

We are always closed on Sundays and public holidays. Since opening hours can change, we recommend that you check our current opening hours again before making a long journey.

Is the farm accessible for people with disabilities?

Our farm kitchen is largely barrier-free, and most of the seating is accessible at ground level.

There are various surfaces on the farm itself. In addition to paved areas, these include cobblestones and gravel paths. For wheelchair users and people with limited mobility, an accompanying person may therefore be helpful.

Can I bring my dog to the farm?

In general, you are welcome to bring your dog. However, our two farm dogs, Vitus and Bella, also live on our farm and are free to roam the premises. Please therefore always keep an eye on your own dog and do not let it run around freely without supervision.

Are there overnight accommodations on the farm?

No, we currently do not have any holiday apartments or guest rooms on our farm. Backensholz is therefore primarily suitable for a day trip.

However: All holders of the "Landvergnügen" annual vignette are cordially invited to stay overnight at our farm with their van, motorhome, or caravan. Since our space is limited, we appreciate prior registration at +49 4626 – 18 58 295 or hofkueche@backensholz.de.

Conclusion: Experience agriculture firsthand during a farm visit

A farm visit with children can be much more than just a trip to see animals. It offers the opportunity to learn about agriculture where it actually happens and to get a feel for where our food comes from.

Anyone looking for a farm to visit nearby should, however, check in advance whether the respective farm welcomes visitors and what offers are actually available.

At Backensholz, we combine active farming with a farm that you are welcome to explore. You can visit our animals, walk around the grounds, let the children romp on the adventure playground, and then round off your trip in our farm kitchen and farm shop.

If you would like to dive even deeper, you can book a farm tour and get to know agriculture at Backensholz in even more detail. We look forward to your visit!