Back in January we decided to do what all god fearing Pennsylvanians do and traversed into the rain, sleet, and snow for the annual milkshake pilgrimage to the Farm Show. What we found there (aside from all the good eats) was a little stand, located somewhere between the cheese cubes and the butter sculpture, that had the cutest little Highland Cows that almost made our minds explode.
Behold, the Swartz Farm stand.
We could not move fast enough to buy tickets to pet these little guys and get some pictures. After spending a few moments in heaven, the women behind the stand let us know this amazing activity was available at their farm in Mohnton, PA— and that we should check it out sometime.
We said, “SAY NO MORE!”
Swartz Farm, which has been in the Swartz family for over 4 generations, is small family run farm offers folks a variety of fun activities. These range from Goat Yoga to Animal Cuddles and everything in between.
Appointments were incredibly easy to book. Just a little heads up, they do not take walk-ins and appointments fill up months in advance (especially the weekends). Let us walk you through the process:
Selecting your session-
To get this snuggle sesh rolling you can head on over to swartzfarmpa.com and click on the visit the farm tab at the top then choose book an appointment. Now that you are on the booking page you can scroll on down and choose from three different options of Farm Tours, Animal Cuddles (OMG OMG EEEEEE), and Animal Walks.
We chose the Animal Cuddles session. You can select from 5 different cuddling types: Mini Cows, Baby Goats, Horses, Bunnies and Piglets. We, of course, selected the mini cows😍
You choose your party size and add it to your cart (We also added the Piglets because why not!). You then get taken to the calendar to choose the date and time you wish to visit. Weekends go fast, so plan ahead.
(Pro-tip: We recommend early morning sessions in the summer to avoid afternoon thunderstorms/rainouts)
Arriving at the Farm-
Upon arrival we parked behind the main barn (which is directly off the main rd). Once we were parked, we waited for a short period until Alyssa (a member of the family that owns the barn) greeted us to begin our cuddle session.
Now, it was time for the real fun!
Enjoying the Animals-
We entered the barn and immediately the cuteness meter went on overload as we were greeted by a little baby goat, some little chicks, and of course 2 mini cows ready to be cuddled! We spent some time in the barn petting and brushing them, while Alyssa told us the history of the farm, some facts about the animals, and was happy to answer any questions we had.
We then headed over to where the rest of the cows were in the pasture. Due to rain in the past few days, the pasture was quite muddy so we couldn’t go in but we were still able to pet these guys and give them some treats through the fence.
Finally, we went up to where the little piglets were housed. These little guys came out to greet us, oinking and carrying on the whole way. When they got to us, they seemed more interested in eating the grass, but, we get it!
If you want to see a video from our visit, check out our Instagram video below
Don’t just take our word for it, plan your visit soon! We would recommend this experience to animal lovers, both young and old!
We had an amazing time at Swartz Farm and will definitely be back soon!
PRO TIP: Don’t forget to check out the gift shop and get some farm fresh eggs and other goodies for sale.
Upcoming Events-
The Swartz Farm gang will be taking the show on the road to Highland Festival Fun at Weavers Orchard on August 30th from 10-4. Tickets are available for $26.50 per person (link below):
Highland Cow Festival @ Weaver’s Orchard
They will also be holding a Fall Festival on Sunday October 12th from 10:30 AM -1:30 PM. The festival will include things for the whole family, such as hayrides, a petting zoo, and more!