The Educational Farm at Joppa Hill is a go-to spot for many young families to get their farm animal fix. Located in Bedford, NH, it is a non-profit organization on a mission to provide educational opportunities on their working farm. As part of this goal, their barnyard is open from dawn to dusk 365 days a year, allowing families to visit the animals for free.
The Farmstand at Joppa Hill Farm
A working farm, they often have produce and other products for sale through their farmstand. It has more limited hours than the dawn to dusk of the barnyard, so check their website for the most up to date hours if you would like to check it out. Along with their own products they sell a lot of fun local goods.
Visit the Animals of Joppa Hill Farm
When you first pull in, there is a large dirt lot for comfortable parking. It is free to enter the barnyard animal area so you can just head on in! They have grain cups available for $5 in a self serve station so the farm stand doesn’t have to be open for you to take advantage of this fun option. The animals certainly know the difference between a person with a grain cup and a person with no grain cup!
Low-pressure exposure for hesitant kiddos
All of the animals are fenced off in their pastures and pens. If you have a child who is not so sure about animals or petting zoos in general, this is a great place to come work on their confidence. I imagine that if I was only two feet tall, I wouldn’t enjoy being mobbed by nibbling baby goats roughly the same size as me either! All treats are fed through the fencing allowing the hesitant kiddo to just step back to safety.
They have the big guys, like horses, cows and alpacas, all the way down to the little guys – ducks and chickens! The horses are in the field up the hill behind the barn. They have a large space so – just guessing – I think it will take a little luck to actually get to see them close up. At the bottom of the hill there are bunnies and guinea hogs as well as the chicken coop.
This main area is full sun, so don’t underestimate preparations even if you intended a short visit. Hats, sunscreen and lots of water are all called for as you explore the space. I mention this because I felt fairly unprepared for how intense the sun was during our visit and when we turned the corner to go down a shady trail visiting the goats, it was a welcome reprieve.
At the end of what I will call Goat Road, are the cows. They are big and looked at us with indifference, making me feel like they were not intended recipients of the grain cups. We gave a friendly wave from a distance!
Events on the Farm
In addition to having their barnyard available, the farm hosts lots of different workshops and fun events for kids, adults and families. You can sign up to walk a goat, have a bunny tea party or join a meditation workshop. Check out their website for all the current offerings.
Quick Facts: Joppa Hill Farm
| Stroller Friendly (Jogging stroller best for navigating the grassy areas) | |
| Mostly full sun exposure | |
| No Bathroom, Porta-potty in the parking lot | |
| Picnic table outside of barnyard area, by the farmstand | |
| Parking: Large unpaved lot | |
| Address: 174 Joppa Hill Rd, Bedford, NH |
| Nearby Resources | |
|---|---|
| Mobil Gas Station/Dunkin Donuts (4 minutes) | Convenience store, Drive through & Bathroom |
| Hannaford (6 minutes) | Grocery store & Bathroom |
| The Inside Scoop (8 minutes) | Coffee, Sandwiches and Ice Cream & Bathroom. Walgreens next door. |
2 Responses
What a one-stop, comprehensive blog for planning a great day! Thank you for your research and polished presentation.
Thank YOU for this lovely comment! I am so glad you like the site!