If you’re looking to escape from the hustle and bustle of Toronto city then Riverdale farm might just be your answer. This 7.4-acre farm in the heart of Cabbagetown is free for everyone to visit and is open all year round. Not only is the farm very scenic but also has its very interesting residents like the cows, horses, donkeys, sheep, chickens, pigs, ducks, turkeys, geese and farm cats. One can learn a lot about farm life by engaging in friendly conversations with the farmers/staff while they tend to small chores like animal feeding, goat milking, horse grooming, cow milking and egg collecting. If you are really interested then you can work as a volunteer from May through October with helping out with gardening activities.
A few things to do here:
1. Every day at 11:30am there is a demonstration wherein the farmer presents a different animal to the visitors and there is a Q&A session as to get to know these animals in depth as well.
2. There are may trails in this farm to explore. The attached map below will show you in detail the layout of this place and the many other activities that you can explore. On certain occasions like Halloween and Christmas, the staff here does a very good job of decorating the farm, which makes it even more fun.
3. The barns here house cows, horses, goats and sheep and you can visit all these residents with your children, as the farm is child friendly.
Upon your exit of the Riverdale farmhouse, there is one more place that I would highly recommend for you to try. Just opposite of the farm is a cozy little café called “Park Snacks”that sells premium ice cream treats, along with select snacks such as hot dogs, sausages, burgers, fries, sandwiches and few drinks items at the right price. This quaint place is exactly what you need after exploring the farm at length.
