.Best Educational Working Farm: Sow your own

The only fish you’ll find at Ardenwood will be in the fertilizer. This item was actually a pretty easy choice, considering there aren’t many working farms of any sort left in Alameda County, much less genuine Victorian ones that are also open to the public. Now operated by the East Bay Regional Park District, Ardenwood was at one time the largest farm estate in the East Bay, occupying all of today’s Fremont. With its beautiful Victorian mansion and garden, demonstrations of 1870s farming techniques, and opportunities for hands-on participation, it’s always a fascinating place to visit. Organic vegetables fresh from the field are sold May through October just inside the main gate. There are programs for children, and special events throughout the year. Our favorite is the October Harvest Fair at which you can wander through a cornfield maze, pick your own Indian corn and popcorn-on-the-cob, eat tasty pastries baked in wood-fired ovens by women clad in Victorian garb, and take a hay ride towed behind the enormous 1900-era steam tractor. Ardenwood Historic Farm is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, year round, including Labor Day and Memorial Day.