Fall family fun comes to Round the Bend farm

Oct 16, 2021

Fall is in full swing at Round the Bend Farm.

Even with temperatures more reminiscent of the summer, the farm welcomed families with seasonal produce such as squash and hayride tours along the property Saturday as part of its monthly Open Farm Days.

“It was absolutely beautiful,” Cristy O’Brien said of the hayride. “Always nice to enjoy the farm.” 

This particular ride was a gift for her son Will’s sixth birthday.

O’Brien is the co-founder and co-director of the nonprofit Elements Learning Collaborative on the farm’s grounds — which Will currently attends.

The nonprofit supplements alternative education with its outdoors nature program as well as a summer camp, homeschooling discussion groups for parents, and a downloadable curriculum for kids learning at home.

O’Brien said the program is typically run near the entrance of the property, so Will and his classmates “don’t usually get to see too much of the farm. 

“So this was really fun for them,” she said. “Everything was absolutely beautiful.”

Along the ride, the families got to see gourds ready for the fall harvest, along with the sometimes wandering chickens and some of the farm’s newest piglets.

“They were born just this past Wednesday,” Round the Bend Farm Executive Director Desa Van Laarhoven noted. “They’re so cute.”

New Bedford resident Marnie Amaral said that she and daughters Alexandria and Milania, both 7, unfortunately were unable to make it to one of the hayrides.

Although the family was unable to take in the sights from behind a tractor, Amaral said she and her girls still had a great time.

“We had so much fun looking at the piglets,” she said.

Milania agreed.

“They were so small,” she said.

The next Open Farm Day will be held Saturday, Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.