hunter farms

About an hour drive for us but well worth it. $3 per person gets you a hay ride, corn maze, haunted room, animals, food vendors and farm stand. Great family fun!

Right at the middle of the big bend of Hood Canal at its most southernmost point, is the little village of Union, and there's not much there, there -- except for the wonderful Hunter Farms. This is one of the most eclectic establishments you will ever find on a road trip. Its a fruit and veggie stand -- no, its a country store with its own jams, jellies, preserves, and honey -- no, its a nursery with several greenhouses in the back -- no, its a weed and feed store that sells bales of hay for horses and salt licks for cows and deer -- no, its a working farm. Well, its all of that and more. And above all, at least for some of us -- it is an ice cream store featuring the wonderful locally made Olympic Mountain brand of high butterfat, creamy, decadently rich and flavorful ice creams -- 24 flavors in all So stop there for your tomatoes, potatoes, apples, peaches, berries and cherries in season, corn, squash, pumpkins, etc., and maybe a bale of hay for your favorite horse -- but whatever you do, treat yourself to a huge scoop or two of ice cream, either in a cone or in a dish.They used to have a great flavor called Jack Daniels bourbon ice cream, but since the Jack Daniels name is copyrighted, they had to change it to something like "whiskey nut ripple" or some such. But sour mash bourbon takes on a whole new life when paired with cream and other flavors. So now (drum roll) you can have your bourbon and eat it too! The espresso explosion is just too over the top heavenly for both chocolate and espresso lovers with its chunks of dark espresso beans, and the same is true for the peanut butter and chocolate flavor. Something new that I had not seen before was Key Lime Pie ice cream, and being a lover of that pie, I had a scoop. Yep, it was like eating a colder version of a slice of Key Lime Pie. While we were there on a sunny Sunday in September, and watching a steady stream of people get ice cream, we asked the cashier how much ice cream they serve up on a typical day. She said that last month (August) they were averaging between 400 and 500 ice cream sales a day! But she said September had slowed down to "only" about 150 to 200 sales a day.If you're lucky and sitting down inside eating your ice cream, you may even get a visit from "Laddie", the owners very large (and old) golden Collie. He came in and laid down right next to us, looking like he wanting a belly scratch. He has been a fixture there for years. While sitting there we viewed a steady stream of people bringing in their fruit and veggie and plant purchases, and leaving with them and an ice cream cone in hand. If you ever do a road trip that goes around the picturesque Hood Canal, be sure to treat yourself to a stop at Hunter Farms. Your taste buds will thank you!

There are many reasons to stop by Hunter Farms. First, it's a multi-generational working farm and family business--the real thing! Everyone is friendly and helpful, answering questions when needed, but not hovering.In May I dropped by to get the 4- and 6-pack plants to fill various boxes. I usually go alone for this annual foray because my husband gets tired waiting for me to make up my mind. There is always a large variety of flower types and colors, and I take numerous trips around the greenhouses. Besides I need every inch of space in the SUV to get everything home. Yes, I do get carried away, but my gardens look great--see the photo of my 4th of July window boxes--all Hunter plants. There is a small animal menagerie in the barn, including a resident emu. Fun place for the kids (and adult kids) to stop in. Last winter there were cute little baby goats.The store has fresh vegetables and fruit as well as shelves with basic cooking needs. Of course the real danger of going inside is that you will find yourself lingering over the freezer full of Olympic Mountain Ice Cream (made locally) in many delicious flavors. Hunter's is one of the few places that you can buy the ice cream by the quart as well as in a cone or cup. My husband stopped by on the way to our beach house to pick up some raspberries just before the 4th, but there was only one little carton left. He asked if more berries would be coming in. Hunters said to leave his name and number they'd call when the flat came in--and they did! The berries are from Spooner Berry Farm in Olympia and they are fabulous. So don't forget the raspaberries - and if you MUST have them, call in and reserve a flat.

The store carries all kinds of home made jarred goodies like strawberry rhubarb preserves and - gasp - a nice selection of that famous and hard to find Olympic Mountain ice ceam! The store is guarded by "Laddie" - a huge golden red Collie! He'll actually move a leg if you attempt to scratch his belly! If you're not squeamish about that country smell - go into the big barn with all kinds of farm animals (even some for sale). We were lucky to see a bunch of recently born, teeny adorable pink pot belly piglets. There is Juneau the reindeer who loves Xmas, lots of goats and bunnies, and chickens. The rooster seems to get a kick out of hiding and then voicing his opinion as unsuspecting visitors walk by his den! Made me jump... There are humongous greenhouses with a wide selection of plants and herbs and reasonably priced.

I took two 5 year olds to the pumpkin patch, they were delighted to find there were other activities to do, a train ride, a huge air pillow to jump on, some animals to pet, etc. They had a great time and it was cheap!! It's a cute set up, lots of cute photos to be taken. Also a couple corn mazes. No entrance fee. On the website it said parking was $5 but we were never charged for parking. The mazes and slides etc require tickets and they are $1 a piece, and if you don't use all your tickets you can put them towards the purchase of your pumpkins!

This farm has been in the family for generations. They have fresh fruits and vegatables, Oysters, Ice Cream and a little of everything. I recommend you go during the fall. They have tractor rides to go pick out a pumkin and a hay maze and small petting area for the kids. It's an all around great place to stop in

I meant to write this review sooner, my family and I went to Hunter Farms in Mid- October, on a typical, drizzly Washington week day. A nice plus, it is a really pretty, scenic drive out there! This place is definitely going to become a family fall tradition.Before going we read reviews from a lot of people complaining about paying $2.50 per person, but this charge not only covers the tractor ride out to the pumpkin patch, it also covers entry into the corn maze, hay maze, and animal area. That is ridiculously cheap for a corn maze! Average prices run between $5-$7 per person at other places.The staff is super friendly. It was drizzling so we skipped the corn maze, but the kids had a blast in the hay maze...which is complete with tunnels and a slide! We took the tractor ride out to the pumpkin patch, but decided to stay on instead of picking pumpkins due to the rain. Walked around and petted various farm animals, then headed to their general store to grab a bag of yummy kettle corn. I definitely recommend this place for families looking for affordable fall fun..we spent $10 total for our family of four and had a lot of fun!