Most kids know the ‘Old McDonald Had a Farm’ song, but not many have visited an actual working farm. So, naturally we were excited to find out about Farm Fresh Malaysia’s ‘Farm Experience’ at The Acre by Farm Fresh in Serdang, Selangor. The Farm and its accompanying restaurant The Acre are only half an hour away from KL.
Delicious farm-to-table offerings featuring fresh produce
The farm-to-table concept means that the produce used is very fresh and indeed the food at restaurant The Acre is good! The menu is a blend of modern Italian and Malaysian cuisine. The wood-fired pizzas are delicious. We tried the Margherita and Mushroom Jack pizzas – some of the best we ever had. There is also the ‘Food Coma’ pizza made from streaky beef, beef ragout and pepperoni.
The pastas were also very tasty. There is an Aglio Olio Gambas with large grilled prawns, a unique mushroom-based Al Funghi Orecchiettei and a traditional Vongole served with clams. There is also a counter nearby serving nasi lemak with freshly fried turmeric spiced chicken, for those who prefer Malaysian food.
Fans of ice-cream will love the soft serves sold at the Farm, as they are made from real milk, not the usual palm oil derivatives. There is also a bubble tea kiosk, Jom Cha that serves up flavours like Belgian Chocolate – we thought these tended to be a bit too sweet.
Fun things to do around the farm
The tractor ride is a must for kids! The ride culminates at a vantage point on a high hill that offers a stunning view of the farm property. There is also a barrel ride, made up of a little train with barrel carriages.
There is an enclosure with farm animals such as roosters, chickens, chicks, peafowl, rabbits, and deer. This is referred to as a petting zoo, but my children were disappointed to find that you are not able to really pet the animals, as they all tend to mill around the middle and out of visitors’ reach, save for the occasional friendly deer or escaped rooster.
The farm offers short pony rides for kids (and even interested adults) at RM10 a ticket. Visitors can also walk around a small, dark room filled with fighting fish or an aviary area outside with more of the roosters, chickens, and other birds.
The main animal attraction would be ‘The Ladies’, as the farm affectionately calls them, being the cows that produce the fresh milk Farm Fresh is so well-known for. You can see baby calves in the nursery, young cows as well heavily pregnant cows. The farm tries its best to make these more comfortable with a giant brush-like massager and classical music streamed into their pens!
You can also just walk around the beautiful sprawling grounds that have lots of large mature trees and pretty flower patches. These picturesque spaces, especially the area with lots of whimsical cow statues, make for lots of Instagram-worthy backdrops for your photographs.
Parents can also indulge in some retail therapy, as there is a little store near the soft serve shop that sells Farm Fresh’s milk products and organic vegetables.
Tips for visiting on a weekend or public holidays
- It gets quite crowded during weekends, so try visiting on a weekday if you can. However, if you can only go on weekends, you might want to arrive earlier (around 920am to 930am) before it opens at 10am.
- Only one family member needs to queue up to buy entrance tickets consisting of paper wristbands.
- The rest of the group should start queuing for the tractor rides, so that as soon as the entry bands are secured, your whole group can hop on the tractors.
- The other thing you will need to manage is securing dining tables for your group. Opt for an early lunch around 11am or so. However, if you worry about not getting a table, you can also bring along a large mat as a backup plan, as there is plenty of space around the premises for you to enjoy your lunch, picnic-style.
- Some of the other activities, like the barrel train and pony rides, do have short queues but these move quickly.
The Acre by Farm Fresh is a fun and interesting treat for city kids and can keep your whole family occupied for at least half a day. I would highly recommend a visit, as it offers a unique experience in the city.
Useful info
The Farm and its accompanying restaurant The Acre are open 6 days a week from 10am to 7pm and closed on Mondays. Last entry for both is 5pm. On weekends and public holidays, the restaurant has extended opening hours from 10am to 10pm (last entry is 7pm). More info here on their FB page!
