You can hardly surprise anyone today with petting zoos - hundreds of such small menageries operate throughout Russia, where you can stroke and feed animals from your hands. However, all over the world, educational urban farms are gaining great popularity, which make it possible to acquaint residents of megacities, especially children, closer with animals and plants. One such park has recently opened in Moscow, at VDNKh.
Concept
The main idea of such a farm is to join the living world, to understand how to care for animals, how to grow plants. The essence of the project is to give children not only to communicate with the animal and stroke it, but also to feed it, see how and in what conditions the animals live on a real farm. That is, the goal is not to show the animal, as in a regular zoo, but to tell the child how a person lives next to them - prepares food for them, builds shelters, cleans the pens. That is why there are no cages here, and those animals that live right on the street in a real farm are freewalk around here too.
The city farm also grows a variety of crops that you can join the care of the whole family. In addition, such facilities are always a platform for various educational programs for children.
In addition, the “City Farm” at VDNH aims at humane treatment of animals, which is so often lacking in other petting zoos in Russia. That is why the administration stated that there would never be cubs here, only adult animals. In fact, here you can play with goats and hold a rabbit in your arms, however, only under the supervision of a zoologist.
The concept of the park is really very interesting and impressive, but it is still under development and stage-by-stage construction, therefore, the reviews about the City Farm at VDNKh project are often not very flattering: people describe the park with mixed feelings, noting that animals there are very few here, for example, there are no pigs, as inhabitants of any farm. Many compare the farm to an ordinary well-maintained playground or park, but the cost of visiting it is considered too high. Nevertheless, children are always delighted with animals and the entertainment offered, so the City Farm located at VDNKh continues to develop and be filled with interesting objects.
World analogues
Europe has long offered the format of a family holiday on a farm. For example, in Norway there is a whole network of Bø Gardsturisme farms where you can come for a few days, work with animals, fish, ride bicycles andboats.
And very close, in Sweden, in the gardens of Fredriksdal, they offer not only to look at village animals, but also to plunge into the atmosphere of life on a farm in the last century. Here they teach ancient crafts, show the way of life of the 18th century, from everyday life to costumes, and traditional village dishes are served for lunch.
In the USA, right in Manhattan, the "Battery Urban Farm" is open, where schoolchildren are shown how various plants grow, learn how to grow and care for them. Not only flowers and ornamental crops grow here, but also vegetables, fruits, cereals. They are all organic, so in addition to teaching children, they instill a love for natural and he althy products.
Livestock
Pets and birds are the main object of the City Farm project (VDNKh). You can find the following objects here:
- A poultry yard where ducks, geese, chickens and other poultry live.
- Shed - goats, cows, donkeys, sheep live here.
- Rabbit farm where you can feed and hold rabbits of different breeds.
Besides this, the “City Farm” at VDNKh has a pond for waterfowl and a grazing area for animals, and many of them, especially birds, generally walk wherever they please, so you can find, for example, chicken eggs in the grass. Animal pens are equipped with signs on which the type and breed of the animal, the nickname, and what exactly this animal loves are written.
So, in the pen with donkeys, you can find out that Glasha and Businka live there, who are related to the donkey Lyusya, the star of the Soviet comedy “Prisoner of the Caucasus”. On the plate of the goat Boris it is indicated that he loves attention, carrots and cereals. But you can’t feed unusual humpback cows, as the sign warns about.
By the way, you can feed the animals with special food, machines with which are everywhere. You need to buy tokens in advance at the box office and exchange them for a treat. And to pet animals, you first need to wash your hands. For this purpose, washstands and dispensers with an antiseptic are installed. Also, zoologists always work on the territory, who will not only tell about animals, but also show how to care for them.
Crop production
Here at VDNKh, City Farm will show you how different crops grow, and local agronomists will tell you how to care for them. For this, a garden and a garden are laid out here in the warm season. To demonstrate what farming is, master classes and presentations of various plants, as well as training programs are held. So, visitors will be taught to understand various plants, even exotic and tropical ones, they will tell you how to plant and grow vegetables, herbs and fruits and what devices will help with this.
Creative and educational objects
In addition to the fact that the sites for animals themselves are aimed at education and enlightenment, there are also special objects. For example, a feed kitchen, where, under the guidance of zoologists, you can prepare food forfarm dwellers.
There are also creative workshops where visitors are taught traditional crafts such as pottery, basket weaving, woodcarving.
Recreation areas
In fact, the entire territory of the park, which is several hectares, is a recreation area for the whole family. A clean, well-groomed area with fresh air, a relaxing atmosphere and the smell of a real village is offered to its visitors by the City Farm at VDNKh. Photos of pavilions and different parts of the park eloquently speak of a truly comfortable place for the whole family to relax.
A large playground has been organized right at the entrance, where it will be interesting for kids of different ages, as well as children with disabilities.
On the bank of the Kamenka River, a sandy beach is equipped, where there are comfortable sun loungers, allowing you to lie down and relax, as well as real haystacks exuding a cozy aroma. You can have a bite to eat in a cafe or in a coffee kiosk, which is difficult to pass by - it is made in the shape of a pencil.
Events
Of course, the “City Farm” at VDNKh gives you the opportunity to take a walk on your own, but the most interesting things will be told to children at special master classes and educational programs.
Thus, master classes are held on building pens for animals, weaving nets for catching fish, milking goats, cleaning donkeys, etc. Lectures are held in a playful way on the topic of the benefits of milk or the characteristics of wool, classes on soil science, cuttingsplants, stories about interesting gardening tools and unusual designs, and much more.
You can also buy a tour of the entire farm. It is held for groups of 3 people and costs from 1200 rubles. For those who like to play interesting games, a farm quest has been prepared, the duration of which is 45 minutes. Groups of 5 people are accepted for the quest. For participation, you need to pay 800 rubles per person.
And if you want your child to learn as much as possible about farm life, you can send him to the school of a young farmer. It includes 6 lessons during which children learn a lot about domestic animals and plants, learn how to care for them, prepare food for animals and birds, fish, milk goats and much more interesting things. The school accepts children from 6 to 12 years old, the cost of the entire course is 3500 rubles, the school is open all year round.
Happy summer holidays
In the summer, the Farm hosts a children's club called Vacations at the VDNKh city farm. The shift lasts 2 weeks, classes are held throughout the day from Monday to Friday. As part of the shift, children spend all day in the fresh air, communicate with animals and grow plants in the local garden, and at the same time study at master classes in crafts, animation, and photography. There are also sports and creative activities for children. Shifts open from the beginning of June, and each has its own theme. So, if you wish, you can take the child at least for the whole summer:
- In the first shift, children learn how to plant plants and prepare for the farming season.
- More animal care and barn work on second shift.
- The third shift - in early July - for fishing enthusiasts with the indispensable holiday of Neptune in the best traditions of Soviet pioneer camps.
- The fourth is dedicated to various crafts.
- The fifth shift will teach children how to craft and build, from simple stools to animal pens and even real beehives.
- The sixth, final shift, in the last days of August, completes the farming season with a harvest and a big holiday.
Children from 7 to 13 years of age are accepted for the shift. The cost of one shift is 27 thousand rubles, but you can bring a child to any one-time lesson for 3 thousand. The price, in addition to educational and recreational activities, includes three meals a day.
Farm Development Plans
Gradually, the administration of the complex introduces more and more new entertainment and educational sites in the park. Despite the fact that many reviews criticize The Farm for the lack of animal diversity and too expensive entry, the project continues to develop. So, last year, the “City Farm” at VDNKh worked only in the summer, and since 2016 it has been open all year round - warm pavilions and entertainment for different seasons have appeared. Further, it is planned to ennoble and use the opposite bank of the Kamenka River, where a place for fishing will be equipped. Various types of fish will be released into the pond and river to acquaint visitors with their life.
Crop section will replenishgreenhouse to make this block year-round. There will also be a dovecote, new animals and comfortable seating areas.
Prices
Entry ticket, or, as they say here, the farmer's fee, costs 200 rubles on weekdays and 300 on weekends per person. For children from one to 4 years old, a children's ticket is valid - 100 rubles on weekdays and 150 - on weekends. Children under one year old can enter for free, and a family of 3 can visit the park for 500 rubles on weekdays and 800 rubles on weekends.
Free admission is valid for Veterans of the Great Patriotic War and disabled people of the first and second groups. For large families, disabled people of the 3rd group and pensioners, there is a 50% discount on the farm contribution.
At the cash desk you can buy a token for animal feed. It costs 50 rubles, and with one token in the park, you can buy a portion of crackers or carrots, or special food in a vending machine in the park. Portions are small, but you can't bring your own treats.
Master classes on various topics cost from 200 rubles per person, and excursions - from 500 rubles.
Opening hours and schedule of the City Farm at VDNKh
The farm is open to visitors all year round from 10:30 am to 8:00 pm. Monday is a sanitary day, the park is closed at this time, all other days it works as usual.
Excursions are held 5 times a day. The duration of each is 1 hour, the groups go one after another with an interval of 30 minutes. The first tour starts at 12 noon and the last tour starts at 18:00.
“Urban Farm” at VDNKh: address, how to get there
The park is located at VDNKh, behind pavilion No. 44 “Rabbit Breeding”. This is practically the very end of the exhibition, the territory where livestock pavilions were located in Soviet times. To find out in more detail how to get to the City Farm (VDNKh), you can download a map on the park website.
From the Botanichesky Sad metro station to the entrance to the farm, walk only 10 minutes, you need to enter the gate through Likhoborsky passage and turn right along the Ring Road. The only pavilion in that area is just “Rabbit Breeding”, next to it is the “City Farm” at VDNKh.
How to get from the main entrance to the territory of VDNKh? It will take much longer to walk from it - about 30 minutes. Move along the main alley, and after the Cosmos pavilion, keep to the right and after the Animal Husbandry pavilion, turn right onto Likhoborsky proezd. You can also take a minibus and get to the desired pavilion for 40 rubles.
