Fresh Acres Fall Festival and Farm

04/21/2026

If you haven't heard of straw bale gardening check it out in the link below. We deliver bales each spring from St Cloud to St Paul.

These warmer days have lots of people calling to schedule there deliveries. Message us to schedule your delivery.

Bales are $8 each and delivery is $2 a mile from our farm in Monticello.

From straw to harvest 🌱🍅

Be Inspired with Straw Bale Gardening by Joel Karsten, this garden proves that you don’t need rich soil to grow rich results. Just a simple straw bale, the right care, and patience—and you’ll be rewarded with fruitful, bountiful harvests.

Grow where you are. Bloom with what you have. 🌿

04/14/2026

Thank you for the outpouring of support after learning about our barn fire. So many of you have reached out to offer assistance, which we are incredibly grateful for. We met with insurance today and are looking forward to hearing their assessment.

A dear friend of the family reached out and asked if she could set up a GoFundMe. Initially we were skeptical given we have insurance, but after talking it through with some of our friends, we realized that insurance will not pay for everything. Between needing to pay for the deductible, a variety of things that aren't covered by insurance, on top of the fact that the cost of a new barn will likely exceed the amount we receive from insurance, we agreed a GoFundMe would make sense.

If you can help, it would be greatly appreciated. You can be assured the investment will be put to good use as we rebuild a new home for our animals.

On April 11th, a fast-moving fire destroyed the barn at Fresh Acres. Although the goat… Becca Wilts needs your support for Support Fresh Acres after barn fire

04/12/2026

Yesterday, April 11, just before noon, Dana noticed smoke coming from our barn. When she ran outside, she found that flames had already reached the ceiling. Before the fire departments could arrive, the roof collapsed, and the barn was lost.

We are incredibly thankful for all of the first responders, including the 911 dispatchers, the Wright County Sheriff's department, the CentraCare EMS team, and the Monticello and Albertville fire department. While their fast response wasn't able to save the barn, they were able to stop the fire from spreading to our pole shed, which is where most of our tractors and equipment is stored.

This has been a very difficult loss. While most of our animals made it out safely, not all were able to escape, which has been hard for our family. We are grateful for our amazing neighbors who showed up in the chaos and corralled the animals that DID make it out, while Zeke rushed home from an event in St. Cloud.

In the weeks ahead, we will figure out what comes next and keep you updated as we move forward. The good news is the damage sustained will not impact our Fall Festival; we will still host our event this Fall.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who showed up, reached out, and offered support. We are truly blessed to be surrounded by such a caring and wonderful community.

03/29/2026

03/29/2026

The syrup is coming out fast today! Time to get bottling!

03/28/2026

Come see us this morning at St. Michael Cinema 15 for the bunny trail 9-10:30. Free candy for the kids and coupons to the fall festival for the whole family!

03/19/2026

Yesterday we had the chance to teach science class on the farm. We had two school groups out to learn the science behind making maple syrup. The kids had a great time tasting sap, tasting syrup, meeting the animals and even had a fun snowball fight. What’s even better is our daughter was able to teach some of the classes as she explores the teaching profession. It is always fun to teach people they can farm in their own front yard! They even brought us this awesome homemade thank you card!!

03/15/2026

It may be a blizzard today but Sept 12 is going be be gorgeous and have some great events for all ages.

03/01/2026

We often get the question, "What's is new this year?" Well on our opening weekend we will have Corgi racing hosted by the Monticello Chamber of Commerce & Industry during our 2nd annual Harvest & Hops Festival at the Corn Maze. Mark your calendar now for Sept 12th. Stay tuned for more new events and activities to be announced this summer!

02/19/2026

Have you ever wondered what it really takes to turn maple sap into delicious maple syrup? Or maybe you’ve thought about it but figured you don’t have the time to babysit a boiling pot for hours (and risk messing it up)? Good news — we’ve got options for both!

Rent-a-Tap
Perfect for folks who want to tap their own trees but don’t have the time or equipment to boil, filter, and bottle the sap themselves. We’ll set you up with everything you need to collect sap — you just enjoy the fun part!
$35 per tree

Syrup-Making Classes
Curious about the process but not quite ready to tap your own trees yet? Come learn how syrup is made step-by-step in a small, hands-on class!
Classes start at the beginning of March and are limited to 4–6 people for a great experience.

$25 – Class only

$50 – Make and bottle syrup to take home
(Prices are per person.)

Sweet, simple, and a whole lot of fun — come make maple memories with us! 🍁
Call or message us to set up your next adventure.