The 1,000-Acre Mississippi Farm With U-Pick Fruit, Flower Fields And Wagon Rides

More than a thousand acres of working dairy farm in Mississippi, and the family running it treats arriving visitors like neighbors who stopped by rather than customers who paid.

Strawberries get picked by the people eating them. Sunflower rows come up taller than most of the kids walking between them. Wagon rides rumble out past cows that have long since stopped finding any of this interesting.

The same family has held this land since 1948, and the third generation is running it now. That continuity shows up in how unhurried the whole operation feels. Nobody is trying to turn the afternoon over quickly, because the afternoon is the product.

A Thousand Acres Of Green With A Side Of Moo

Few places in south Mississippi let you cover this much ground in one afternoon. The property spreads across more than 1,000 acres, reaching over the state line into Alabama, though everything open to the public sits on the Mississippi side.

Cows came first here. A dairy operation started back in 1948, and milking is still part of the daily rhythm. Guests get to watch it happen, which is far more fascinating than most people expect.

The agritourism side opened much later, in 2013, when the family decided to share the place with the public. Since then the fields have filled with strawberry rows, sunflower blooms, pumpkins, and wagons loaded with grinning kids.

What holds it together is the fact that none of it feels staged. Tractors work. Calves nap in the shade. The barn smells like a barn should.

Third generation family members run things now, and that continuity shows in small ways. Staff know the animals by name. Directions come with a story attached.

Plan on half a day at minimum. Rushing a farm this size would be a shame, and the shady benches practically beg you to slow down.

Middleton Farms And The Road That Gets You There

Now for the part you will want to write down. The farm goes by Middleton Farms, and it sits along 21500 Otis Cooper Road in Moss Point, MS 39562, out where the pavement turns quiet and the pine trees take over.

Moss Point is part of Jackson County, an easy drive from the coast. The route out feels rural enough that first timers sometimes wonder if they missed a turn. Keep going. The signs appear.

Parking is plentiful, which is a mercy during pumpkin season. No circling, no squeezing between trucks, no long march from the car.

Once you are through the gate, the layout unfolds in a loop of barns, fields, play areas, and animal pens. Everything connects by dirt paths and wagon trails, so strollers and short legs manage fine.

Hours shift with the season, so a quick check before loading up the family saves disappointment. The fall festival keeps the widest schedule of the year.

Bring cash for extras like pony rides and snacks. Bring sneakers you do not mind dusting. Bring an appetite for roasted corn.

Strawberry Rows Worth Kneeling For

Spring turns the fields red, and the U-pick strawberry season becomes the sweetest reason to show up early. Berries here ripen with that deep, jammy flavor supermarket fruit rarely manages.

Picking is simple. Grab a container, walk the rows, and look under the leaves where the best ones hide. The plants sit low, so bring a hat and expect a bit of a squat.

Kids take to it quickly. There is something about finding a perfect berry that turns even a fidgety seven year old into a focused hunter.

Morning trips beat afternoon ones. Cooler air, softer light, and berries that have not been sitting in the Mississippi sun for hours.

A tip worth following: pick only the fully red ones. Strawberries do not keep ripening once they leave the plant, so pale shoulders stay pale forever.

Season length depends entirely on weather, which means calling the timing is part guesswork and part luck. Warm winters push things earlier.

Bring a cooler for the ride home. Fresh berries fade fast in a hot car, and these deserve better treatment than that.

Sunflowers Standing Tall In Formation

Yellow takes over when the sunflowers hit their stride, and the effect is genuinely startling in person. Rows of blooms stretch out with their faces angled toward the light like an audience waiting for a show.

Photographers love the fields, and so do parents with a camera roll to fill. The stalks grow tall enough that small children disappear between them, which makes for charming pictures and mild panic.

Walk the paths slowly. Bees work these flowers hard, and they have zero interest in you as long as nobody swats.

Blooms peak fast. A sunflower field looks glorious for a couple of weeks, then droops into seed heads, so timing your visit matters more than with most crops.

Wear closed shoes. Field dirt gets soft after rain and sandals lose the fight quickly.

Kids on field trips sometimes get to plant a sunflower seed of their own to take home. Watching one sprout on a windowsill turns a single visit into weeks of interest.

Golden hour deserves special mention. Late light through the petals looks almost lit from within.

Wagon Rides With A Tractor Up Front

Nothing signals farm day quite like climbing onto a wagon behind a rumbling tractor. Hay bales serve as seating, the ride rolls at conversation speed, and the view changes with every bend.

Routes pass pastures, fields, and working parts of the property most visitors would never see on foot. Guides point out crops and animals along the way.

Little ones tend to grip the rails for the first minute, then relax completely. Grandparents seem to enjoy it just as much, which says something.

Hayrides run during the fall festival and show up on field trip itineraries too. Lines move steadily, so waits stay reasonable even on busy Saturdays.

A word of practical advice: hay sticks to everything. Dark pants and a lint roller in the car will serve you well.

There is also a grain train that circles part of the grounds, sized right for the smaller crowd. Barrel rides give another spin on the same idea.

Between all three, transportation becomes an attraction instead of a chore. Kids ride, ride again, then ask for a fourth turn.

Five Acres Of Pumpkins Come Autumn

Autumn is the farm’s loudest season, and the pumpkin patch is the headliner. The patch covers more than five acres, so finding your pumpkin becomes a proper expedition rather than a quick grab.

Sizes run the full range. Tiny ones fit in a toddler’s hands, while the big fellows require a two person carry and some grunting.

Corn stalks, hay bales, and photo props line the area, giving the whole scene a proper harvest look. Families end up taking more pictures here than anywhere else on the property.

The Fall Festival is the main event. In 2026 it runs September 25 through November 1, with Wednesday and Thursday hours from noon to 6 PM, Friday and Saturday from 10 AM to 8 PM, and Sunday from noon to 7 PM.

Evening visits on Friday and Saturday feel different. Cooler air, longer shadows, and a calmer pace after the afternoon rush thins out.

Food trucks park nearby during the festival. Roasted corn earns particular praise, and the homemade hot chocolate has a devoted following.

Getting Lost On Purpose In The Corn Maze

Corn mazes are a test of patience disguised as fun, and this one keeps families wandering happily for a good while. Paths twist between tall stalks, dead ends included, because that is the entire point.

Groups usually split up and then regroup by shouting across the rows. It is loud, silly, and somehow always ends in laughter.

Younger children do fine with an adult along. The stalks tower over them, which adds to the drama without adding real risk.

Go in with a plan if you like structure. Following one wall consistently is an old trick that eventually works, though it takes the mystery out.

Time your maze run before the light fades. Navigating corn in dim conditions is far less charming than it sounds.

Water bottles help. Even in October, Mississippi can serve up a warm afternoon that catches people off guard.

Once you emerge, the rest of the grounds sit close by, so there is no long trek back. Most families head straight for a snack and a seat.

Calves, Goats, And A Bottle In Hand

Bottle feeding a calf ranks as the single most requested activity here, and it is easy to understand why. A hungry calf pulls hard, the bottle jerks, and the kid holding it lights up completely.

The petting zoo rounds out the animal side. Goats angle for attention, chickens patrol the ground, and lambs draw crowds when they are young.

Handlers stay close and explain what each animal needs. Learning happens sideways, without anybody announcing a lesson.

Dairy tours take things further with a live milking demonstration. Watching a cow get milked answers a question most children have never thought to ask about where milk begins.

Butter making shows up on many visits too. Shaking cream until it turns into butter feels like a magic trick, and the taste test seals it.

Hand washing stations sit nearby, which matters after all that petting. Use them before snacks.

One note for planning: pets are not part of the visit, so leave the family dog comfortable at home and enjoy the farm animals instead.

Zip Lines, Jumping Pillows And The Super Slide

Energy has to go somewhere, and the play area handles that job with enthusiasm. Giant jumping pillows bounce whole groups of kids at once, and the laughing gets contagious fast.

A zip line gives braver visitors a short flight over the grounds. The super slide handles everyone else, with a drop steep enough to earn a squeal.

Ball toss games test aim. Basketball hoops and football targets sit within easy reach of the picnic tables, so parents can watch without moving far.

Duck races and other simple games fill the gaps between bigger activities. Nothing needs batteries, which is refreshing.

Seating is generous. Benches, chairs, gliders, and picnic tables give adults real places to rest instead of hovering.

Socks are worth remembering. Jumping pillows go smoother without shoes, and nobody enjoys bare feet on hot vinyl.

Space between attractions keeps the crowd from bunching up. Even on busy days the play zone rarely feels crowded past comfort.

Pony rides are available for a small extra fee, adding one more thing to the list of firsts kids collect here.

Field Trips That Teach Without Trying

School buses roll in regularly, and the farm has the routine down to a science. Groups rotate through stations so every child gets a turn at each activity instead of waiting around.

Stops usually include seed planting, butter making, calf feeding, the petting area, and a milking demonstration. Add a hayride and a stretch at the playground, and the morning fills itself.

Teachers appreciate the organization. Guides handle the talking, keep groups moving, and answer the wonderfully strange questions children ask about cows.

Field trips run Monday through Friday by appointment. Booking ahead is required, and popular fall dates go quickly.

Chaperones get plenty to do beyond crowd control. Most end up just as interested in the dairy side as the students are.

Photo props scattered around the property give teachers easy group shot backdrops. Class pictures practically arrange themselves.

What makes it stick is the hands on part. A child who has planted a squash seed and shaken cream into butter remembers that day far longer than a worksheet.

Homeschool groups and scout troops find the same value in it.