Tucked away in the heart of the Bois de Vincennes, lies the Ferme Georges-Ville, better known as the Ferme de Paris, a publicly-owned organic farm, complete with an orchard, wheat fields and sunflower fields, as well as the usual barnyard animals.
Only 10 acres, the site, run by a dedicated couple, is more like a miniature reconstruction of a rural environment than an actual farm. But for Arnaud, 3½, the farm’s small size makes it no less exciting: “Look maman! A tractor!” he points happily, tugging on his mother’s sleeve. The next minute, he has run off to watch the goats being milked.
Built in 1860, the premises were originally home to Paris’s plant nurseries and to French agronomist Georges Ville’s experiments with artificial fertilizers. In the late 1990’s, the City of Paris decided to turn the site into a pedagogical farm, with small samples of crops that can be found in farms throughout Ile-de-France. In addition to wheat and sunflowers, there are little plots of oats, barley, corn, beetroot, mustard seed, and flax.
The animals are by far the main attraction of the farm: A lone horse grazes peacefully alongside three cows, while a tiny herd of goats and sheep lies in the manger. Pigs, rabbits, ducks, geese, and chickens complete the flock. Glass-paneled pens allow visitors to see the animals inside.
A child-sized kitchen and activity room completes the installation. Schools or other groups can reserve the farm for themselves and participate in agricultural activities: Children can pick apples and pears and learn how jam is made, plant or harvest vegetables in the garden, or watch the sheep be shorn and learn how to spin wool. This month, after the wheat is harvested, kids can bake fresh bread from the farm’s organic flour.
The farm is most easily reached by car, especially with young children in strollers, for public transportation leaves you at the edge of the woods, a 15-minute walk away. Perhaps this is the reason why the farm remains one of the capital’s best-kept secrets.

Ferme Georges-Ville. Free. 1.30-6.30pm weekends; until 6pm from Tuesday to Friday during summer holidays. Route du Pesage, Bois de Vincennes (behind the Hippodrome), Paris 12. M° Château de Vincennes + Bus 112 stop Plaine de la Faluère. RER A Joinville-le-Pont. 01 43 28 47 63.