A Day At The Farms

This past Sunday we embarked on something I haven't done since my daughter was a wee child. Our county had what is called an Open Gate Farm Tour. All types of farms open their gates to the public. Most had free refreshments and some gave visitors items associated with their farm. At one place we received a dozen eggs free.

Our first visit was to a fruit and vegetable stand right up the street from our house, and yet we have never stopped off when we have so often passed by. They have a few animals behind the stand like this little fellow. His mommy was nearby.

They also have a few Texas longhorns and here are two of them:

Next was Gress Mountain Ranch where they use tame rescued animals to use as counseling and therapy for children, teens, and adults. I never knew it existed and they, too, are in our backyard.

From there we went to Heidel Hollow Farm where we got the free eggs. This is a place my husband was familiar with as he used to deliver fertilizer to them years ago.

My favorite place was Holben Valley Farm. They have around 50 head of Black Angus and a few Limousine cattle. The animals are pasture-raised with no antibiotics or growth hormones added to their feed. They sell their beef to the public so I think we will be going back for some. It is so much better than that stuff they call meat in the supermarkets. Here is a picture of the young ones hamming it up. They are kept separate from the adults to insure that they get fed well.

Our last stop was Skyview Acres which absolutely blew me away. We went up a long dirt road and at the end of the road was a huge stone home. It was just gorgeous. I don't know why I didn't take a picture of it, and you can't see it from the road. ( Blogger only allows me to post five pictures at a time so it wouldn't matter.)

The pastures are surrounded by vinyl fencing (nothing shabby there). There is an on-site museum that houses antique carriages, coaches and hearses, all horse-drawn. Six Friesian horses are housed alongside the museum. Up until then, I had never heard of Friesian horses, and I thought I knew everything there was to know about horses. They originated in Holland. The tails and manes of the older ones reach the ground and they are never cut. This picture does not do them justice. They are black (no other color is acceptable, not even a bit of white) and are absolutely gorgeous.

This farm is in the business of renting out the horses along with whatever it is you want pulled by them. (There are two horses in this picture)

This is a view of the countryside from the pasture. The house and the museum were to the left. To the right just beyond that portion of the pasture was a wooded area. Skyview is certainly the best name they could have come up with, as it was breathtaking.

We had a good time and the best part was getting to see our neighboring farms and their contribution to society. I am looking forward to next year!