VISITS
Some children like to walk the trees, especially with a baby goat alongside, some like to pile up rocks, others like to feed and pet animals…there’s something for all ages to do and to experience at Winterpast Farm.
FARM VISITS are $5 a person. No charge for adopted or foster children or babies in arms. Farmer Mary will set up a date and time to meet with your family or group to show you the barn, introduce the animals, walk the land and feed and pet the animals. The average time of a farm tour is about an hour, although you are welcome to stay longer after Farmer Mary moves on to welcome another group. Some groups bring lunch or a picnic dinner.`
No matter what the weather, Winterpast Farm is open and you’re welcome to visit most days except Sunday mornings. Winter is a great time for photographs…emu footprints are particularly interesting in the snow.
Baby goats are usually born in February and March. Most are twins or triplets, although the big drought a few years ago really affected nature and has brought all singles. Theyr’e growing big fast since they aren’t having to share any of the milk! Some babies are bottle fed and you are welcome to help.
There’s usually a baby goat to bottle feed in the Spring. In 2011 it’s Farmer Mary’s little darling is named “Lizzie Lou” and she loves her bottle, morning and night. She’s even slept in Farmer Mary’s daughter’s bunk bed a few times when she was really little!
“Billy Jean”, a favorite goat in 2009 sometimes slept in Barbie pj’s in the barn! 
Email Farmer Mary soon to set up your visit. Bring your friends! GET OUTSIDE AND PLAY!!! Help support a local farm by spreading the word.
To see what a visitor had to say about a farm visit please follow this link and type in Winterpast Farm:
http://www.trianglemommies.blogspot.com
Or, here’s a copy right here:
Monday, March 23, 2009
Outing: Winterpast Farm, Northern Wake County, NC
Finally! A visit to a farm within Wake County! Actually, not far from both Wake Forest and Falls Lake, the Winterpast Farm hosts a menagerie of animals, wonderful walking and playing experiences, several special services to the public, a historic farm house and barn, and a delightfully eccentric caretaker, Mary Droessler.
The listing on Craig’s List asked if the reader had ever pet a llama? Well, actually, I have; however I thought it might be fun for my son! I contacted Ms. Mary and made an appointment to go to see the llamas and the other animals. We were in for much more than that!
My son and I were fortunate enough to have with us Gabriele, Editor and Chief of the TM Blog, and her son when we went to visit the farm; the more the merrier! As we pulled into the farmyard, we roused quite a stir! All the animals ran toward the front fence nearest the barn for a look-see at the company. I bet they already knew they were going to be fed!
At first, one does notice the llamas. They are tall and shaggy, but not quite as pushy as the goats! One goat in particular, Billie Jean, actually walked right up to us with Mary as she greeted us at our van. Mary pulled out some feed for the animals and while my son started feeding the numerous mouths that came to him, I had a few minutes to actually look at who else came to meet us. There is Nelson the pony, Oscar Lulu and Emily the two emus, Sophie Brown the sheep, Lucky, Madison and Katya the llamas, Wanda and Oreo two dogs among many, the goats and kids named Rose, Michael, Hannah Montana, Connor, Gabrielle, Allysa, Sister and Hanna with more on the way. The two roosters, both named Bob, were strutting their stuff and chickens roamed everywhere as you may expect. Mary’s four children get to name all the animals and they are a creative bunch!
Mary started her usual hour long tour of the farm with the feeding and introductions of the animals. Then we moved into the gate and off into the fields toward the back woods. All the while, Mary tells us of her other services like birthday parties and RV/Boat storage. Then onto other stories of how emus lay their eggs in the woods and how Billie Jean, the goat who is still following us, came to live at the farm. She talks of how the land used to be a tobacco farm and her plans of opening up some of the woods outside the fence for interesting bug hunts in the late Spring. On our tour, Mary points out a tree that was hit by lightning and why the foliage on all the trees has disappeared up to about as high as a llama’s mouth.
Basically, you can learn a lot from Mary.
We get to a clearing where a big black cylinder sits. Mary explains that a friend dropped off two of these things so that the children who visit can play on them. And that is exactly what our two boys do.
From here, we stop by some fenced in Great Dane puppies and are then greeted by the menagerie again. They didn’t want to follow us down into the woods, but it seems that they do like us and will accompany us within a small distance from the barn. We give them the attention they crave, especially Lucky the head llama. Then it is onto, or shall I say into, the farm house to visit the newly hatched chicks that were living in the dining room.
The two cardboard boxes held two sets of chicks, one group a week or so older than the other. Don’t touch the heat lamps! They are hot! We all giggled incessantly when trying to hold several chicks in our hands. One would jump out of our hands and Mary would try to put two more in. How fun!
After the chicks we met the guinea pigs. Following this, and a story about the history of the farmhouse itself, we walked back to the barn to say our goodbyes. Of course, Billie Jean did not want us to leave!
Winterpast Farm is located near the intersection of Creedmoor Road and Hwy 98 in Wake Forest. Appointments are recommended and there is a charge of $5.00 a person with some exceptions. She loves to entertain small and large groups! The new web site is not up and running yet, though you can contact Mary at:marymomfarmer@hotmail.com to make your own arrangements to get dirty on the farm!
