Willow Feather Farm – “Passionate growers of indigenous trees”
Farmyard Fun
Bill went away on business over the weekend – a farmer from the Free State wanted to pick his brain on our excellent farming standards. So I was left to tend to our little herd. Every now and then the calves like to venture outside of our pastures and I have to come up with exciting things to do. I relied on Destination Irene (yet again) to ensure we had some fun…
We headed for Willlow Feather Farm.
Just a hop, skip and a jump over the R21 Highway (well the rabbits tell me it’s that easy!), we wondered into a serene setting. Gorgeous gardens with hidden wooden jungle gyms around just about every corner, I was able to relax under the trees whilst the calves entertained themselves.
I ordered a much deserved cappuccino and scones, freshly baked. The calves enjoyed Slowjo smoothies which I secretly taste tested and I have to admit, they were super yummy. Then, whilst they explored the gardens and farmyard animals, I enjoyed reading the history behind this unique spot…
A family farm since 1979, it was the perfect haven for Janet and Steven Geyer to raise their three children. Farm life was good (as Bill and I can attest to) and soon one of the children, Barry, began his own company producing amazing fresh chickens. Then one day, after picking up some seeds from an old tree, planting them and seeing how quickly they grew, Barry changed his business focus and Willow Feather Farm was born.
In just a few short years, indigenous trees have become their forte with over 500 000 trees on the farm all planted from seeds or seedlings. They are so passionate about being environmentally conscious that there is a small conservation fee when entering the tea garden.
Lucky for us, the family thought that recreating their experiences as children of farm life would be great. The public are able to visit, interact with farm animals and enjoy a safe place for the calves to run and play.
Once you’ve visited, it’s not hard to see that this family is all about greening the environment, one tree at a time…
After a blissful hour of reading, enjoying the beautiful weather and sipping on my cappuccino, I think I dosed off for a while!
But it wasn’t long before my calves were tugging at my hooves, wanting to feed the farmyard animals with me. Our friendly waitress supplied us with feed for the chickens, goats, pigs, sheep, rabbits and geese. We then spent the next hour laughing and taking pictures of photo bombing geese and alpacas!
By the time we returned to our own barn I was feeling relaxed and the calves were in bed early, thank goodness. My day out was made a whole lot easier thanks to Willow Feather Farm. They will definitely be seeing us again…
Till Next Week,
The Dairy Cow
