Farmer Mary of Winterpast Farm will donate a petting zoo to this local event at TAYLOR’s WINE SHOP on Six Forks Road near 540. Come snuggle a tiny baby bunny, hold a baby chick, meet the darling new baby goats, and more!
Mon (5/12). 12:30-6
Tues (5/13). 10-4:30
Wed (5/14) 10-5
Thurs (5/15) closed
Fri (5/16) 10-6
Sat (5/17) closed -away events
Sun (5/18)1-7
PLEASE READ “YOUR VISIT” at www.winterpast.org
When the farm is busy please PARK MINDFULLY and CLOSE together in the limited parking lot. Overflow may park on Ghoston Road but have all four tires OFF the road. Another overflow parking option is Waterline Road just past the farm entrance. DO NOT PARK on Neasdon Road which is a private road behind the barn.
When you tell friends about the farm PLEASE tell them to read the “your visit” section of the website and tell them they need to make an appointment to visit. Please tell them to bring food for animals. The full list is at “your visit” on the website along with VERY detailed information about visiting the farm.
THANK YOU for spreading the word and for supporting a small, local farm family.
Moms of close friends born a few days apart rented Winterpast Farm for their children’s birthdays today. Guests enjoyed meeting, feeding and holding a big variety of animals.
The first Birthday today at Winterpast Farm had a peacock theme. Edible peacock feathers topped the delicious cupcakes.
Other peacock themed items came from Pier One.
Guests (and Birthday girl) enjoyed meeting and holding the three day old babies of HONEY BUNNY.
The baby goats got alot of loving along with older bunnies and new guinea pigs.
Girls fed JUSTIN the peacock.
The best Birthdays are at Winterpast farm!
Farmer Mary has a long, very detailed page titled “YOUR VISIT” which she always appreciates visitors reading before they visit Winterpast Farm. Here is a copy of that “page” on the website.
PLEASE READ THIS
If you are short of time here are the highlights
1. Admission is $10 for all ages. Cash or check. No credit cards. Please pay on arrival. No change available.
2. Parking lot is small so park CLOSE together
3. Check open hours posted on website or facebook page then text to arrange a visit DURING those open hours. Don’t text “can we come thursday”. Be specific. Text “groups of five moms and six kids Thursday at noon for picnic lunch and tour?” Farmer Mary is busy and cannot chat on the phone. YOU will be happy if she doesn’t spend all her time on the phone while YOU are visiting. Basic questions are ALL answered below.
4. Bring food for animals. A very detailed list is below. Short list is saltines, wheat crackers, wheat bread, cereal (any), carrots, celery, apples, grapes.
5. Yes there is a bathroom (outdoor composting toilet)and hand washing (sink and hot water at the barn)
6. Plan to keep an eye on your children the whole time while you are here. They may not chase animals, open cages, climb wood piles….
Now, the longer, more informative post:
Here is some basic information about visiting Winterpast Farm. Please read it instead of calling Farmer Mary with simple questions. She is BUSY most days all day with visitors or groups and cannot stop to chat or give directions or answer questions she has already covered here. Please respect her time. When you are visiting you will be glad if she doesn’t have to answer alot of phone calls during YOUR time at the farm! Please read to the end!!
The best way to schedule a farm visit is to check the open hours (which vary week to week). Then contact Farmer Mary by text (919-244-1800) and suggest a specific date and specific time for a visit. She may say fine or may ask you to pick another time or another date if she has a Birthday party or away event scheduled.
WHAT IS THE ADDRESS??
12936 Ghoston Road Wake Forest 27587
WHEN IS THE FARM OPEN??
The farm is open, usually, most weekdays including holidays, weekdays, weekends and Sundays. The FARM OPEN schedule is posted very regularly on the Winterpast farm facebook page and on the home page of the website. This varies widely week to week. Farmer Mary is a single mother with four teens and occasionally has to be away from the farm helping with marching band and other teen activities.
Please do not just drop by the farm. PLEASE SET UP YOUR VISIT IN ADVANCE AND DON’T JUST DROP BY! Farmer Mary may be away at a school or church or other event; she may have a group at the farm for a birthday or field trip; she may be busy with one of her four teens; she may be worming the goats or birthing piglets….After contacting Farmer Mary by texting her to ask if your size party can visit at a certain time (please be specific and don’t just say today or this afternoon. You might text “could our party of 3 adults and 5 children come on friday at noon?” so she can quickly respond without endless back and forth texts. You will be glad if Farmer Mary doesn’t have to stop endlessly to chat or text on her phone while you are visiting the farm,919-244-1800) 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 if you like, and feed and pet and hold the animals.
HOW MUCH IS ADMISSION??
Farm visits are $10 per person, all ages. Adopted children visit at no charge. There are old reviews of Winterpast Farm on the Internet showing the old price of $5 per person. If you see one, please let Farmer Mary know so she can try to get the review updated or deleted so people are not misled. The price changed several years ago to reflect the rising cost of feeding the animals and the increasing ongoing rescue work Farmer Mary does with unwanted pets. Please respect our admission price.
Please pay on arrival. Otherwise it is easy to forget and to leave without paying. Please pay $10 per person. Farmer Mary does not have change. There are items to purchase including fresh eggs, peacocks feathers, and unique clay ornaments made by Farmer Mary all at $5 each which you can use to “make change” if necessary. Cash or check only.
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. However, adults must stay with their children and not allow them to chase animals or open gates or pens. Some groups bring lunch or a picnic dinner.`There are picnic tables in a “chicken free” zone by the barn (please help to keep it chicken free and refrain from feeding any stray chickens who might be nearby) and another picnic area is inside the gate where it is very obvious that chickens and other animals will be very close to you.
FRIENDS OF THE FARM
Many families and individuals visit Winterpast Farm regularly and you may see someone enter and head straight to the back pasture or let themselves into pens to hold animals. That does NOT mean you can do the same. This is the privilege of “friends of the farm” and it is earned by visiting regularly, helping out occasionally at the farm and exhibiting good behavior during visits. On your next visit you may choose to have a tour (the animals and farm exhibits are always changing) or you may wander around and feed animals, swing on swings, even possibly walk the back pasture (assuming you ask Farmer Mary first, have well behaved children and that you are watching them at all times.) There are few rules at the farm but no chasing animals and no climbing woodpiles are two. Also, NO OPENING PENS! We have had several naughty children open pens lately and then we all spend our visit time chasing and capturing those animals. There is a good reason every animal is in a certain place, whether in a pen, front yard or pasture.
WHEN IS THE FARM OPEN??
Farmer Mary tries to keep her weekly schedule updated on the Winterpast Farm Facebook page and the www.winterpast.org website. The schedule may vary widely week to week. Texting (919-244-1800) is ALWAYS the best way to contact Farmer Mary, especially for last minute requests for visits. When you text please be specific with number of people, exact date and time of request. This eliminates much back and forth texting. If she is busy with her four teens or with her animals at a preschool, church, away event, group visit, or Birthday party she will NOT have time to chat on the phone.
WHAT TO BRING ALONG ON YOUR FARM VISIT
When you have a date and time settled with Farmer Mary for your visit, it’s time to plan what you will bring along to the farm:
—Food for animals can include apples, carrots (any size although new visitors might like to bring longer ones. the ones with greens attached are tasty to animals on both ends as well as lovely in your photos) kale, cereal (any kind although less sugary the better) crackers (any kind although wheat is best) whole wheat bread (white bread is not good) grapes, celery, green beans and more. Just nothing moldy and no meat or cheese (unless it is a treat for CHARLIE the farm dog!)
—plenty of water for hot days
—possibly a picnic lunch or supper? Farmer Mary has picnic tables set up in several areas. She also has hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes and hot water and soap available for hand washing.
PARKING
When you get to the farm (12936 Ghoston Road Wake Forest 27587) pull in the gravel drive by the big plywood llama and petting zoo sign. Please PARK CLOSELY TOGETHER in our small lot. Please pull up to close to the fence or to the small wood logs marking parking spots and keep others in mind. There is parking for at least 20 cars if YOU park mindfully of others.
Even if your GPS says “turn” DO NOT turn down the adjoining neighbors private road just behind the barn. This happens regularly and is very annoying to the neighbors. Please look for this sign and follow the arrow to the farm entrance. If the lot is full you can park on Ghoston Road in front of the farm (wheels off the road) or on Waterline Road just below the farm entrance.
Texting Farmer Mary when you arrive is always a good idea especially if you are early or late. She wouldn’t want to be ten acres back with you waiting at the front gate!
919-244-1800
PLEASE PARK MINDFULLY (of other visitors)! Farmer Mary has a new parking lot and tries to park her car as an example of where to park.
These are two pictures of good parking.
PLEASE PAY WHEN YOU ENTER
When you enter the gate you can pay your admission (cash or check) in the wooden box at the gate or pay Farmer Mary. Please pay on arrival. Otherwise it is easy to forget and to leave without paying. Please pay $10 per person. This is the price of admission. Please pay $10 PER PERSON.
Farmer Mary DOES NOT HAVE CHANGE. There are items to purchase including fresh eggs, peacocks feathers, and unique clay ornaments made by Farmer Mary all at $5 each which you can use to “make change” if necessary.
PLEASE RESPECT OUR ADMISSION PRICE
Farmer Mary is raising teens and animals with her farm income; this is NOT a sideline hobby. Admission is $10 per person. Adults $10. Children $10. Toddlers $10. Adopted children and Foster children visit at no charge. (Farmer Mary adopted two of her four children.) Farmer Mary does not have change. Please have exact cash (or buy a dozen fresh eggs $5 and/ or a beautiful peacock feather $5). You may also pay by a check made out to Winterpast Farm. Thank you.
Farmer Mary will greet you and help you transfer your animal feed into bucket which is easier to carry around. She occasionally has corn and crackers and other animal food for sale in case you forgot.
Feel free to feed animals (offer any animal anything; sometimes they will surprise you: did you know the goose loves carrots and the peacocks love grapes?) Feel free to take pictures…Farmer Mary will assist with holding animals and with the pasture walk. She is also always happy to take photos of your group with your camera.
WATCH YOUR CHILDREN AT ALL TIMES
Please keep an eye on your children and do not allow them to open cages, close cages (some pens are open until animals put themselves to bed there at night), chase animals or open gates to the pasture. Please do not allow them to take fake lizards from the forest path or to take displayed peacock feathers. Peacocks molt their long tail feathers every fall and selling their feathers pays for their food. Peacock feathers are for sale for $5 each. feathers found on the ground are free for you to take home.
PICNIC AT THE FARM
There are many picnic tables and you are welcome to bring along a picnic lunch or supper or snacks. Please clean up after yourself as soon as you are finished eating and please look under and around the table for plastic straw wrappers or other trash the animals might eat. There are plenty of trash cans and recycling bins for your use, There is a new picnic area by the barn/parking where you can dine “chicken free.” ( in order to keep this area “chicken free” please do NOT feed the rare chicken who might wander out there ). There are also picnic tables inside the gate where you will be much closer to animals and a chicken may try to jump on the table or Charlie the farm dog may hang out closeby. If you don’t want the possibility of a chicken near your food simply DO NOT choose to picnic in that area.
OF COURSE THERE IS A BATHROOM
There is a composting toilet to the left of the peacock pen. The bathroom has everything you need including antibacterial wipes for hands. Please tell Farmer Mary directly if there is a problem…no toilet paper, low supply of sawdust to cover your “deposit”, spider webs…she is very happy to assist you immediately. There is antibacterial sanitizer and wipes at the table where you get your feed bucket. There is hot water hand washing, if you prefer, out the gate at the barn by where you parked. If you want to use this, please open any closed gate and then close all gates and doors you open and watch your children by the parking lot. Please turn OFF the water if you use this sink.
Please feel free to ask Farmer Mary any questions or for any assistance.
WHAT THE ANIMALS LIKE TO EAT
Here is a copy of a post Farmer Mary wrote specifically about what the animals like to eat.
When you plan a visit to Winterpast Farm you can bring along food to feed the animals. This will make the visit more fun since regular visitors know what food to bring and your children will be sad if they have nothing to feed the animals. The food also encourages the bunnies and guinea pigs to sit on laps so please plan to bring food if you want to interact this way. Farmer Mary occasionally has some donated bread or other foods she may give you to help distribute, but this is not a regular thing. She occasionally has sleeves of saltines and corn available by the baggie full for those who arrive without food to purchase.
Some things they like include:
Apple slices
Carrots (big, small, they esp love the ones with greens still attached! New visitors may like to hold a long carrot as they learn how to feed the animals)
grapes
kale
Cabbage
collards
Celery
Peppers (yellow and red they like more than green)
Cereal- any is fine, but Cheerios type plain is best and the most popular
Crackers
Bread (whole wheat is best, and sturdy slices are easier to hold out for feeding, or to throw to the ducks and turtles in the pond)
Popped popcorn
Raisins, dried fruit of any sort
green beans
Almost anything but meat or cheese, and please, nothing moldy. Feel free to clean out your cupboards and pantry and bring outdated or stale food. Farmer Mary can use outdated cans of food for the pigs so bring it along! Some frequent farm visitors bring food when they clear out their refrigerator before vacation.
This fall bring your pumpkin innards to feed the pigs after you carve your Halloween pumpkin!
If you have extra oranges, Farmer Mary gives the bunnies and Guinea pigs orange halves or slices regularly for the vitamin C.
If you are clearing out your garden bring the vines and too big beans and other veggies..someone will eat it!
Favorites of the animals (this can change a bit!)
LUCKY the Llama: apples, carrots, grapes, celery, sometimes orange slices, green beans
Bunnies:apples, carrots, celery, kale and other greens, crackers, raisins, veggies
Guniea pigs:same as bunnies
Peacocks: bread, crackers, kale, apple slices, grapes, dry dog food
goats: apple slices, carrots, celery, kale sometimes, crackers, bread, veggies
MABEL and CLAIRE the Donkeys: apple slices, carrots, sometimes celery, crackers
Ducks and chickens:crackers, bread, corn, cereal, apple slices (if thin)
DORIS the goose: carrots, apple slices, kale, lettuce, bread, crackers, cereal, corn
EMU: dry dog food, apple slices, kLe, grapes, crackers, bread
Dislikes: onions, leeks, white potatoes
They will eventually eat sweet potatoes and squash of any sort, but may not take it from your hand unless sliced thinly. These can be left in bunny and guniea pig cages for them to snack on.
Farmer Mary is happy to take unwanted dry cat and dog food. She often has a rescue pup living at the farm.
The food visitors bring are just treats for the animals. Farmer Mary regularly heads to Tractor Supply or Southern States for feed for all her animals. If you have a friend who is in any food-related business who might have excess food available, please let Farmer Mary know. She is very happy to take donations of bread, food, outdated food, hay bales that have been used for decor (same with pumpkins) etc.
Thank you for supporting a small local family farm. Thank you for telling your friends about Winterpast Farm! Be sure and suggest they read this!
(919) 244-1800 is best for texting Farmer Mary.
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