“For now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance.” –Song of Solomon 2
Over 15 years ago during a divorce the person you all know as “Farmer Mary” had never had a farm or any animals other than a nice garden and a cat and dog. When she asked old friends from college who she had used to be before she became a corporate wife and then stay at home mother they all responded reminding her that she had planned to have a backyard cow and some land.
Changing out of her business suit and her young mother and corporate wife life into a Farmer took some long hard years but buying the land came first. Sharing custody of two young boys she looked for land in Wake County and came across the ten acres that is now Winterpast Farm Petting Zoo. Three other cash offers fell through as she negotiated to move into her new life.
Her first animals were some chickens given to her from a neighbor and some pet goats. Then she purchased a small herd of llamas, upgraded her chickens to sell eggs, changed to official milk goats and she made cheese for a few years.
About 12 years ago someone called her farm a “petting zoo” and the idea was born. The Song of Solomon verse above came into Farmer Mary’s life repeatedly during that entire time and when asked what she was going to name her new farm she knew immediately it would be “Winterpast”. She even found a fig tree growing in the back yard! She and her sons saw bluebirds of happiness everywhere they looked.
By the next summer she hosted two six year old Russian orphans for the summer (only for six weeks she thought) and now Alex and Elizabeth have been her adopted children for many years and turned 24 in 2020! They are the reason that all adopted children visit Winterpast Farm at no admission charge.
In 2019 Farmer Mary became an empty nester with daughter Elizabeth coming home during holidays and summers from AppState. Elizabeth since graduated from the two year Scholars With Diverse Abilities Program and she is now home helping to run the zoo.
Farmer Mary can always use volunteers of all ages to help her continue to care for and to feed and water all the animals at Winterpast Farm. Please read the Volunteer section of the website.