A Fun-Filled Farm Field Trip

I like to have a little fun with alliteration, if you couldn't tell by the title of this blog post. :)

This morning, the boys, my daughter for the day :) and I trekked over to Harlingen to tour Yahweh's All Natural Farm and Garden run by Saul and Diana Padilla. Diana was not there when we first arrived, so Saul introduced the kids and I to many of the animals who live on their farm. We were able to see chickens, ducks, goats, pigs, a cow and calf, a peacock, dogs, rabbits and turkeys (I am afraid that I'm missing something...). The kids were able to pick up a baby chick, pet a 3-day-old baby goat, pet and play with the baby calf, watch the pigs, chase the peacock (that would be David--we quickly put a stop to that!). The boys convinced Saul to catch one of the lambs for them to pet too!

After Diana returned, we looked at the fruit trees in various stages of growth, bottle-fed the baby calf (and the boys sat on it too. Corrie was too scared to sit on it...until after it was put back into its pen. She quickly got over any sadness over that missed opportunity when she was allowed to bottle feed 2 baby goats!

A little view of some south Texas plant life. (photo by Aidan)

The peacock, strutting his stuff.

David bottle feeding the calf (I think he's practicing so Uncle Steve can put him to work next time we visit the dairy), Aidan pretending that he's a rodeo buckaroo, and the boys petting the lamb that Saul so kindly caught for them.

Sweet baby chick we all were able to hold.

More animals we saw on the farm!

After having fun with all of the animals, we took a tour of the gardens. The big garden that they use for their CSA and for selling produce at local farmer's markets covers 3 acres. The kids and I were all in awe over the sheer size of the garden, and of how beautiful it was. Had it not been for the 2 youngest children needing to take a potty break, we could have spent so much longer walking through the garden, identifying plants and maybe even would have gotten to pick something too. Alas, nature called, and that portion of the tour was cut short.

This field trip was truly wonderful. Saul and Diana are so kind and hospitable, and visiting their farm and organic garden made for a very pleasurable morning. The animals and the fun had, will be the talk of our house for days and weeks to come!