Peca Farm in Huntsville has been active for more than four generations, and those who manage it plan to continue with this trend.
"My family has lived here for over 100 years. My great-grandmother lived here, my grandma was born in the house, and I've lived here my entire life," said Abby Peca, family member and farm worker. "My great-grandparents, Rose and Henry McIelwain always made the farm a place where people felt welcomed. We wanted to continue on that legacy and allow others to experience the simplicity of the country."
The farm has different types of horses, mini ponies, donkeys, rabbits, and many more. Taking care of the animals and maintaining facilities requires a great deal of effort.
"It definitely comes with its challenges. Farming is difficult work in general, and farming up north is hard in terms of access to resources and facing the elements like cold winters," said Peca. "Over the years, we've also been working on the fences and redoing our barn, which makes for long days. There's always something to do on the farm."
However, this farm is wider than just caring for the animals and maintaining the infrastructure. Peca said that agrotourism is also an excellent way to go, so they decided to open the farm to the public and welcome residents from the area.
"Agrotourism is one way to go about it and especially works well in this area," said Peca. "Opening the farm to the public allows people to experience this way of life and interact with animals. People of all ages get to learn and glimpse real farm life. It is a different experience."
The farm has been organizing a petting farm every Saturday since July and plans to continue for the fall. Despite the short time, the farm already feels the community's support.
"People enjoy it. I think it's been a really positive experience for us," said Peca. "We love having people around the farm, and it's been great.
The farm is located at 1288 North Mary Lake Rd., and the community can visit the farm's website here, at www.thepecafarm.com.
Julian Orlando Chaves is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Huntsville Forester. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
