Never too old to learn.

Today while I was out touring our family guest we stopped to visit Winter and her colt Chilli. I mentioned, "Did you notice that Chilli has blue eyes?" One of the guest explained that it is called "walleye." Sure enough. I came home and looked it up and found...

wall·eye (wôl′ī′)

noun

1. an eye, as of a horse, with a whitish iris or white, opaque cornea

I'm so glad she shared this information with me. I enjoy learning too!

A True Duck Story from San Antonio , Texas

Something really cute happened in downtown San Antonio this week. Michael R. is an accounting clerk at Frost Bank and works there in a second story office. Several weeks ago, he watched a mother duck choose the concrete awning outside his window as the unlikely place to build a nest above the sidewalk. The mallard laid ten eggs in a nest in the corner of the planter that is perched over 10 feet in the air. She dutifully kept the eggs warm for weeks, and Monday afternoon all of her ten ducklings hatched.

Michael worried all night how the momma duck was going to get those babies safely off their perch in a busy, downtown, urban environment to take to water, which typically happens in the first 48 hours of a duck hatching. Tuesday morning, Michael watched the mother duck encourage her babies to the edge of the perch with the intent to show them how to jump off. Office work came to a standstill as everyone gathered to watch.

The mother flew down below and started quacking to her babies above. In disbelief Michael watched as the first fuzzy newborn trustingly toddled to the edge and astonishingly leapt into thin air, crashing onto the cement below. Michael couldn't stand to watch this risky effort nine more times! He dashed out of his office and ran down the stairs to the sidewalk where the first obedient duckling, near its mother, was resting in a stupor after the near-fatal fall. Michael stood out of sight under the awning-planter, ready to help.

As the second one took the plunge, Michael jumped forward and caught it with his bare hands before it hit the concrete.. Safe and sound, he set it down it by its momma and the other stunned sibling, still recovering from that painful leap. (The momma must have sensed that Michael was trying to help her babies.)

One by one the babies continued to jump.. Each time Michael hid under the awning just to reach out in the nick of time as the duckling made its free fall. At the scene the busy downtown sidewalk traffic came to a standstill. Time after time, Michael was able to catch the remaining eight and set them by their approving mother.

At this point Michael realized the duck family had only made part of its dangerous journey. They had two full blocks to walk across traffic, crosswalks, curbs and past pedestrians to get to the closest open water, theSan Antonio River , site of the famed "River Walk." The onlooking office secretaries and several San Antonio police officers joined in. An empty copy-paper box was brought to collect the babies. They carefully corralled them, with the mother's approval, and loaded them in the container.. Michael held the box low enough for the mom to see her brood. He then slowly navigated through the downtown streets toward the San Antonio River . The mother waddled behind and kept her babies in sight, all the way.

As they reached the river, the mother took over and passed him, jumping in the river and quacking loudly. At the water's edge, Michael tipped the box and helped shepherd the babies toward the water and to the waiting mother after their adventurous ride.

All ten darling ducklings safely made it into the water and paddled up snugly to momma. Michael said the mom swam in circles, looking back toward the beaming bank bookkeeper, and proudly quacking.

At last, all present and accounted for: "We're all together again. We're here! We're here!"

And here's a family portrait before they head outward to further adventures....

Like all of us in the big times of our life, they never could have made it alone without lots of helping hands.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Farmer Barb's Strawberry Rhubarb Jam returns to the Granary shelves! We had been sold out for the season but Farmer Barb got busy and...whala! Do I hear yummy?!?!

Chilton Father's Day Parade

Here they come...

Here they go....

Mulberry Lane Farm participated in the Chilton Father's Day Parade. Farmer Pat pulled a 100 year old running gear with Farmer Aaliyah and Farmer Olivia holding a kid goat and lamb inside the wagon.

Farmer Quianna and Farmer Kevin handed out candy dressed as cows...aaah...perhaps we should say Kevin was a bull?!? Farmer Liz and Farmer Cindy handed out brochures/passes. Farmer Susan pulled up the rear in a sag wagon in case Teddy Bear who was tethered to the back of the wagon left anything behind.

Farmer Pat believes there were 5000-7000 people lining the streets of Chilton! We are so honored to have been part of this special day.

Spend Father's Day at the farm!

1 FREE Dad per family group on Sunday, June 20th. Open at 10 AM.

Get a kick out of seeing Dad catch a chicken, kiss a pig, cuddle a kitten, strut with the turkeys, enjoy a hayride, milk a cow and more!

Birthday Celebration with FREE Admission

Help Farmer Bonnie celebrate her birthday this Saturday, June 19th. Print the coupon/photo for FREE admission to the farm!

PS - any quesses how old she'll be?!?

Beautiful Cows.

As featured in the Appleton Post Crescent...Farmer Cindy and Farmer Bonnie.

Parade Photos

Appleton Flag Day Parade

We had an awesome time participating in the Appleton Flag Day Parade. We considered it an honor to be able to march along with all the military units.

In our busyness I never did get a photo of our hay wagon in the parade. If you happened to get a good photo and would like to share it with us please email it to mulberrylanefarm@yahoo.com. We'd love to post it here! Thanks.

Thank You!

We often get Thank You notes sent to our Farmers (tour guides) from the children that have visited Mulberry Lane Farm. Here are some excerpts from some of our recent "Thank You’s". These are the comments that put smiles on our faces and warm our hearts knowing we are doing what we are meant to do…run a children’s petting farm.

“I think that you are the best farmer (Farmer Liz) ever in the whole entire world. You have a big farm. I was nervous to hold the chickens because I thought they would peck me. They didn’t peck but just loved to be held. That tickled when I was feeding the sheep corn and the goats grain. I just could pick one of those lambs up and bring it home.”


“Thank you for letting me ride the horse named Teddy Bear. Riding the hay ride made me feel sick but I’m ok now. P.S. eating outside was fun because I never did eat outside before.”

“I liked the horses most of all. The class liked horses the most too. My second favorite were the baby cows. The slobber was gross. The cat I held was fluffy. I called it Fluff. I like the peacock that had a blue head. I held a chicken and it was small. I wonder how pigs like Otis are so big. I wish I could bring a horse home. I wish some day I could work with animals there too. I want a kitten like Fluff. I was last to hold a kitten. I held it longer than anyone.”


“I had fun at the farm. I like Mulberry Lane. The most fun was riding the horse named Winter, milking the cow and holding the baby animals. I think that Mulberry farm is the best farm ever.”

“The farm is very pretty. I love your farm. I love everything about it. The hayride was very fun. That was the most fun ever in my life.”

Otis the Boar

Chances are that when you visit the farm Otis is napping under the shade of the tree and you don't have the opportunity to see how big he is. I was able to take a video of him which proofed to be slightly difficult. When Otis is awake he wants attention. He loves people. I kept having to move backward so I could keep him in front of the lens!

PS Turn up the volume to hear Otis snorting at me "Will you stop taking the video and just pet me!"

Family Day at the Farm

I must admit, I'm not always thrilled to tour. I much prefer the admissions, bookwork, reservations etc. But today I had the pleasure of touring the most wonderful families. Thank you families for making my day so enjoyable!!?!

I also have to admit, next to the kid goats, the kitten barn is my favorite stop during the guided tour of the farm. The one below found a brick missing in the wall and is playing peek-a-boo with you. Oh, that little stinker?!?!

Pumpkin Planting

Farmer Pat prepares the field for pumpkin planting with great anticipation. Dark clouds are looming in the distance.
The rain held off long enough for the seeds to get into the ground. Farmer Pat's brother, Perry shows him the ropes. Next year Pat is on his own...brother Perry has retired from pumpkin farming.