And the winner is ...

The Farm Crawl was a great success, according to everyone who voiced an opinion, from attendees to the farmers. And the farmers all agreed that it would now be remembered as the First Annual Farm Crawl! We'll post details right here as plans start to take shape for the 2013 Farm Crawl. If you want to stay informed as we make plans, you can sign up for the RSS feed or subscribe by email.

Visitors to the Farm Crawl had the opportunity to sign up for a drawing to win a gift basket of homegrown goodies worth $50 if they visited all four farms and had their passport punched at each one. Pam of Lemont was the winner and was contacted by email to let her know that she'll soon be receiving alpaca socks, goat milk soap, herbal salve, and a jar of local honey!

Visit all four farms for a chance to win

If you visit all four farms, you could win a gift basket of homegrown goodies worth $50!

A passport will be available at whatever farm you visit first. Be sure to have each farm punch the passport to show that you visited. When you visit the last farm, put it in the box that is provided, and you'll be entered into the drawing. If you win, you'll receive a gift from each farm, including a pair of alpaca socks, a jar of herbal salve, two bars of goat milk soap, and a gift certificate for $10 of fresh produce.

Meet the farmers at M2A Farm

When did you move to your farm?

My husband Ron and I moved here with my mother Lydia in early spring 2003. When Mom saw this place, she said if she could spend one night here, she could die happy. She lived here two and a half years and enjoyed every minute, even learning how to drive a golf cart and watching in awe as our first alpaca was born.

What was the first thing you did, garden or livestock, and why?

We began with livestock because the county reassessed us as "residential" from "agriculture". We have them to thank for our name, M2A Farm. They said, "You're not a farm." So, we got alpacas and told them, "Am TOO a farm!" There are two of us and our last name begins with the letter "M".

What are you most looking forward to sharing on the farm crawl?

Meeting new people and sharing our experiences and our animals. We have some rather novel ideas - no cost/no maintenance nestboxes for our chickens and wall-to-wall "carpeting" in the alpaca barns. Sounds crazy, but it works.

What do visitors tend to enjoy the most on your farm?

Meeting our animals and having a good time.

What are your plans for the future?

We'd like to rearrange our lives so we can spend more time enjoying our farm. I'm learning to spin and exploring new outlets for our wonderful alpaca fiber.