Written by: Amy Hammer, co-owner of Metro Detroit Doula Services, Labor Doula, Postpartum Doula, and CPPS
Fall is upon us and in Michigan that means fun with the family at cider mills, apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and farms to name a few. Janice Rex-Weaver works at Upland Hills Farm in Oxford. She does marketing and social media for the farm which has been open since 1960 and is still family run by the current Websters who met at summer camp as pre-teens. Awwwww! We decided to ask Janice a few questions so families could learn just exactly what wonderful opportunities Upland Hills Farm offers to its community.
We asked Janice… What is your favorite thing about Upland Hills Farm?
“The fact that it has maintained an authentic farm experience for all these decades. It was created to teach people where their food and fiber come from. In addition to days when the public visits the farm, Upland Hills welcomes thousands of school children to the farm each year. And for school districts that do not have field trip capabilities, UHF brings the farm to the school! Kids are in complete awe when they see a cow in their gym!”
They have farm animals that you can visit of every kind… dairy cows (that children have the opportunity to milk), goats, sheep, pigs, horses, alpacas, mini-donkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, rabbits, even labrador retrievers! The farm breeds them, which means you may be lucky enough to visit when the babies are little. Many spring babies happen with cows and sheep. This summer also brought kits (baby rabbits) and they are expecting a cria (baby alpaca) any day now. It’s a baby boom!
Piglets are coming in October!
Speaking of animals, we asked Janice for a funny animal story…
“Ok, this is perfect because this melds together my birthing education business with my love of farm life. I was showing a family around the farm who was interested in having their wedding there. One of our cows had just given birth to a calf and ………..wait for it………was eating her placenta. Ok, for those of us in the birth world we understand mammals do that, but I am sure for the bride it was a little shocking!”
How about that?! Farm mammals instinctively understand the potential benefits of placenta consumption!
Along with the amazing farm animals, Upland Hills Farm offers many different programs throughout the year:
- School Field Trips
- School Assemblies
- Summer Day Camp
- Summer Sundays
- Fall Harvest Festival
- Harvest Moon Hayrides
- Weddings & Private Parties
- Downtown Rochester Farmers Market + CSA (community supported agriculture) share opportunity
