Fort FFA lends local farm a hand

October 23, 2009 • Sam Firn and Jacob Byrnes  
Filed under Around Town

This year, a new fall attraction has opened its doors: Busy Barns Adventure Farm.

Fort Atkinson FFA students have been volunteering at the farm to educate children about agriculture.

Busy Barns Adventure Farm was founded by Mary & Gary Telfer, their daughter Mariah, and her husband Paul Hadler.  This is their first year of business. Last fall, they grew chrysanthemums, three acres of pumpkins and gourds.  Also,  they hosted a Mum Field Tour weekend which was followed by a two day Harvest Festival. This year they expanded on their harvest festival idea.

In order to do this, local FFA students were recruited to come volunteer at the farm, picking pumpkins, squash, and gourds. For three weeks prior to the grand opening, FFA students labored in fields harvesting the pumpkins and squash. They were then washed and sorted.

FFA students also constructed the hay maze, painted hay bales, and brought in some of their animals. In addition to the animals, Busy Barns also includes a corn box, an obstacle course, a 20-foot long hay slide and much more.

Some attractions are also educational, teaching children about agriculture.  The newest addition to the farm is the arch barn, which was moved from the highway 26-construction site. It holds a hayloft, a puppet show and virtual milking cow.

FFA students and their families, plus the friends of the Telfer family volunteer at the farm working at the entrance and the check out. The FFA alumni worked the new FFA food stand called the Feed Bag.

FFA members from FAHS and Jefferson FFA are present every weekend to watch over the various stations. Busy Barns has a variety of unique gourds, pumpkins that come in every size, shape, and color,. Some squash come from the US and others form far away places like France and Australia. Some of these pumpkins have amusing names like “One Too Many” and “Jumbo Pink Banana”.

Busy Barns is located about 5 miles out of Fort Atkinson on highway 12.

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