Belding Hill Farms owners Jill and Luke Coleman (Image: Belding Hill Farms Facebook)
Tours hosted by family-run Belding Hill Farms, owned and run by Luke and Jill Coleman, are hoping to give visitors a first-hand look into homestead life.
The farm is made up of 240-acres of land which once belonged to Luke’s great-grandfather, where the Colemans now raise sheep, pigs and chickens for consumption, breeding and sale. The tours opened to the public in mid-April with Luke Coleman saying its been very popular so far.
“It’s been absolutely crazy – people are overwhelmingly interested in what we’re doing,” said Coleman.
The idea for the tours began two years ago when the couple posted on their personal Facebook page about an open invitation to visit the farm across four Sundays in May, free of charge.
Demand was staggering with an estimated 1,400 people showing up across the four Sundays. The Colemans saw there was an interest in learning about the farm and homesteading, leading them to create an official paid tour.
This year, one-hour tours are done with two “Groups of 15” at the same time while socially distanced from one another and meeting COVID protocols.
The groups visit the chicken barn and larger animal barn on the tour where the Colemans discuss the ins-and-outs of farming life, such as chores, egg incubating and the differences between factory farming and homesteading.
Belding Hill Farms also uses its social media platforms to showcase the ups and downs of farm life.
“One of the things that Jill and I said when we started the pages is, ‘if we’re doing it, we’re putting the good and bad out there,” said Coleman. “If someone’s upset about any of it, then we’re just going to deal with that because I think it’s far too common for people to have false impressions of everything because they don’t know the details.”
Coleman says most of the tours have been families with young kids, with a fair number of grandparents inviting their grandchildren.
“I love all the kids, usually their eyes are so big just from seeing all these animals that that’s really, it’s been a treasure for Jill and I to see all the smiles on their faces,” he said. “That 8-to-12 year-old kid range is kind of the sweet spot for the kids that are asking questions – but if you stood at the end of our driveway and question everyone that left, I’m willing to bet 100 per cent of the adults learned something.”
People interested in learning more about Belding Hill Farms can book a tour online and check out their Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channels.
