The Rainbow Ranch Petting Farm in Plum Hill, Illinois, is preparing for a spring onslaught of baby animals. The ranch located in tiny Plum Hill, Illinois, already has more than 200 animals that call it home, ranging from sheep, miniature donkeys, horses, peacocks, and camels to llamas, goats, fallow deer, chicken, swans, Vietnamese potbelly pigs, a miniature pony, miniature exotic cattle like zebu and miniature Brahmas from India. There’s even Zavana the zebra.
And with the spring, there will be an outpouring of babies.
Collecting Becomes Petting Zoo
Once upon a time, former photographer Alan Blumhorst, 47, only showed off his “critters” to friends and neighbors. Many urged him to open it to the public and in February 2002 he finally did, acquiring a US Department of Agriculture permit for a roadside zoo exhibition.
“I’ve loved animals since I was little,” he said. “I knew I was crazy when I wanted a goat and my Pop said, ‘What do you want a goat for?’ I just thought they were cool.”
Now Rainbow Ranch is an agritourism success with church groups and school groups, as well as numerous individuals passing through the hamlet of Plum Hill, located on Illinois Route 15, nine miles west of Nashville, Illinois in Washington County, about a one-hour drive east of St Louis.
Rainbow Ranch mounts regular events besides the spring Baby Bonanza in April. There’s also the Rainbow Ranch Roundup in June, the Rainbow Ranch Pumpkin Party and Corn Maze in October, and Christmas in the Barn in December.
Kid-Friendly
Children love the opportunity to wander through the combination barnyard and petting zoo.
The kids enjoy visiting Max the scarlet macaw, Lorenzo and Lover the llamas, Gladys, Godiva, Granola, and Goliath the goats, Zsa Zsa the zebu, Duchess the donkey, Lily the Llama, and Posey the Miniature Pony. Even the smallest and most mundane, like the fluffy rabbits, Rita and Randy, are showered with attention.
And many of the animals are downright enthusiastic about the attention. That’s by design.
Blumhorst, with exceptions, does not allow kids to feed the animals so that the animals approach only for the attention they’ll receive, not to swarm the kids seeking handouts.
“I want my critters to want the love and attention,” said Blumhorst. This way they just want to be friends with kids and actually enjoy the petting.
There is an exception in the petting rules. Zavanda the zebra can nip so…you get to look, but no petting.
The adults escorting the kids are no less enamored of the visits, as well.
Wooden Pegged Barn
Five generations of one family have lived on the farm with its 150-year-old barn. The hand-hewn structure built in 1850 by John Mangenalker is held together with wooden pegs instead of nails. Blumhorst keeps the barn repaired by using wood from other old barns that have been torn down. It still houses many of the larger animals including horses, cows, llamas, chickens, ducks, geese, miniature cows, sheep, and goats.
Mangenalker also built the house Blumhorst lives in.
“I’ve been carrying on with the farm tradition, and I like that I’m sharing it with the public,” said Blumhorst.
And he doesn’t have to run a pig farm as his dad did. “I hated those things,” he said. “The smell was everywhere.” He swore he’d never have pigs on the farm again. Which doesn’t really explain the Vietnamese potbelly pigs he has penned next to the old smokehouse, but what are you going to do?
Buying Animals
Blumhorst has had many of his animals for years. Others he has purchased at auction like Coco the Camel. Still others are on loan because of the cost. Zebras and one-hump camels, for example, run $10,000.
Blumhorst knows them all by name…the names are alliterative, if you haven’t noticed…and he knows their individual quirks and personalities. Cookie the pot-bellied pig pouts if he doesn’t score as many cookies as he wants.
Agritourism
Blumhorst was able to get help in establishing his business with state-affiliated tourism bureaus. The warm-and-fuzzy nature of animals, has gained plenty of St Louis-area television and newspaper coverage. Illinois Agrinews ran a photo of him and his camels as part of an article on the agritourism industry. The publicity assures a steady stream of visitors.
He also targeted core markets with a colorful fold-out brochure. He sent brochures to teachers in the district once he found out school offices were trashing them as they came in. He also contacted daycare centers which was another success.
Revenues
Five-dollar admission fees basically cover the feed for the animals. But Blumhorst is not only operator of the petting zoo. He is also an exotic animal breeder and most of the farm’s revenue is generated by selling offspring at exotic animal sales. That includes those animals that prove least friendly to visitors, in an effort to ensure that the animals the kids come in contact with are the friendliest and most affectionate.
The petting zoo is open year-round, 9 am to 5 pm Wednesday through Sunday and by appointment only November through March.
For information, call 618-424-7979.
Reference:
- The World Famous St. Louis Zoo www.associatedcontent.com/article/12804/the_world_famous_st_louis_zoo.html
