Farm Life

Mirthaven Farm

For those of you who dont know, we started off not charging a dime for two years..it was free as we felt it was "just our farm that we wanted to share". "To whom much is given..." Unfortunately, it is costly to care for these creatures God has given us and we had to change plans to meet bureaucratic demands. We happily announce we will be opening our doors again this Fall 2002 and will be able to host indoor birthday and business parties, church groups, scouts, and other events. We will also once again be hosting schools for field trips and other special events such as craft days and day camps for children. Teachers, please book your day at the farm ASAP as we do book fast. PHONE 423-230-5855. Thanks to all of you for being soo patient while we reorganinized the farm. God Bless and see ya soon! :-) ~The Caldwell's 2002~ Mirthaven Farm is a petting farm with a different perspective, focusing on the humane treatment of animals. Nestled in the scenic foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Kingsport, Tennessee, Mirthaven is home to many rescued farm animals who invite you to visit with them in their "happy place" which exhibits a more simple lifestyle.

En route to Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium, we encourage you to stop in and.enjoy a lazy afternoon sitting in a swing, playing checkers, pettting various animals including llamas, emus, sheep, turkey, and goats while children play on the barnyard play-structure. Open weekends 10AM-5PM Saturdays, 1-5PM Sundays. Birthdays, schools, scouts, churches, weddings,business socials, and other groups by appointment (weekdays available).General Admission $3.00/person for ages 2 and up.

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Llamas have the nick name "ol' banana ears". Can you guess why? Our mama llama, Anna Banana lies peacefully with her baby, Jubilee, who was born Oct 1, 1998 at Mirthaven. .Llamas have a gestation period of eleven months, so we waited a long time for Anna to have her baby! What a thrill it was to see her being born!!

Jubilee has been such a joy!! She was sooo soft, but we could not touch her until she was six months old. Handling a llama prior to this age can imprint upon the babies ,called "crias", that you are a llama ,too! If crias are handled too young, then when they are older you have problem llamas who bite and spit as they do to other llamas to establish their pecking order amongst herd members! A spitting llama is no fun! Best not to touch the babies!

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Sarah Beth shows ZZ among her feathered friends!

In the background is the fun playstructure, the White Dove Aviary, and the Bunny Burrow where Thumper, Mr French, Velvet, and Cinnamon reside.

Mr French thinks he's a Sheltie and loves to herd the goats!

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The White Doves laugh and sing from their perches.

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Becky (the pig) and Lyndon Johnson (Emu) love taking cool baths in the stream that runs down from the old reservoir.Watch out, Guinea! Becky is off to herd the llamas again! Seems as if many of our animals think they are Shelties!

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Pete The Peacock loves to show-off his beautiful rainbow display, especially for his wife, Repeat The Peahen. Maybe we will have Peachicks at Mirthaven in the spring! :-)

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Tom loves to gobble! Whistle and see how well he does! Click here to make Tom gobble!

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Shorty, is a minuature horse who loves to give rides to all the...chicks?

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Children (ages 1-99!) love interacting and feeding the varied farm animals.

Olivia (Ostrich) and Ladybird Johnson (Emu) eagerly watch for feed cups!

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Olivia, our beautiful Ostrich friend, came to us from Libby Cornett of Virginia, after her family was tragically killed in a boating accident off the coast of Charleston, SC. Olivia had been raised from a chick by Libby's two sons, Matthew and Daniel. Our children gladly finished the job of raising Olivia. She was a delight and inspiration to us all, as her curiosity never ceased to amaze us! On April 29th, her curiosity became fatal. Some unthinking person had broken a bottle on the board fencing. Ostriches, being the curious creatures they are, will peck at anything shiny, in hopes of it being an edible bug! This time Olivia's beautiful eyes spied the glass and it cruelly killed her. The vet could not save Olivia and our family sadly spent the day burying and mourning the loss of Olivia. She is sorely missed by us still. Many community school children and visitors remember and miss Olivia. The above photo was taken by one of her friends as Olivia grazed in the field one day..

Please remember Olivia and do not litter!! You never know what kind of animals, domestic or wildlife, that you may be affecting. Gum, glass, plastic, cigarette butts as well as paper are all very harmful! Please dispose of waste properly and recycle what you can to be kind to our earth.

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Lauren enjoyed making masks during day camp

Mirthaven hosts a Day Camp for children throughout the summer. Besides learning about the farm and its animals, the children create barnyard art, hike, garden, and play in the creek. Ask for an enrollment form, dates available, and pricing.

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Birthday Parties, weddings, family reunions, and varied private events are hosted at Mirthaven, as well as events for businesses, schools, church groups, scouts or other groups. Mirthaven can design a party as informal or formal as you desire. PHONE:(423)230-5855 Contact Mirthaven for more info and pricing.

We are always building and creating something new, so please be sure to inquire about upcoming events. Thank you!

Mirthaven Farm
2633 Reservoir Road Kingsport, TN 37660
(423) 378-6228

Sheep Ornaments -Hand-sheared and made with wool from Lambert and Louise as numbered barnyard art to help support the farm with its rescue efforts.

Visitors Winter time

Mirthaven Shelties & Collies

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