Barnyard Glimmers

A Short Story About the Animal Residents of Reed's Farm

Breakfast was an important part of the morning at Reed’s. The animals believed it should arrive promptly and in generous quantities. On this particular morning, they were making their opinions known.

Chevy and Isa, the sheep, crowded near the gate. Clementine and Rosebud snuffled impatiently. Yippity and Dixie, the alpacas, stretched their long necks to see what was coming. The horses shifted their hooves, Mr. Roo fussed among his hens, and Callie surveyed everything with a watchful expression, considering the entire barnyard to be her responsibility.

Kirsti stood before them with breakfast.

“Alright everyone, calm down... breakfast is coming! Today we’re going to have some fun and talk about how everyone's summer was. Does that sound exciting?"

“BAH, ROOF, BAH, OINK, SNORT!”

It was difficult to tell which part of that answer came from whom, although Callie could probably be credited with the “ROOF.”

“Okay then, let’s get you fed and we’ll start!”

Once breakfast had been distributed, the barnyard filled with chewing, snuffling, and immediate questions.

Chevy raised his woolly head. “Okay, so who’s going first?”

Callie was already prepared to patrol the barnyard. “Can we walk and talk?”

Rosebud barely looked up from her breakfast. “Do I really have to?”

Violet, the donkey, had a different concern. “So do we get snacks after this, or….?”

Jack, the little bunny, was happy simply to be included. “We can do anything together, I don’t mind!”

Kirsti held up her hands before the questions could multiply.

“Well hold on, not all at once, how about I just ask some questions and whoever can chime in with a response. Let’s start with some highlights, what were your favorite moments over the summer?”

Clementine lifted her muddy snout. She hardly needed time to think.

“The spa days, for sure. Fresh mud and pools daily, and the medicated baths are enough to roll over for a belly rub!”

Yippity drew back her long alpaca neck at the mention of mud.

“Yuck on the mud, but I’ll agree to the fresh pools and a cold hose spray!”

“You and Rosebud did great this year, Clementine. Even though the flies seemed worse, you both let us take good care of your fly bites to keep them from getting out of control! Bravo, brave girls!”

Violet’s long ears tipped forward. Her understanding of a spa day was very different from a pig’s.

“My spa days don’t look like that, but I’m good on the water! Yikes!”

Clementine blinked at her. “What’s a spa day without a bath?”

“Oh, it includes all the good stuff. Pedicures, grooming, and walks complete my spa days. They pick out my feet and groom me daily, no complaints here!”

Kid swished his tail. As a horse, he understood Violet’s appreciation for grooming, but he also thought Clementine had made an excellent point about the water.

“I get water on spa days, that’s what I love about them the most. My favorite moments this summer were when I was playing in the hose. It cools me off, and I love the feeling of water droplets hitting my neck. So refreshing!”

Clementine turned her snout triumphantly toward Violet.

“See Violet, he knows what he’s talking about!”

“Yes - the bath and spa care days are always a hit," Kirsti chuckled. "Does anyone have any other favorite moments?”

Rosebud was stretched comfortably beside her breakfast. She considered the question for exactly one second.

“Nope.”

“Okay Rosie. So did everyone handle the heat okay? We did our best for you guys!”

Chevy sighed beneath his heavy wool.

“It was so exhausting - I felt like I had a winter coat on all season.”

Dixie looked over at the sheep from beneath her alpaca fringe.

“You pretty much did!”

“You did get sheared like normal, but this year was pretty intense. Did the fans help give some relief?”

Isa nodded, her ears flicking.

“It absolutely did! I appreciate the cool barn compared to standing in the blistering sun. Thanks for giving us the option to hide away in the shade. Did we miss out on meeting any visitors to the farm?”

“I’m sure there were lots of people you missed, but they all understood you guys needed to stay healthy and cool. They’ll come back in the fall to see you active and out.”

Chevy’s ears raised in displeasure. Missing visitors was a serious matter for the barnyard’s self-appointed greeter.

“Wait, I missed meeting new people? But how?! I’m the welcome committee!”

Mr. Roo strutted past with his flock of hens.

“You can have all the people!”

Kirsti turned toward him.

“Well, well, well, Mr. Roo... we meet again. How did you and your ladies do over the summer?”

Mr. Roo puffed out his feathers before answering.

“We had an adjustment period. I tried telling some of the ladies at the beginning of the heat streak to just cool off in the pools, but they didn’t listen.”

“I know, I’m so sorry you guys had such a rough adjustment. Did you all do okay after you were able to free roam?”

“Yes, we were great. There was so much open space to find bugs, dig dirt ditches around the tractors, and explore new areas. The hawks were pretty formidable, though.”

High above the barnyard, the sky stretched wide and blue. Mr. Roo glanced up at it.

“Yeah - it’s a good thing you're back in the coop now.”

Mr. Roo stood a little taller. Being back in the coop meant he could keep a proper eye on his hens.

“Yes, it’s so much easier to manage and protect my girls, although you’re still sending in humans to collect eggs. I wish you would all just stay on the outside of the coop.”

“Well, I’m glad that overall, the adjustment worked, and you all found comfort in the process. Does anyone have any other moments they’d like to share?”

A small voice spoke from near the ground.

“I’m new here, can I share my thoughts with you?”

Kirsti looked down at Jack.

“Of course little guy! You don’t experience much of the summer like everyone else, so what was your highlight?”

Jack twitched his nose. He had experienced a great many new things for one little bunny.

“So I have this container they call a stroller that I stay in when I meet new people, and it has become a cozy place for me to feel safe. I’ve met lots of kids and adults in different settings. I’ve done some car rides and learned new ways to communicate with my caretakers. I have so many, but Mel, Jenny, and you handle me the most. I love getting attention, and can’t wait to be officially certified as a therapy bunny! Thank you for letting me be so curious, explore my surroundings, and give me lots of fresh greens.”

“Aww, thanks for the input, Jack. We’re proud to have you on the team! Looks like you all finished breakfast. Anything new that you guys are excited for?”

Violet’s tall ears rose at once.

“We get an official event day every month! I’m excited to make some personal connections with new people. I’ll teach them everything they want to know about me and my friends.”

Obie, one of the miniature horses, stretched out his neck helpfully.

“Make sure you tell them we love getting neck scratches!”

Pia, the other miniature horse, knew that visitors should also arrive properly prepared.

“Yeah, and peppermint treats, too!”

“Yes, we re-launched our Feed at Reed’s event! On the first 3 Saturdays of the month, the public can participate in an up-close interaction with the barnyard animals! The 4th Saturday is reserved for a smaller-group session, so people can enjoy a more intimate educational experience.”

Chevy stepped forward eagerly, as if the visitors might already be approaching.

“I love people!”

The rest of the barnyard answered together.

“We know, Chevy!”

“You guys are the best. Thanks for being such a great group of residents! Is there anything else anyone would like to add?"

The barnyard became still.

Clementine and Rosebud lifted their snouts. Violet’s ears pointed toward Kirsti. Chevy and Isa stared through the gate. Yippity and Dixie stretched their necks. Kid, Obie, and Pia waited expectantly. Callie paused her patrol. Jack twitched his nose, and even Mr. Roo stopped fussing over his hens.

After all the stories about summer, spa days, visitors, pools, hoses, and big changes, there was one subject on which every animal agreed.

“Can we have more food now?”

Kirsti shook her head and sighed, smiling softly.

“Yes, I’ll give you your hay and greens, and finish up the rest of the chores.”

That was the answer they had been waiting for. Soon, everyone was back to eating, and Kirsti continued with the rest of her chores.

–

A Note from Kirsti

As we all start to end the summer season on the farm, reflection takes its place in the forefront of my mind. We’ve had some great successes, lots of learning curves, and the start of some new systems for our Animal Department. We introduced our Animal Programming Series which featured hands-on learning activities about each species. We’ve had some beautiful volunteer days; helping us prepare our pasture for the new Silvopasture System and some great weekends meeting new faces and introducing all of our friendly animal residents. On the barn side of the farm, we like to keep it intimate and personal.

Oftentimes, our days look a little different than the hustle and bustle of the rest of the farm. I take great joy and pride in providing safe, healthy environments for the animals, which often looks like individualized care so we approach our days with observation, patience, empathy, and side quests of random projects! We do have a lot of new projects and systems about to unfold in the upcoming seasons for 2027, including putting our animals out to rotate on the first development of the Silvopasture operation.

Your generosity through donations and sharing information about our mission helps us not only maintain a standard of care, but also get to our end goals of demonstrating what a harmonious system can accomplish. We have a lot of new processes that absolutely need support, so thank you for being a part of the Reed’s Farm family and taking the time to stay updated with us all. See you next month!