Wee Farm, Petting Zoo for more than wee kids

By Shelby R. Farrell
Reporter
BELVIDERE – Although Tuesday was Kids Day at the Boone County Fair, entertainment and fun opportunities were still present for the kids of Boone County all week.
The Wee Farm and Petting Zoo has been a staple of the Boone County Fair for over 30 years thanks to the Flora Producers 4-H Club. Jenny Andres is the parent of one of the club’s members, and she said the Wee Farm and Petting Zoo is a great way to offer entertainment, education, and a lesson in fear.
“The kids love it,” she said. “They get to learn a little bit about the animals; learn to not be afraid of them. It’s a good way for the little ones to be a little more hands-on.”
She said there were around 50 animals in total with at least 10 different kinds of animals at the Wee Farm and petting Zoo this year. While little kids can learn from the petting zoo, fairgoers of all ages enjoy meeting and feeding the animals.
“Ninety-one-year-old, Emerson came to feed the sheep,” she said. “It was great. It made his day. I mean it made my day, too. He loved it.”
Families from all over Boone County and surrounding areas visit the Boone County Fair, and for some the Wee Farm and Petting Zoo is the perfect opportunity to have fun with the whole family.
Lindsey Lind said she has been going to the Wee Farm and Petting Zoo every year since she was seven, and now she brings her sons.
“It’s great for the whole family,” Lind said. “We came here with my sons and their grandparents and great grandparents. It’s nice to have the whole family here.”
While the whole family could go to the Wee Farm and Petting Zoo, the zoo was missing something this year. Andres said the Flora Producers had to remove the poultry from the zoo this year because of recent bird flu outbreak.
In previous years, fairgoers could see ducks, geese and peacocks.
However, no pin was left empty, as other animals were brought in to fill the spaces, including a tortoise that can grow to over 200 pounds and a litter of piglets.
“I feel like 4-H and livestock are kind of dying things around here, and it’s something that I grew up with, and I really hope it can make my boys want to do it too when they get older,” Lind said. “I love being able to see my kids interact with the animals and seeing their smiles.”