Saturday May 2nd | Two Sessions | Limited to 20 guests each | Franklin, NC
Winding Stair Campground Spring Farm Tour
Meet our animals, and See our Mill Grinding Grain in the Appalachian Mountains
Join us for our Spring farm tour!
Meet our newest baby lambs, our colorful chickens, Sylvester the Goose and Mama Peaches the Donkey.
We will be running our traditional water-powered grain mill, and touring our Mountain Vegetable Garden.
Location
12 miles west of Franklin
Our Tour is at our Mountain Farm location (not the retail garden center)
7984 West Old Murphy Rd, Franklin NC 28734
The heart of the tour
Come meet Cocoa Bean, Mama Peaches…
…and the lambs that haven’t been born yet!
There is something about a lamb that stops people in their tracks; the way they move, the way they look up at you, the way they decide in thirty seconds whether they like you or not.
Our new lambs will have just arrived by tour day, spending their first weeks learning this land alongside Miss Peaches, their ever-watchful donkey guardian who takes her role as protector of the flock with complete seriousness.
This is a living, working farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and for a morning or an afternoon, it is yours to explore.
Our animals aren't a petting zoo exhibit.
They live here, work here, and know this land as well as we do.
Most farms have animals. Not every farm has Mama Peaches.
Our resident donkey is the self-appointed guardian of the flock, and she takes her job seriously.
Mama Peaches roams freely with our Icelandic Sheep, keeping a watchful eye on everyone, including Cocoa Bean, a surprise lamb born late last June.
Sylvester the goose has never met a stranger- or a quiet moment.
He’ll likely introduce himself to you before you have a chance to find him.
And keeping the whole farm grounded are our heritage chickens. They’re raised on organic feed and free to forage all day: we sell their eggs at our nursery on Saunders Road.
Our sheep are one of the oldest breeds in the world
Icelandic sheep were bred by Viking settlers a thousand years ago. They are dual-purpose animals (prized for their warm wool and flavorful meat) and they possess the friendly confidence of a breed that has never needed to change to fit the lifestyles of their human companions.
You’ll hear the guinea hens before you see them.
They are a roving, vocal crew with strong feelings about strangers- and mistakenly believe they own the place!
You’ll find our heritage turkeys a bit more reserved, strutting the ground proudly- perhaps moving quickly only when you get too close.
A hand-built, fully operational Water-Powered Mill… one of only a few in action
Our hand-built water mill is one of the most remarkable things on this property. Built using traditional Appalachian methods, it is a new construction built the old way, with over half the timber felled and milled right here on the property. Our mill comes to life for special occasions like this one.
On tour day, you’ll feel the rumble as the 18-foot wheel begins to spin and stand inches from two stone-burr mills grinding organic corn into the grits and polenta we sell at our nursery. The structure features a cantilever beam roof, an old technique that sheltered livestock without a single interior support post, and was featured in Old Mill News in the summer of 2020.
Our Tour is at our Mountain Farm location (not the retail garden center)
7984 West Old Murphy Rd, Franklin NC 28734
Reserve Your Spot. Two Sessions. Both strictly limited to 20 guests.
The mountain is at its most alive in the morning- cooler air, and animals that are alert & eager to meet you!
- Cooler temps; ideal for kids and older guests
- Animals are most active and social in the AM
- Golden morning light for photos
- Done by lunch; make a day of Franklin after
- Tends to be a smaller, more intimate group
A relaxed afternoon in spring sunshine- perfect for a warm afternoon in the Appalachian mountains!
- Afternoon mountain light is warm and beautiful
- Great pairing with a Franklin lunch beforehand
- Comfortable for those who prefer a later start
- Same full experience as the morning session
- Enjoy after your Franklin farmers market visit!