Visit the farm. Learn a bunch. Have a blast!

You are one in a million, a person wanting so much to understand food production that you’re willing to take time out to visit a local farm. That is exciting, and we are honored to be able to show you our side of the story… the story of a really-pasture-raised, grass-centric, rotational-grazing Crazy Farm, right here in East Texas.

We are a truly family-run farm, and pretty much all the time, all hands are on deck! But we feel it’s important to carve out some time each spring and fall to invite you, the consumer, to come and learn about a better way to eat.

What to Expect During Our Farm Tours

Our tours are fun, but a bit physically challenging! Be prepared to cover a good amount of East Texas pasture terrain while observing our methods for raising grass-fed-and-finished beef, rotationally-pastured meat chickens, really-pasture-raised hens, and if you’re especially lucky, depending on the current season, you might get to meet our Thanksgiving turkeys, baby calves, woodland-loving pigs, and fluffy baby chicks!

Our tours are engaging and educational, and though you won’t get to touch any livestock, (Sorry! They’re not pets!) we do have some farm critters that love a good ear-scratching, such as our friendly farm dogs, Shadow and Long John, and our farm cats, Attila, Boudica, Sassy, and Tiger.

Depending on the particulars of the day you visit, you may get to experience a cow move, observe a poultry shelter shift, gobble at the turkeys, toss some veggies to the pigs, or check out the forage crops we’ve planted for the season. This is an "unscripted" tour on a real working farm, so you never know exactly what a tour day will hold, but we get wonderful feedback from visitors to our tours, and we know you’ll enjoy it and learn a lot.

Arrival on Tour Day

Please arrive at least 10-15 minutes prior to tour start time to allow time to check in and use the restroom in our farm store. There are no restrooms available while out in the field.

What to Bring & Wear / Amenities

We request that you plan to bring your own bottled water, but we will provide additional water for those who run out.

We strongly suggest dressing for the weather—our weather can go from quite cold to very hot in just an hour, and our hill here in East Texas tends to run a little cooler than surrounding areas–great for summertime tours! Wear a hat, breathable sleeves, and closed-toe shoes. If the weather is cold, wear layers. We strongly suggest tall-sided boots to help deter fire ants, thorns, and mud.

You are welcome to bring a camera, but please try to point it away from any project messes you may see! Remember—we’re a real, working farm, and we always have more to do than time to do it! Feel free to tag us on Facebook @Shady Grove Ranch.

Hazards and Our Expectations

Pretend you’re a farmer for a day, checking out the beauty of your workplace, but taking care while you do it! Please be mindful of pasture holes, electric fence, thornbushes, fire ants, large equipment, construction zones, and farm critters. We have several varieties of wildflower that have wicked but almost invisible thorns, so best practice is to ask before you pick! We want your experience with us to be a wonderful and fun one!

Do not feed, pet, chase, grab, or shout at the livestock. Do not throw anything at any time. No smoking on the property is permitted at all. Please put your trash in the proper receptacle.

Advice for Bringing Children

Children are an important part of the farm, recognizing that it is not a vacation destination or tourist trap, but a real place with real hazards. We humbly but firmly ask that you inform your children of the expected behavior on a real farm. There are real dangers on a working farm, and it is important that we all be respectful of those as well as other people around us. Children (and adults) should not touch or enter a workspace or paddock or open any gates without first being invited or instructed by farm personnel.

Our terrain may be too difficult for most sidewalk strollers, but a bicycle-wheeled jogging stroller or off-road wagon would be suitable to pull toddler-age children. For very young children, a backpack-style carrier is likely the best option. For older children, remind them that God gave them two strong young legs to explore a beautiful farm with. Enjoy getting some exercise! We will also provide a farm scavenger hunt game for children to complete during their visit.

A Special Tour-goer Discount

As thanks for spending time learning about your food sources, all farm tour attendees receive 5% off in-store purchases the day of their tour. (Applies to in-store, regular-price purchases. Excludes bulk/case deals, online orders, and previously discounted items.) Be sure to bring a cooler and stock up while you're here! Tell our cashier at checkout that you attended the tour. 

Weaker Walkers

We do not have vehicular transport during tours at this time. If you have issues walking long distances outdoors on rough pasture terrain or up and down hills, our tours may not be a good fit at this time, but you are welcome to visit our farm store and enjoy some time on our large Texas-style porch where some rocking chairs are located. We have some comfortable chairs indoors in the A/C as well.