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Farms Are Not Amusement Parks
I have been to amusement parks and city zoos that often feature a "petting zoo" as part of the entertainment. Most farms are not like that. They don't have clean-up crews sweeping the grounds every hour, picking up the trash tossed aside by thoughtless visitors. Nor are their animals trained to ignore the odd behavior of the visitors. On a real farm there is real work going on, with real animals and they know precious little about the "cutsey" things that "Violet, Thumper and Bambi" do.
You can get hurt on a real farm. Even domesticated animals have a certain level of fear that goes with being an "animal of prey". They will defend themselves and especially their young.
That being said, ask your farmer to show you his animals and explain to you why they will result in superior food.
Free range chickens are fairly obvious. Caged chickens can give the kids a chance to feed a live animal.
The ducks may be a little harder to see. The goats may seek you out for a treat, but be warned, they act like teenagers. It's all about them.
Real gardens may have horse manure, composted cow manure and wheat straw with chicken poop in it spread between the rows. Expect a little stink. It's a good sign.
For details and scientific research see our friends at Eat Wild.Com.
