This 114-acre farm was purchased by the park district in 1968, adding to the adjacent park lands purchased just the year before to establish Possum Creek MetroPark. For more than 50 years the farm has been educating the public on the agricultural heritage of our region. Today, the original farm includes a demonstration and community gardens, animal pastures, trails, farm buildings, and actively-farmed fields.
To reach the farm, follow the main park road through the park's planted prairie, This Tall Grass Prairie consists of grasses that reach heights of 6 to 10 feet by late summer and are filled with a variety of wildflowers (forbs) that add color to the sea of grass. Prairie wildflowers reach their blooming peak in mid-summer and early fall. Possum Creek’s prairie areas were planted starting in 1980 to serve as a haven for the now rare plants and animals that once inhabited natural prairie openings in southwestern Ohio’s woodlands.
When you reach the farm parking lot, you will find a public restroom, nature play area, reservable shelter, and an education building, along with a paved trail leading to the farmhouse and farm, where we will begin our tour.
The animals at Possum Creek Farm are heritage breeds. The Livestock Conservancy defines heritage animals as the animals that you would find on your great-grandparent’s farms. Heritage is an umbrella term that embraces pure breeds of livestock and poultry with deep histories in the United States. These are animals that were bred over time to develop traits that made them suited to specific local environments. Because these breeds have been developed and selected over time, they tend to have better disease resistance, are well adapted to their environments, and thrive I pasture-based settings.
Farm visit etiquette:
- Use soft, quiet indoor voices when around the animals.
- Keep feet on the ground, not on the rails of the pens or fences.
- Be soft and gentle if you touch the animals.
- Only pet the animals on their foreheads, necks, or backs. Avoid hands near animals’ mouths.
- Our animals are on diets. Please avoid feeding them unless farm staff is present to monitor how you feed and how much.
