Fun for All at Highland Acres Homestead
By TONYA WARREN | Photos by BECKY STINEHOUR and courtesy of HIGHLAND ACRES
Now that the Texas sweltering heat is teasing us with cooler weather, gather your herd off their digital devices and head over to Highland Acres Homestead in Belton. Perfect for family outings or a special date night, come learn about the farm’s engaging, and often hilarious, resident animals in a relaxed environment. Perhaps enjoy a cup of fair-trade coffee and a freshly made muffin on the large airy deck area while gazing at the animals munching their own treats.
Owners Frank and Anja LaGrange have called the farm home for a couple of years now. They’re more than just home and business owners, the LaGranges are also visionaries. Overgrown with brush, thorns, thistles and whatever else Mother Nature could conjure up, Anja said, “we bought the property extremely distressed and remodeled everything.” That’s another way of saying they worked their fingers to the bone to fulfill a dream come true of having an agritourism business for others to come, learn, and appreciate a different way of life.
HATCHING THE BIG IDEA
What started as a simple idea of selling their chicken eggs blossomed into what would eventually become a full-fledged business. “We’d always planned on getting animals and selling eggs.” Anja explained. “Suddenly, after we started selling eggs, neighbors and our egg clients asked to come visit the animals.”
After researching various breeds of cows, the LaGranges decided to purchase some Highland cows to start the business rolling. “It takes Highlands three years to reach breeding age,” said Anja. “So, we decided to begin meet and greets and bottle feedings as a way to offset feed costs.” This idea just continued to blossom and grow as more folks visited and enjoyed some good old-fashioned analog outdoor activities.
Being good stewards of the land and other resources, Anja said she researched animals whose temperament allowed them to coexist well with their barnyard mates. “Our property is smaller,” Anja explained, “temperament is huge and most are dual purpose for wool, meat or dairy.” She likes for the animals to have more than one purpose, if needed. Goats, alpacas, and a baby kangaroo round out the menagerie. Some livestock is also available for purchase if you feel you need to scratch that living-off-the-land itch.
NEVER A DULL MOMENT
If you think animals don’t communicate with one another, think again. The pigs are known to trick new farm employees by distracting them so others can escape through a barely opened gate. When they were fenced with the cows, the pigs learned they could hog the treats by biting the cow’s ankles causing the bovine to beat to another less competitive area.
Then, there’s Tito, the sneaky donkey who just waited for some unsuspecting person to accidentally leave the pasture gate open so he could explore the world on his own. Extra vigilance is the order of the day for keeping Tito in his place. Sometimes cows get themselves trapped with their horns, and the peacocks can get trapped under various farm life implements while attempting to plume their beautiful feathers.
The petite quail are content to watch life go by and produce delicious little eggs to make that breakfast plate very tasty.
DATE NIGHTS AND MORE
Anja feels a sense of pride when couples visiting for date night enjoy the peaceful farm setting. Unhurried, loving on the animals and watching them graze, or napping in the shade, the farm has had three marriage proposals, with more on the books.
In addition to weekly meet and greets and monthly date nights, the couple also hosts first Saturday monthly markets with night markets held every few months. Guests enjoy a wide variety of artisan and craft vendors offering handmade soaps, candles, jewelry, leather gifts and much more. It’s never too early to start thinking about holidays gifts.
Anja also bakes on site in her pride and joy, a professional bread oven. She says her sourdough bread is always the most popular, especially the gouda and herb flavor. Homemade muffins, cookies, banana bread and more are also available. The yummy honey is local, and Anja makes pancake mixes and various seasonings to experiment with in your own kitchen.
GOOD TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
A pumpkin patch and Halloween Market open Oct. 3, and a Christmas tree lot is on the calendar this fall. Anja said the farm also hosts a car show twice a year. Plans for movie nights are in the works as well as adding pens for more small animals, a raised bed garden, a playscape, and more.
So, take a break from traffic, bosses, and other modern day stress points, and enjoy getting back to the basics of life. It will all be waiting for you when you return from the farm.
Learn more at www.highlandacrestx.com.
