Our Animals
All the animals at the Farm are part of our family and we are extremely passionate about the well-being of our furry friends! It is always a joy to see a head pop up when they hear their name!
African animals
On your visit to our African Grasslands, you’ll experience rolling hills that reach across the landscape and give you an incredibly peaceful feeling. As you gaze into the pasture you may see our Zebras, Zebu or Watusi cattle grazing on the natural grasses and shrubs. Behind the high formation of rocks, you may find an egg laid by our ostrich.
Oak trees dot the hills and create a canopy of shade, attracting the animals in the afternoon sun.
Barnyard animals
Come spend time with our pot‑bellied pigs and our friendly chickens, ducks, and turkeys. Don’t miss Dustin the turkey, and be sure to watch our runner ducks splashing in their pond.
Big farm animals
Big Farm is where you will find our beloved Friesian horses, Haflingers, a mule, cows, Alpine, Boer, and Nubian goats, Yorkshire pigs, llamas, and alpacas. Our stunning, beautiful, black Friesians have a long history with humans. Hundreds of years ago soldiers used these great animals as war horses. They were big, strong, and trained to charge into battle without fear! You will also find Meadow, our geep with her sheep friends. She looks like a cloud on stick in the winter, you can’t miss her!
Birds
The Farm is home to many wild birds (Red-tail Hawk, Coopers Hawk, Barn Owl, Raven, Dove, Woodpecker, Western Bluebird, Jays, Oriole, Goldfinch ….). We’ve also built an aviary to house peacocks that were raised in a cage.
A Greenwing Macaw, a Citron Cockatoo, a Moluccan Cockatoo, a Lesser Cockatoo, an African Grey, a Harlequin macaw, a Senegal parrot, and two Cockatiels also call the Farm home. We aim to raise funds to build a second large aviary so our guests can view the birds when outside.
Exotics
Cheyenne, our American Bison, was raised near the Viejas reservation in Alpine. He was raised alone, never in a herd, so he will remain alone in his big pasture. He does, however, enjoy and appreciate the company of his neighbors in surrounding pastures. He loves to play with his big scratching toy, run around his pasture, and take naps underneath the oaks. After learning to graze on the wild grasses he has started to enjoy them very much. While at the Camel Oasis you will feel the dry air gently blowing over sandy hills. Palm trees sway at the edge of the oasis where the camels calmly rest.
Mini farm animals
This is one of our favorite pastures to visit—we’re a little biased because our miniature crew is irresistibly cute! The six miniature horses still lead the way, and the whole pasture stays lively with Nigerian Dwarf goats and pygmy goats mingling throughout. Ayden, our mini horse, now lives with Little, the little dwarf horse. Dollie (a Nigerian Dwarf goat) and Oink (a Julianna pig) share another pasture with two fainting goats, Grimm and Gruff, plus a Nigerian Dwarf goat named Obi. This friendly mix is a guest favorite for up-close, hands-on moments.
Our mini donkeys have found their own happy rhythms, too. Violet and Lilac—our mother-daughter duo—now spend their days alongside the llamas and alpacas, while the other three minis—Josie, Gypsie Rode, and Alfalfa—stick together as a playful little posse. And not to be outdone, our Scottish Belted Galloway mini cows, Poncho and Star, remain best friends and fan favorites!
Reptiles
Come to Tortoise Landing and meet Big Daddy, Big Mama, Boba, Thor, and Oni—our mighty Sulcata tortoises. They love basking in the sunshine and crunching on fresh California greens, and they’re so strong they can nudge their way through almost anything! Sulcatas are the world’s third-largest tortoise (after the Galápagos and Aldabra) and can live 80–125 years.
In our reptile room, you’ll also find our growing snake family. Lucie, our corn snake, is now 5 feet long. She’s joined by Cutie, a little corn snake, and two friendly ball pythons, Simon and Aladdin. Come say hello to this calm, curious crew!
Biological Garden
Over the years, the farm has been thoughtfully developing a thriving 3-acre biological garden that serves both our beloved animals and the local community. This carefully cultivated space includes dedicated vegetable fields, a bountiful orchard, and a seasonal pumpkin patch—all grown using regenerative farming practices that go beyond organic standards. We grow without pesticides or chemicals of any kind, working with nature to build healthier soil, sequester carbon, and create a thriving ecosystem that gets stronger with each season.
Our vegetable gardens burst with seasonal abundance throughout the year. Crisp lettuce, vibrant heirloom tomatoes, sweet peppers, and summer squash thrive alongside tender green beans and a diverse selection of premium vegetables including artichokes, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, cabbage, and potatoes. Sweet cantaloupes, French melons, and juicy watermelons add summery refreshment to the harvest.
Each crop is grown with meticulous care, providing fresh, wholesome nutrition for our tortoises while bringing exceptional farm-fresh quality to our customers’ tables. Our pigs happily transform any unsold produce and scraps into natural fertility, completing the farm’s sustainable cycle and ensuring nothing goes to waste.
The orchard is a fruit lover’s paradise, offering an impressive variety of tree-ripened treasures: crisp apples, succulent plums and pluots, sweet pears, velvety peaches and apricots, and unique jujubes. Our citrus grove provides year-round brightness with oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes, and tart-sweet kumquats, while cherry trees and mixed hybrid varieties add even more diversity to our seasonal offerings. The dedicated pumpkin patch rounds out the garden with both edible pie-perfect varieties and unique specialty pumpkins for autumn celebrations.
This regenerative approach means richer living soil, deeper flavors, nutrient-dense produce, and food that actively heals the land while nourishing your body. You’ll find our farm-fresh harvest at the La Jolla and Ocean Beach Farmers Markets, with Rancho Santa Fe joining our schedule soon. For our Santee neighbors, we offer convenient local delivery service, bringing the garden’s seasonal bounty straight to your door.
Compost
The farm’s compost is made of manure and greens from the Farm. It’s being used in the garden, orchard, growing pastures and the vermicompost bin. We sell the compost by the yard.
Vermicompost
40,000 worms have been added to our 24’ vermicompost bin. It takes approximately 6 months to gather the first castings.
