WOODWARD—East of Woodward not far off U.S. 412 on the north side is Kenny Farms.
“This will be our 10th year,” said owner Lori Kenny. She and her husband Jeff along with one of their sons, also named Jeff, and his wife, Jennica, open the gates to their family farm each fall to give visitors an opportunity to experience life in the country.
“My mom and dad live half a mile down the road,” Lori said, and her brother lives in between their parents’ farm and the Kenny farm. She’s lived in the area for 45 years, so she and Jeff purchased the property over 20 years ago.
At the time, another of their sons, Brandon, was a racecar driver and traveling the national circuit. When they were traveling with him, the Kennys attended a fall festival along the Wisconsin-Minnesota border where farm equipment was being utilized as part of the activities, so Lori thought out loud, “We can do that on our farm.”
Her creative daughter-in-law Jennica took the idea and ran with it, she said. In August 2015, Jeff and Jennica “showed up and wanted to a fall festival out here,” Lori said. “They got to work.”
Lori herself wasn’t so sure and stated she was actually embarrassed at the idea of charging visitors, adding “Who is going to pay to come to our farm?”
But her son Jeff and Jennica were confident in the agritour concept. They selected the family’s favorite horse and miniature pony, advertised the place on Facebook, and “people showed up!” Lori said. “It exploded from there the next year.”
A day on the farm includes:
- A petting zoo. “That’s the draw,” Lori said, as families will get to feed alpacas, llamas, miniature pigs, geese, mini cattle, donkeys, and chickens, along with the original trio of goats, horses, and ponies.
- The short zipline.
- The twister. It’s a telephone pole with a wooden plus-sign attached in which kiddos climb on that is wound up and let go, spinning them round and round.
- The rat rollers. Kiddos walk and roll on drainage tubes.
- The barrel train. Exactly how it sounds, wheeled barrels carved out on one side for kiddos to ride in and attached together like a train.
- Horse and pony rides. This is strictly limited to kiddos under 60 pounds for the safety of the animals.
- The mega slide. It’s really tall and really fast and really a lot of fun, Lori said.
- The hay bales maze.
- The treasure dig. Much like an old-fashioned sandbox, tractor tires are filled with dirt and small treasures are buried within.
- A wagon ride to the hay bales maze. Visitors get to see the lone longhorn in the pasture too.
- The corn box. Lori said staff encourage dads to jump in and get buried by their kiddos in the corn.
Kenny Farms also runs a concession stand with hand-dipped corn dogs, walking tacos, burgers, funnel cakes, caramel apples, and more plus drinks. In addition, there is a pumpkin patch and fully stocked gift shop with suckers, toys, candles, locally sourced gourmet foods, shirts, and other treats.
All year-long, Lori said, it takes everything they have to keep Kenny Farms going for that month and a half they’re open to the public, from feeding the passel of animals to seeding the ground.
She said she realizes that Kenny Farms is not as huge as other popular fall attractions in the state, however, “we’ve always been busy and people seem to have a good time.”
The Kennys don’t do it for the money either as they’ve yet to make a profit. In fact, they own and operate a body shop in Mooreland to pay the bills. They also farm land north of town and run cattle too.
They do open their homestead every fall, Lori said, because of the smiles, the laughter, and the precious family time spent there. Nearly 8,000 people visited Kenny Farms last year.
“It’s a tradition we can’t stop,” she said, adding many people approach her in the off-season, ask about the beloved fall animals, and say, “I can’t wait to get back to the farm.”
“We pride ourselves on good customer service. We want every person who walks in the gate to be transformed. We (her family and the seasonal staff) acknowledge every person. It’s the personal interaction. When they leave, I want them to walk out feeling really good. I want this to be a happy place for them,” Lori said. “We want them to be part of our family.”
Starting next Saturday, Sept. 27, and running through Oct. 26, Kenny Farms, 205562 E. CR 40, Woodward, will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 1-6 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $17 per person; free for seniors ages 65 and older or kiddos ages 2 and younger. Call (580) 334-0438 or go online at kennyfamilyfarms.com to schedule a field trip midweek.
Kenny Farms will host a Special Needs Day on Tuesday, Oct. 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in honor of their own special needs child. This free field trip is specifically open to any special needs child or adult in the state so he or she can have a day just for them on the farm. A parent or guardian is allowed to accompany the special needs person, but siblings or other family members will not be permitted to come that day. National Honor Society members from area high schools will be volunteering their time that day to assist farm staff.
Two other working farms in Northwest Oklahoma to visit during the NWOKBuzz.com It’s Fall Y’all Agritour are Red Bird Farm, north of Enid, and DaZe in a MaZe, east of Marshall.
Red Bird Farm
Red Bird Farm, north of Enid two miles on U.S. 81, kicks off its fall season with a Harvest Market next Saturday, Sept. 27, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors will be able to shop 70-plus vendors and the barn store, eat from multiple food trucks, check out the petting zoo, or grab pumpkins from the patch. Owners Kent and Becky Evatt are excited that VisitEnid.com and WAKO are sponsoring the fall activities this year.
Admission is free with a $5 parking pass per vehicle, cash only. There will also be Fall Fun Zone tickets—$10 per child and $5 per adult—available for access to the hayrides, corn maze, hay maze, kiddie playland, and spooky forest. Children ages 2 and younger can get in the Fall Fun Zone for free with paid adult admission.
Visitors should note there will be no parking on the farm or on the highway during Harvest Market like last year; everyone will be directed to park north of the farm in a designated field with parking attendants. Thanks to P&K Equipment, all visitors will be transported from the off-site parking area to the farm via tractors, wagons, and gators.
Anyone buying a pumpkin will be able to pick up their purchase at the pumpkin station located in the off-site parking area on their way out, so they don’t have to lug the pumpkin(s) around while at the farm.
Every weekend in October, the Evatts will host Fall on the Farm. Red Bird Farm will be open to the public Oct. 4 through Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 1-6 p.m. Sundays with weekdays by appointment only. Additionally, during fall break, they will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, and Monday, Oct. 20.
Admission is free as well as free parking on the farm. Fall Fun Zone tickets will be available at Fall on the Farm too. To schedule a field trip, call (580) 448-0210 or go online at redbirdfarmenid.com.
Candid photos during Harvest Market and Fall on the Farm are allowed. Those who want to have professional photos taken at Red Bird Farm need to book an appointment online so as not to interfere with the festivities.
“We just want to give families the opportunity to celebrate the season we’re in, putting their phones down and creating memories,” Becky said.
Red Bird Farm will close out its fall season shortly after Halloween to “flip the farm” for the holidays. The shopping for live Christmas trees begins Nov. 22.
DaZe in a MaZe
Located 11 miles south of Covington on Oklahoma 74 or 2 miles north of state highways 74 and 51 junction near Marshall is one of the original agritourism farms in the state.
James and Kathy Jantz opened their grain field as a field maze called DaZe in a MaZe three days before 9/11 happened. Their three children, all now adults, helped their mom and dad create the premier maze complete with six colored flags, an observation bridge, several dead ends, and four exits.
For 24 years, DaZe in a MaZe’s 7-acre maze is why people drive from across Oklahoma and even across state lines to come.
“We always do a really good maze,” James told the Enid News & Eagle last year. “It’s a real maze.”
There are three other mazes too—the jungle maze for those daring to race through without a map or flags, the hay bale maze for those who’ve never navigated a maze before, and the tiny tot maze for littles ages 3 and younger.
Annual delights include the pumpkin patch, petting zoo (animal feed is an extra cost), dino dig with cowasaurus bones, hayrack rides, barrel train, concession stand, and many photo opps.
DaZe in a MaZe kicks off its 24th year today, Saturday, Sept. 20, and will run through Nov. 9. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. to dark Sundays with weekdays by appointment only. Additionally, during fall break, they will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, and Friday, Oct. 17.
Admission is $10 cash per person; kiddos ages 3 and younger get in free with a paid adult admission. Group rates are available. If a school group wants to take a field trip, they can contact the Jantzes to arrange for a weekday tour. Call (405) 550-9177 or go online at Facebook.com/dazeinamaze.
There are canopies, pavilions, and fire pits available for groups wanting to celebrate together at the maze; they just need to reserve them ahead of time.
Just a reminder no pets are allowed, so visitors are asked to leave their dogs at home. And for obvious reasons, there is no smoking on the premises.
“This is a chance to have fun and connect with the outdoors again,” James said. “Disconnect from technology—look around, play, and run around. Enjoy time with the family in the great outdoors.”