VICTORIA -- The children’s farm in Beacon Hill Park is holding a Mother’s Day fundraising drive to raise money to care for its animals.
The children’s farm has been closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, eliminating the visitor donations which usually sustain the popular petting zoo.
Farm volunteers had expected to re-open this spring but it looks increasingly unlikely that will happen, according to operator Lynda Koenders.
As an alternative, the farm is selling Mother’s Day buttons and cards featuring the farm’s popular goats.
“We are getting down on funds because we were hoping to be opening very, very soon,” Koenders said Friday. “So we are still needing help for looking after the animals and all of the expenses that go along with that.”
The farm operator said people can still come see the animals from outside the farm gates but no one is allowed to enter the animal area.
“We’re not doing great,” Koenders said, adding that the farm doesn’t qualify for COVID-19 wage subsidy relief in some months because it is a seasonal operation. “We were hoping (to open) in May. Looking at the restrictions, it’s not going to be May. We’ll have to keep looking at the numbers and see if we will open in June or July – if at all this year.”
Anyone can purchase the farm’s Mother’s Day cards or make a donation on the farm’s website here.
