Ovis Hill gets ready for festival

Ovis Hill Farm and Clemson Extension have teamed together for two full days of family fun and educational activities from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. As part of Darlington County’s Farm-City Week celebration, this event provides the opportunity for families and children to learn that “The Farm is where Food is Born.“

Admission is $5 per person with a maximum of $20 per family.

In addition to the annual festival, educational and enjoyable farm tours are conducted in the fall for schools and interested groups from the surrounding counties.

There will be animals to visit, feed, milk or watch, a pumpkin patch, beekeeping, butter making, gourd painting, games and bake sale. The Naturally Outdoors’ Farmers Market will also be on the farm for the festival. A variety of locally grown food products and handcrafted items will be available for sale at the Ovis Hill Farm Store. 

Food and beverages will be available for purchase. 

Ovis Hill Farm and friends established the event 10 years ago to share their joy of family farming. Activities are designed for the enjoyment of all ages.  This weekend’s festival will feature sheep shearing, Border collie herding demonstrations, a wagon tour of the farm and a hay bale maze. You can also see how wool is dyed and spun into yarn.

Ovis Hill Farm is located near Timmonsville at 1501 Weaver St. (off the Oates Highway/S.C. 403, near I-20 Exit 131). 

Ovis Hill Farm is a family-owned livestock farm located in Darlington County just west of Florence and is convenient to I-20 and I-95. Alice and Charlie Caldwell are currently shepherding about 400 sheep, grazing about 30 dairy and beef cows as well as gathering eggs from a small flock of laying hens. Many of the sheep are historic breeds, such as the Tunis and Cotswold, representing some of the earliest livestock brought into our country. The Caldwells produce and sell USDA-inspected hormone-free and antibiotic-free lamb and beef.

Info: http://www.ovishillfarm.com; http://www.visitdarlingtoncounty.org; Trish DeHond at(843) 393-0484 ext. 115 or ext. 112; Charlie Caldwell at (843) 992-9447; or Darlington County Tourism at (888) 427-8720.