Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah And Ray Bell.
Hi Sarah and Ray, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In June of 2020, my husband, Ray Bell, and I purchased at 14 acre property in Polk City, with the soul intention of just living peacefully in the country. We owned and operated a pool maintenance company, had plenty of space to store our equipment and vehicles, and were happy to live quietly until we retired with our dogs and cats.
Until Ray’s 93 year old grandfather said he wanted to get us a housewarming gift. I said, “Great Gramp! I’ll take a blender!” to which he scoffed loudly and replied bluntly, “Oh no. No no no. I’m getting you livestock.” Enter Charlie and Alfie, two miniature zebu (cattle) bull calves. Our friends would visit, and instead of hanging in the house with us, I’d find them playing outside with the zebu. One day, I got a tad annoyed and yelled at them, “I’m not a petting farm, I’m going to start charging you people.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, everyone said it wasn’t a half crazy idea and one even pulled a $20 bill out and said, “I’m all in. What do you need from us to make it happen?”
Three months later–after cashing every available dollar in our retirement account to build pastures, barns and purchase animals–we opened our doors with three mini zebus, two goats, two mini pigs, four chickens and four ducks. Four years later, we are Florida’s top-rated petting farm on Google and over 60 animals.
In those four years, we have worked 16 hour days, breaking our backs, barely taking a single day off, caring for our rock star animals and making sure our guests have the single best animal experience the state of Florida can offer.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it has not been a smooth road. Some days, we liken it to scaling Everest. The small business climate is brutal, we stand in the shadow of the Mickey Ears, and yet we often think that Walt Disney himself would be proud of us. We are constantly imagining and re-imagining, building, experimenting with new ideas and formats, all to make each individual’s animal experience incredibly memorable.
We have had huge successes, heartbreaking losses and ground our aging bodies to the bone, but we never lose sight of how fortunate we are to be able to share our visions with people from all over and to bring them joy in a world where joy is sometimes hard to find.
Starting a small agritourism business is not for the weak of heart, and we struggle to compete with all Florida has to offer. Neither of us had any experience with farm animals but have always been huge animal lovers, and learning not only the business side of things, but the animal husbandry side, is daunting and equally as satisfying. Daily, we see our guests laugh at the goats’ mischievousness, or hear them coo at the baby cows, and bask in their smiles. It’s such an honor to be able to make someone’s day.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Ray, my husband, is a former heavy metal singer turned commercial deep sea diver. I spent 20 years in non-profit administration, mostly within the healthcare field. Both former careers helped pave our way in running a petting farm–believe it, or not. Ray’s ability to create a beautiful and safe environment combined with my ability to keep things (mostly) highly organized have given birth to a peaceful, smoothly run business.
At first, we gave all the credit to the amazing, friendly animals which we thought made us look good. Soon, we realized that two of the animals on the farm were US! Our story, and our ability to show others that the agricultural lifestyle is totally attainable for anyone who loves animals and isn’t afraid of hard work. Many people describe us as warm, welcoming and open to all people; which often makes me scratch my head because I’ve mostly considered myself shy and awkward. Together, the animals and the two of us have created a mutually beneficial partnership in which we all bring out the best in each other.
How do you define success?
We define success in two ways. 1) How healthy and happy our animals are. They are always our first priority, even over profits. Without them, we are nothing. And 2) One guest at a time. Each person who spends their time and money with us has our whole attention. For me, personally, a sign of success is when I can bring one person from a bit a skeptic on how much joy they can feel around farm animals into a true believer with a great big grin on their face. I think my most successful day so far was when a mother brought her three children to the farm and I could see she was struggling with some sort of personal crisis, holding back tears and often failing at it. By the end of their visit, she thanked me profusely for allowing her space, time and a moment of pure happiness during her grief. I had to hold back my own tears sending them off, and it felt like a truly important accomplishment.
I define success in how living authentically can make a person or an animal feel happy and safe. There is nothing more personally satisfying than making someone’s day.
Pricing:
- Farm Tours: $12.50-$15.50 depending on age.
- Immersive/Cow Cuddle Experiences: around $35-50 person
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Bellfamilyfarm.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellfamilyfarmand_apiary
- Facebook: @BFFandA
