Buckley the goat (right) and his fellow goats are always happy to greet visitors at their home, Leisure Way Mini Farms.--NEWS PHOTO KENDALL KING
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Leisure Way Mini Farms, located between Dunmore and Medicine Hat, is gaining notoriety for both its Tik Tok-famous goat and the community and environmental improvement efforts which take place there.
Leisure Way Mini Farms is located on the property of Leisure Way Community Group Homes, a local supportive living facility.
The farm began in 2002, when Leisure Way Community Group Home founders Patrick and Karen Roche purchased several horses for the residents to interact with. Since then, the farm has grown to include horses, goats, pigs, chickens and ducks.
Sean Roche, operator and manager with both the Leisure Way group home and farm, has found the presence of animals helps provide a sense of comfort and purpose, as residents who are able are encouraged to care for the animals.
“It’s very therapeutic,” Roche told the News. “Whether a resident is able to get out and about and get into the pens and take care of the critters or if they don’t have mobility and have to be inside for the most part, just looking out the window and seeing animals being animals has proven to make our residents feel like they’re not just in a care home, but in a place where there’s purpose. It also exposes a lot of people from this area to environments they’re familiar with.”
Any products provided by the animals, such as eggs and meat, are enjoyed by the residents. As the farm grew, the Roches were often contacted by families of the residents who were impressed with the mini farm and the positive experiences it provided.
“We got the community involved because we had people and families reaching out and (asking) to volunteer,” said Roche.
Since then, Leisure Way Mini Farm has opened to the public, offering interactive tours and agricultural education session, as well as open houses on the weekends.
While participants can expect to learn about how the Leisure Way Mini Farm operates and how animals who live at the farm interact with each other, the star of the tour is Buckley the goat who has gained considerable fame on Tik Tok.
Buckley is a rare tri-coloured, blue-eyed purebred miniature Nigerian goat. His Tik Tok account, which features him, as well as the other animals at Leisure Way Mini Farm, has nearly 75,000 follows and more than 1 million likes.
“He blew up overnight,” Roche laughed. “He has some videos with over 7 or 8 million views now.”
While Buckley only has Tik Tok, he has been featured on various social media platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook.
“That Tik Tok exposure is huge for the generational gap because we’ll have people come out here who like farms, but sometimes families bring kids who don’t want to get off their phone. (When I tell them to) look up Buckley the goat, they (say) ‘Oh my gosh! You have a goat on Tik Tok.'”
As Buckley’s fame continues to grow, Roche hopes more people will learn about Leisure Way Mini Farms and visit the site.
“I don’t want everyone to come out here and feel like they have to drive into the world of farming, I just want to facilitate an opportunity to get out of the concrete jungle, get more in touch with the dirt under our feet, learn a little bit about where your food comes from and just have fun with animals,” he said.
“That’s the No. 1 theme that goes throughout all of this. Where we live, where we are and what we do with our land is all meant to be a therapeutic, immersive experience for our residents and staff, their families and the community,” said Roche.
To see more of Buckley and his farm friends, visit his Tik Tok account @buckleythegoat. For more information on Leisure Way Mini Farms and the food products produced there, contact Roche at 639-317-4846.
