Serving Barnwell County and it's neighbors since 1852
One of Barnwell County’s newest attractions is off to a strong start in its first month of operation.
Adventure Farms, located on Highway 70, offers a fun-filled experience for both children and adults seven days a week.
At first, owners Donna and Dennis envisioned just a pumpkin patch where the community could have festive, fall fun. By January of this year, ideas for their property and functioning farm grew into an expansive activity park.
Fast forward to their grand opening on September 19, roughly nine months after they first started building, and the farm has a paintball range, a hay ride, a bounce pillow, an indoor concessions stand, and countless games and activities.
Each week, Monday through Wednesday is reserved for school field trips; while Thursday through Sunday the farm is open to the public.
Recently the farm welcomed students from Bamberg-Olar schools and Barnwell special education classes. While fun is quite literally built into the farm, learning is a big part of these class trips.
Educational signs can be found around the farm, teaching youth about tending to crops and caring for animals. They also learn about the main rule on the farm - respect.
Respecting each other, the land, the animals, and the employees is one of Donna & Dennis’ main priorities in addition to safety.
The majority of the farm is gated, and safety precautions such as soft playground sand and hay bale barriers are taken at each activity area. Employees also are CPR certified and many are training in a medical field. Netting can be seen surrounding the entirety of the paintball range to prevent any stray paintballs escaping into the farm.
The paintball range has two sections; one with obstacles, complicated targets, a immobile car, and even a moving target (an employee dressed in a fully ghillie suit hiding in the course), and another for a younger crowd with standing and low impact targets.
Both standing and moving obstacles can be found at Adventure Farm's paintball range. The range has two sides; one for older players and one for younger players.
The range can also be used for capture the flag and other team-based games as well. Thus far, roughly a dozen groups have come to play the range.
Another unique aspect to the farm is their 70x35 bounce pillow. Almost like an inground trampoline, the bounce pillow can be blown up when in use and then deflated. It is only four and a half feet off the ground, and surrounded by roughly four feet of playground sand.
An important part of Adventure Farms is the animals; Dolly and Ellie the donkeys, Scarlett the cow, Mary the sheep, and a crew of goats – Pearl, Deena, BamBam, Betty, and Wilma.
Kids are able to learn about the animals and how to act around them safely, as well as farming and animal care. Donna strives to make each experience at Adventure Farm a learning one, even for her eleven employees who she aims to provide new experiences and opportunities to.
One collaborative, team working game played during class trips breaks students into groups to move an egg down a series of PVC pipes.
Other activities include a chicken-themed slide, a rubber duck race, and old farmer corn hole, the classic game but with corn cobs. These unique games and activities took precise engineering and safety considerations.
There is also a volleyball/pickleball court, traditional cornhole, and a play area for one to five year olds.
This wide variety of activities has drawn in local families as well as families from Columbia, Summerville, and parts of Georgia.
In a few weeks, Adventure Farms will be gearing up for holiday festivities with pumpkins turning into snowmen and displays of over six thousand lights. They will have a semi-live nativity featuring Dolly the donkey, the Halloween animatronics now seen on the hayride will be swapped out for Christmas characters, and Santa is set to make an appearance.
To learn more about Adventure Farms or purchase tickets, visit www.adventurefarmssc.com or find them on Facebook.
