Christmas in the country

Dec. 3—Three years ago, Judy Snead had no idea she'd be living out in Cullman's Cumberland Plateau country, giving names to each happy member in a friendly family of farm animals. and she sure didn't know she'd be dressing them up at Christmastime in knit sweaters.

Then again, Judy's still not sure her recent move from the city to a rural, 17-acre farm near West Point fully qualifies her as a conventional country girl.

"I tell people: I'm more of an entertainer than a farmer," says Judy, whose nonprofit petting zoo, Snead's Farmhouse, began welcoming kids, families, and school groups not long after Judy and her husband Shane — with past careers that kept them busy in the Birmingham area — first came to Cullman in 2019.

The story of how her life went from creature-clueless to creature teacher is a tale in itself. Judy reluctantly agreed, at Shane's behest, to buy a starting batch of 24 chicks after inheriting an old chicken coop that came with the property. That didn't end well, so she reached out online to the small farming community and took on the challenge of starting again.

Despite the early setbacks, and perhaps even because of them, forging into farm life oblivious to how the pros do it has definitely worked in her favor.

"I was city girl. My career was in sales. I wore heels and a suit to work every day!" Judy says. "And I've never even been to a petting zoo. I can't compare my 'zoo' to anybody else. When people think of a petting zoo, they think of petting animals behind cages; through a fence. From the feedback I've gotten, I've found that people don't understand that when they come here, they're right up close and personal with the goat; with the cow; with Leroy Brown [the farm's resident donkey and its unofficial mascot)]. He's not in a cage — he's posing for that picture right there with you!"

Snead's Farmhouse has barely been open a year, but already it's giving kids plenty to bray about, hosting farm tours, field trips, and interactive educational activities that — at least so far — have largely caught more attention from out-of-town animal lovers than from locals.

"It's all been so mind-blowing to me, all that's happened in such a short time," she says. "It's absolutely crazy to me that we have almost 10,000 followers on Facebook. I have seven field trips coming in October, and the majority of them are driving almost two hours to come my farm. People from Adamsville; from Ohatchee near Anniston. Yet a lot of people right here in Cullman don't even know that I'm here!"

Those who do know, though, have a tendency to spread the news. Judy's an ebullient ball of energy, and her all-out eagerness to get into the spirit of any great occasion makes for the ideal complement to the farm's busy upcoming holiday season. Yes, there'll be Pinterest-perfect photo opportunities, as the holidays draw closer, with scarf-wearing alpacas, chickens in elf hats, and baby goats in full-body sweaters.

But the fun comes with show-don't-tell lessons; moments that gently inspire kids to negotiate some of life's emotional hard knocks.

Last Christmas was the farm's first, and Judy — the wife of a dedicated hunter who long ago made a happy peace with the fact that Christmas and winter hunting trips don't always mix — knew she'd be at home alone when December 25th rolled around.

"So I opened the farm. I had two families who came out; people whose husbands had to work on Christmas day. That visit absolutely made those families' day — and it made mine," she says.

"Both of my parents have passed on, and I can struggle some at Christmas. So it transformed my Christmas last year, when these families came and I dressed up like an elf for these kids. I had so much fun with them. You don't realize how many people are alone at Christmas, or how many people may be struggling because they've lost a loved one and they're facing the holidays alone. I'm going to do it again this year, because sharing that with those families last year was just such a fantastic experience."

No matter the season, kids who come to Snead's Farmhouse will leave knowing more about how to get along with animals (and each other) than they will about the ins and outs of agricultural science. "I do do incubation projects with schools; I give rabbits to classrooms, and I've recently gotten into duck rescue with injured ducks at Sportsman Lake," she says. But the biggest educational impact comes from fun, interactive activities that come closer to channeling the courtesy of Mister Rogers than the cranial capacity of Bill Nye.

"I have a new puppet show that I'm doing for our field trip guests, and it's just starting this fall," says Judy. "It's about Leroy Brown, the only donkey on the farm. I have at least two of every animal — except for the donkey. You see, not being a real farmer and all, I didn't know when I started out that you were supposed to separate all the animals. I stuck 'em all together! I had to spend a lot of time working with them at first, when there was conflict — but now they get along.

"So the play is about Leroy being the only one of his kind in this larger group; about being unique and yet fitting in with a family. It's about living in harmony and not judging anyone on their differences. Even though my other animals act different and look different, they've all learned to live in harmony with Leroy Brown. It's about how we can learn to get along, too."

Reaching an accord among the ark full of animals who live at Snead's Farmhouse is no mean accomplishment. At last check, Judy's cozy barnyard was the permanent address for more than 130 chickens, four turkeys, eight ducks, two tortoises, a pair of Miniature Hereford cows, three pigs, three rabbits, two alpacas, an indeterminate number of goats, and Leroy.

Through the fall season, Judy will be hosting monthly painting days at the farm, with a guest artist on hand to share lessons (Adults pay the $30 fee — a charge Judy says helps cover the cost of the talent and the materials — while the kids get to sit in for free.) The farm will also have dedicated "Dress up the Animals" days leading into the holidays, as well as special events through the whole month of December — including visits from Santa in his old red farm truck.

"When we first moved here, we thought we were moving for my husband's position. But I'm here to tell you: This farm changed my entire life. It got me into a routine, it got me into the community, it brings people to my house, and it showed me a way that I can help. I'm the face of the farm, but I couldn't do it without my husband, either. He got me into this mess in the first place!" Judy teases. "We're definitely a team."