And what’s this behind tin piece number 22?  It’s a…it’s a…it’s a YELLOW billboard!!!  For a hotel!  What?  Better call the Gangstads (former owners). That’s what we thought as we uncovered our round barn’s hidden surprise. But no need for the phone call. Within just a couple hours of unveiling, Eldora and Shirley pulled into the driveway.  Turns out the barn had had two billboards painted on it over the years. “That’s how we paid for the painting the barn”, Eldora said.

The billboard read:
In Madison
Capital Hotel
Free Parking    On the premises
All Hotel Facilities    Comfort Without Extravagance

The Capital Hotel was built in 1866 on King Street in downtown Madison. It was torn down in 1975 to make way for the GEF 3 government building.

Become a Facebook fan of Schuster’s Playtime Farm for more way cool project photos and updates!

Jersey Wooly bunny babies, that is!

Fluffy’s 2011 bunny bunch is certainly a mix of dad and mom — short hair/long hair, no spots/lots of spots. I think the pics even catch both the adorable and rascal parts of their personalities.

Look at them contemplating an escape route–tsk,tsk!

The Schuster’s are popping!, a photo by Schuster’s Playtime Farm on Flickr.

We love this photo of our family!

The cupola!, a photo by Schuster’s Playtime Farm on Flickr.

This is a lovely barn photo that was blogged from FlickR. Just a sample showing what you can do.

We love to be asked questions! For the past 17 years we  have been asked literally thousands of questions from “Is this the home farm?” to “What do you do with all the leftover pumpkins?”  For my first blog, I thought I would answer the two most frequently asked questions.

Each year, the most common question asked by our guests as they arrive at the farm is “What’s new on the farm this year?” The answer to the first question actually allows me to answer the second most frequently asked question, “What do you do when you close for the season?”  Many people seem to think we close up, sit down and relax just waiting for opening day the next year. Back when we started 17 years ago and both worked full-time off the farm, that statement was very true, the biggest thing we had to worry about was getting everything put away for the winter (that task took a couple days) and then sometime before spring we just needed to order seed.

Now it takes us weeks and many farmhands to put away and winterize everything we use for our May through October farm adventures. Nowadays it also seems we are constantly planning and thinking ahead, even forward several years.  During the winter, we travel to conferences to get new ideas and meet with farmers who are also in this business. This past year we went to the Great Lakes Expo in Grand Rapids, MI in December, The Wisconsin Fruit and Vegetable Conference in WI Dells in January, The MAiZE Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina in February and lastly to St. Louis to the Midwest Haunt Show in March.

I don’t want to give away too many of the surprises that will be unveiled this summer and fall but I can say that the UPS truck has been stopping and I will be taking my truck and trailer out to Pennsylvania to bring back a load of goodies at the end of this month.

Please don’t stop asking questions. We will always try and get you an answer. Till next time, keep thinking spring! It’s gotta come soon!

Look at the form, the grace, the poise. Those are fine looking racing pigs!

Just wait ’til you see the very special additions to Schuster’s Pig Races for the Fall of 2011!

Truly people you will be stunned!

It’s the cat!  Look out, Herman!

Slash - the resident "Designer Chicken"

We took Slash in as a rescue chicken during the summer of 2009.  He and his girlfriend, Brittany Spears, were great additions that summer and fall-THE absolute friendliest chickens we’ve ever had!!!

Slash went to rooster heaven that November but Brittany, and two of their sons & a  daughter are still roaming the farm, eating bugs and during the fall season ridding the  ground all the kettle corn our guests dribble.