By Jadyn Iby
Staff Writer
Into The Woods Farm in Middle Grove, New York hosted their perennial goat yoga session for children and adults of all ages on Oct. 15.
Just 25 minutes from downtown Saratoga Springs, Into The Woods Farm is a small educational farm situated in the woods of the foothills of the Southern Adirondacks. Owner and farm manager, Phaedra Stasyshyn, is a business owner, carpenter, farmer, photographer, and housekeeper. “A jill of all trades honestly,” she said.
“My life goal is to make a living, living the life we have grown to love and to create a place for education through experiences for the greater good of others,” Stasyshyn said in an email. The Farm’s mission is, “To inspire character development and self-discovery in people of all ages and walks of life through example, experience, knowledge, challenge, and adventure. To impel them to achieve more than they ever imagined possible while showing compassion for others, environment and community and to actively engage in creating a better world for all who inhabit it.”
“My children and I decided we were a farm in May of 2016 after bringing our first five goats home. All of the maintenance on the property is done by myself and the kids. Both kids shared the farm responsibilities and helped to make it all possible,” said Stasyshyn. She added, “The goats would follow us to and from the bus, everyday when my kids had school.” And it was all uphill from there.
Lainey Morse, of Original Goat Yoga in Oregon, created the idea. People locally had heard about this and came to Stasyshyn suggesting for them to bring their herd for an event at the then “Schmaltz Brewery” in Clifton Park.
Into The Woods Farm additionally caught people’s eye during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Covid was really big for us,” she said. “People wanted to get out of their homes and out into nature.”
The Farm started goat yoga as a “non-traditional way of farming,” and “it was a unique way to support the financial burden of farming and owning multiple animals,” said Stasyshyn. She further explains that the goat yoga allowed for her children to share their love and knowledge for and of the goats.
Stasyshyn spends a good amount of her time taking care of her 14 Nigerian Dwarf Goats, chickens, and four dogs. “We explore and enjoy our 15 acres of wooded property as well as the hundreds of acres of fields, forest, and wetlands, surrounding our farm.” Furthermore, “Into the Woods Farm offers a variety of programming, products, and experiences both at the farm and off site locations,” she said.
A few of Stasyshyn’s events and programming include: Wilderness, Nature, and Outdoor Experiential Education day programs for adults and children, kids camps, group events, and field trips, Farm Education Workshops and activities including farm visits, Yoga with Goats and animal hikes, Farm Products, photography services, private events upon requests, and so much more.
Fortunately for me, I made it to one of the last Goat Yoga sessions of the season, but the Farm does offer goat experiences year round in one form or another. Snowshoeing or Winter Wild Walks run from November through April, and Wild Walks are year-round until the snow falls. Goat Yoga begins in late April and runs through October/November if the weather permits. Stasyshyn states, “Our elevation 1550 feet above sea level creates a unique microclimate that gives us snow when folks one mile down the road get rain….”
Currently, they own 17 Nigerian Dwarf Goats, three of them being babies, with their ages all ranging from under a year old to eight years old. “They each have their own names and voices,” Stasyshyn said in their brochure. The goats provide sweet milk and more, to create farm-made treats, and they check and keep the goats in perfect health to provide happy and healthy goats for when they are around the public.
Their goats are handled all of the time, making them super friendly and funny to be around. “I have observed folks find the goat’s demeanor relaxed and non-assuming. Add nature and it is an overall therapeutic experience allowing you to be in nature surrounded by animals behaving in their natural uncontrolled environment,” said Stasyshyn.
If you are interested in this unique but fun experience, you are encouraged to head to the farms website, www.intothewoodsfarmny.com. Email them at intothewoodsfarm@gmail.com, and book what event you want to do, as well as how many people are going with you. They also encourage you to check out their Instagram page @Intothewoodsfarm, and their Facebook page, @goatyogainthewoods.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Into The Woods Farm and want to push how uniquely fun this experience really is. I will definitely be returning for some more goat yoga!
