Kicking off its eighth season this weekend, the 128-acre Kirkwall area farm will once again offer a wide range of attractions ever Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. until October 31. The farm will also be open on Thanksgiving Monday (Oct. 12).

All of the favourite activities will be back, including pig races three times daily, rock climbing, the Haunted Hayride and Boo Barn, Flo Gently’s Animal Show, ‘gold’ prospecting, silo climbing, and the farm’s famous Sugar Shack where pumpkin pie, hot chocolate and steaming apple cider will be available for hungry visitors.

Also back this year is Yee Haw’s famous pumpkin patch and five-acre corn maze, which carries the message, “Yee Haw Come to the Fair,” just in time to promote the nearby Rockton World’s Fair being staged Thanksgiving weekend.

New this year will be a cedar hedge maze for children under the age of six. It’ll feature a game where children will get to ring the cowbell after successfully finding the pictures of seven lost farm animals in the maze.

Apart from all the fun in store for visitors, there’s also an educational component to all the hillbilly antics. “Once a year, people should visit a farm to stay in touch with agriculture,” Maw Walker said while noting that some city children have never seen a farm animal.

“In my generation, most people had a relative on a farm. Now, no one does. People have no connection to the farm (anymore). Farms are a dying breed.”

Walker feels fortunate to have grown up on a Valens Road farm and still recalls visits from city children who were “enthralled” with farm life and animals. Now, it’s not unusual for Yee Haw Adventure Farm to welcome “school kids who have never been on a farm before.”

Nestled among the scenic rolling hills of 8th Concession Road West, just east of Kirkwall, the farm swung open its barn doors to the world in 2002. “After raising up my (five) babies, I went looking for a career, and goodness sakes, I found it out behind the barn!” explained Maw.

Walker, her husband Todd and their children are pioneers in the agri-entertainment industry in Ontario. According to a 2009 survey by the Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association, on-farm markets such as Yee Haw Adventure Farm bring $420 million into the Ontario economy every year and 36 per cent of Ontario on-farm marketing includes an agri-entertainment component.

The Flamborough farm has made a name for itself in the agri-entertainment field, one of the fastest growing tourism market segments in North America. This past spring, it was named as one of Hamilton’s ‘Hidden Treasures’ and identified by the city as one of its award-winning destinations.

Besides its weekend fun fare, it welcomes school tours on weekdays and hosts birthday parties, weddings and corporate groups. “This farm has a lot of character. It’s a neat place to be,” said Maw.

Everyone in the Walker family, as well as their extended family, plays a role in the farm fun. Their children, ranging in age from six to 21, help out by dressing in hillbilly garb, entertaining guests during the show and running the hayrides and Paw Flatfoot, a.k.a. Todd Walker, does a hilarious Mrs. Doubtfire impression with the help of some real farm animals. Maw’s 82-year-old dad, Ken Hood, plays the part of grandpa and drives the wagon, and her father-in-law and three sisters are also part of the hillbilly clan.

While orchestrating the activities every October is a lot of work, Walker says she and family members get a lot of satisfaction from it. “When you see those families smiling and it’s a beautiful day, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” Besides, she quickly points out: “What else would I be doing?”

Yee Haw Adventure Farm is located at 1817 8th Concession Road West and admission for the full day of fun is $15. For more information, visit online at www.yeehawadventurefarm.com.