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No joke: Double the Kidding Days!

Visit baby goats at Asgaard Farm during their annual Kidding Days March 30 and April 27. (Photo provided — Diane Chase)

The spring equinox may have been recently celebrated, but my backyard is still a snowman making paradise. I usually spend this transitional time of year searching for those little touches of spring. It’s been a long winter and finding tiny tree buds, hearing the return of wildlife, and watching maple sap being collected reminds me that warm days are right around the corner. One springtime ritual is a visit to Asgaard Farms’ Kidding Days. With our without the snow, Asgaard Farm’s goats are giving birth to their spring kids.

The first time I went to visit the baby goats at Asgaard Farm in Au Sable Forks, was long before their annual Kidding Day. My friends and I squeezed ourselves into a van full of children to see what all this kidding fuss was about. The open fields open up to a gorgeous view of the High Peaks. I know I can’t be the only one that has sent a holiday card with an Asgaard Farm backdrop.

Once owned by illustrator, printmaker, and artist Rockwell Kent, Asgaard Farm remains mostly unchanged. Kent named the beautiful 1,500-acre property after the mythological Norse “garden of the gods.” Asgaard Farm certainly lives up to its name with its fresh goat cheeses, homemade caramels, grass-fed meats and handmade soaps. Let us not forget the baby goats.

This year Asgaard Farm is hosting two Kidding Days, March 30 and April 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. During Kidding Day people can walk through the open barns. Some goats are grouped in smaller pens while other goats wander around in an open barn. There are other animals to view and an open farm store to browse. Some cheese samples are available as well as an incredible farm lunch by Northern Feast Catering.

Since it is a working farm and a busy time of year, the Kidding Days are self-guided. The farm and its workers may be doing another job when you arrive, but there will be plenty of staff around to point people in the right direction. Wear sensible shoes and dress for the weather, whatever that will be. Lines can be a bit long when entering the barns, but seeing the kids is always worth the wait. The three types of goats to look for are the Alpine (marked), Nubian (long-eared), and Saanen (white).

Asgaard Farm has asked people to preregister for the Kidding Days, so they can get an estimated headcount for the number of people coming for each Kidding Day. To reserve your free tickets, visit kiddingdays.eventbrite.com.

The owners and staff at Asgaard encourage visitors any time of the year, so if you can’t make Kidding Days, the regular store hours are Thursdays from 2 to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

To get to Asgaard Farm (74 Asgaard Way, Au Sable Forks) from Lake Placid, take state Route 86 to Wilmington and head toward Jay. Turn left onto state Route 9N toward Au Sable Forks. Upon reaching Au Sable Forks turn right and cross the bridge onto Broad St. and an immediate right onto Sheldrake Road (county Route 65). Follow Sheldrake Road for 1 mile and the farm is on the right. The store shop is open all year long.

Call 518-647-5754 or go to www.asgaardfarm.com for more information. Enjoy spring!

Diane Chase is the author of the “Adirondack Family Activities” guidebook series, “Adirondack Family Time: Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities.”

For more family-friendly activities go to www.adirondackfamilytime.com.

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