Critter Barn founder and director, Mary Rottschafer, had attended Hope College to study music, leaving aspirations of veterinary medicine behind. With a teaching degree, she worked in a local school and area churches while raising 3 children.

In 1984 they moved to the farm for gardening, but the family received a sheep, a goat, two piglets and a variety of farm birds as a practical joke by Mary’s church choir. Fifty-five friends from 1st Reformed of Zeeland scraped and painted their 100’ x 65’ gambrel roof barn in 3 hours as a big surprise!

“No one expected the former Overway Dairy Farm to become the Critter Barn, but our hobby farm grew in popularity as many relatives, friends and our children’s school classmates visited our family’s farm.”

In May of 1990, former colleagues in education inquired about the possibility of school field trips at the farm. In 1991, field trips were held for 957 kindergarten students from Zeeland, Hudsonville, Byron Center and Grandville. Today’s Critter Barn touches the lives of thousands of children annually and offers a variety of hands-on educational classes, tours and programs throughout the year. 

 

 

1984	1990	1998	2003	2005	2007
Start of Hobby Farm	First field trips	Critter Barn licensed by USDA	Critter Barn becomes 501 (C) 3	Ottawa County Farm Bureau Endorsement	Adds Staff & Teachers