The Animals
Cattle, horses, ponies, alpacas, llamas, a donkey and peacocks — meet them at their pace, with rides, feeding time and photos at the fence line.
Family favouriteBy appointmentFarm partiesGardeningWorkshopsFarm business
Party, plant, learn —
explore nature
in every season.
Desi Farms is a working ranch — and a farm still being built — in Commerce, Hunt County, Texas, and it is about far more than the animals. Celebrate with birthday parties and events in the metal barn and long-table farm dinners. Get your hands in the soil: compost preparation, winter garden prep with mulching, swales and our little tractor-dug pond, and planting vegetables and spring fruit trees. Learn by doing in hands-on workshops and on our Learning Farm — including farm business development, from marketing and income generation to running events. And explore nature in full while you’re here: the animals — cattle, horses, ponies, alpacas, llamas, a donkey and peacocks — together with soil, plants and the turning seasons, plus fishing, kayaking, tractor, military truck, quad and go-cart rides, horse wagon rides, overnight stays in the towing RV, Bus RV or small shed, nature photography and the farm blog. Volunteer workdays, adopt-an-animal, membership, paid event helpers, and 4-H, FFA, scouts, homeschool and East Texas A&M internships round it out — this is a farm being built together, and there’s a place for you in it.
All visits are by appointment so we can keep groups small and the animals calm. Call or email to reserve.
4 seasonsof nature to explore — animals, soil, plants & weather
Parties & dinnersbirthdays and long-table meals in the metal barn
Hands-ongardening days & workshops — tools and teaching provided
1 farm businessstill being built — learn how it is run, marketed & grown
Explore Nature — Fully
Animals, soil, plants & seasons — together
A visit here is the whole living farm, not just the animals: the soil under your boots, what's growing in the beds, the pond and pasture, and how all of it changes with the seasons.
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Soil & Plants
Walk the garden and orchard rows, see compost becoming living soil, and watch vegetables and young fruit trees grow — join a garden day to help.
Hands-onRegenerative🍂
Seasons, Pond & Sky
Catch-and-release fishing and kayaking on the pond, wide-open pasture and big Texas skies — and a different farm to discover in spring, summer, fall and winter.
PeacefulAll ages
Our Texas longhorns — spotted coats, wide horns, and this year’s calves learning the ropes.
01 — Volunteer Workdays
One good workday, every season
Many hands make a farm. Join us for a scheduled day of useful work — and we’ll thank you the farm way: with a proper meal together.
What to bring: Work gloves, closed-toe boots, a water bottle and weather-ready clothes. We provide tools, guidance, and lunch. No experience needed — we’ll teach you.
Pick a season to see the work
Spring Workday — Planting & Fresh Starts
Planting beds and pasture repair, fence-line clearing, and a deep barn clean-out after winter. We finish with a farm lunch at the long table.
PlantingFence repairBarn cleanupMeal included
- Real, finishable projects — you’ll see the difference you made
- Great for families, church & civic groups, and team days
- Service hours signed on the day for students
Grow With the Seasons — Garden & Soil
From compost pile to spring orchard
Healthy soil is where every meal here starts. These are working garden days, tied to our seasonal workdays — come learn by doing.
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Compost Preparation
We build compost the farm way — manure, straw, and kitchen and garden scraps layered and turned until they become dark, crumbly food for the soil.
- What goes in — and what stays out
- Layering, moisture and turning, step by step
- Finished compost goes straight onto the beds
Winter Vegetable Garden Prep ❄️
Putting the garden to bed properly is what makes spring easy. We mulch deep, shape swales to hold the rain where it falls, and put the tractor to work.
- Thick mulching to protect soil and roots
- Swales that slow the water and soak it in
- A little pond dug with the on-site tractor — for irrigation and wildlife
Planting Vegetables & Spring Fruit Trees 🌳
When the soil warms, we plant: vegetable starts and seeds in the beds, and young fruit trees going in for orchards of the future.
- Hands-on planting days each spring
- Help plant a young fruit tree — and visit it as it grows
- Take-home tips for your own garden
Rainwater Harvesting 💧
Rain that lands on the farm gets put to work. Our green water tank beside the barn stores harvested rainwater and keeps the stock trough filled, so there is always water on hand for the animals.
- The farm’s water tank & stock trough, right by the barn
- Stored rainwater for everyday stock water
- Another way we garden with the seasons, not against them
Good to know: Garden days pair naturally with our seasonal volunteer workdays and workshops — bring gloves and boots; tools and teaching are provided.
02 — Adopt-an-Animal Sponsorship
Sponsor the alpaca or pony your family loves
A monthly sponsorship that helps cover feed, care and vet visits — and keeps the farm steady no matter the weather. In return, your animal becomes part of your family story.
Sponsor an Alpaca 🦙
Gentle, curious, and impossibly photogenic. Alpaca sponsors are the first to hear about shearing day and new arrivals.
- Monthly photo & personal update on your alpaca
- One sponsor visit included to meet them in person
- Sponsor certificate with your family’s name
- Invites to alpaca shearing & special days
Sponsor a Pony 🐴
Our ponies carry a lot of first rides and birthday smiles. Sponsorship helps with shoes, feed, and well-earned treats.
- Monthly photo & personal update on your pony
- One sponsor visit included — grooming included
- Sponsor certificate with your family’s name
- Birthday shout-out from your pony on socials
Why it matters: Sponsorship is steady, weather-proof support. The pond can freeze or a weekend can rain out — your sponsored animal still eats well, and you still get your update. Email us to set the monthly amount that fits your family; we’ll match you with an animal.
03 — Farm Membership / Season Pass
One yearly fee. A whole year of the farm.
If you come more than a few times a year, membership pays for itself — and turns Desi Farms into your family’s regular place.
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Unlimited Visits
Come as often as you like during open, by-appointment hours for a full year from joining. Book ahead, then just show up and breathe.
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Party Discounts
Members save on birthday parties and private events — plus early booking for popular spring and fall dates.
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Feed Bag Savings
Discounts on feed bags so the kids (and grown-ups) can have that extra feeding moment with the animals, every visit.
How membership works
1. Join for the year
One yearly family fee — email us for current rates and family size options.
2. Book anytime
Reserve your slot by phone or email, as often as you like.
3. Save as you go
Party and feed-bag discounts apply automatically for members.
04 — Youth Programs
Real projects. Real animals. Real experience.
Students don’t just watch — they work, learn animal care, and earn service hours that mean something.
🍀 4-H & FFA
Project support for livestock, animal science, and leadership. Bring your record book goals — we’ll help you find the hands-on hours and show-day confidence to match.
ProjectsService hoursMentoring⚜️ Scouts — BSA & Girl Scouts
Badge-aligned farm visits, service projects (fence, planting, barn days), and camping-adjacent outdoor skills in a safe, guided setting.
BadgesService projectsTroop days📚 Homeschool Families & Co-ops
Weekday farm science in real life: animal biology, soil and seasons, food systems, and responsibility — with time to ask every question.
WeekdaysCo-op friendlyHands-on science🎓 What students take home
- Signed service / volunteer hours
- Animal handling and farm safety basics
- A project they can present, photograph, and be proud of
05 — Interns & School Partnerships
Hands-on hours, five minutes from campus
Commerce is a college town — and we’d love Desi Farms to be a living classroom for its students.
✓ Verified Oct 2026In Commerce, TX
East Texas A&M University — formerly Texas A&M University-Commerce
The university in Commerce adopted the name East Texas A&M University on November 7, 2024, following a vote by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, with new entrance signs unveiled January 17, 2025. Its agriculture program is a regional standout — including hands-on learning on the university’s own farm — making its students a natural fit for ranch internships.
Source: East Texas A&M University — name-change unveiling ceremony • University site: etamu.edu
For Agriculture Students
Animal care, rotational grazing, fence & pasture work, and agri-tourism operations — hours that count toward hands-on experience.
For Education & Business Students
Youth program support, events, guest experience, and small-business marketing on a working ranch.
For Schools & Faculty
We welcome partnership conversations with ETAMU’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and local ISDs for placements, field trips, and capstone projects.
A Farm Still Growing — The Learning Farm
Desi Farms is being built — and you can help build it
Desi Farms is an up-and-coming farm with work in progress in many areas — and that’s exactly what makes it such a good place to learn. This is a living, working classroom: interns, students and curious visitors don’t just tour a finished farm, they help create one.
Learn by doing, across the whole farm 🎓
Pick one area — or rotate through several — and get real hands-on experience alongside us. Creativity is welcome here: new ideas get tried, tested and improved right on the land. There are many ways to engage, and no two weeks on a growing farm look the same.
🌱 Farm Establishment
Fencing, layout and setting up new areas of the farm from scratch.
🔧 Maintenance
The everyday fixing, mending and upkeep that keeps a farm running.
📣 Marketing
Telling the farm’s story — photos, posts and bringing visitors in.
💼 Farm Business Development
How visits, stays, sponsorships, dinners and events are priced, marketed and added up into a living — the business of building a farm.
🥕 Food Produce
Growing vegetables and fruit, from bed preparation to harvest.
🐄 Animal Management
Feeding, handling and caring for cattle, horses, alpacas and more.
🎉 Event Management
Planning and running parties, farm dinners and volunteer workdays.
🍳 Food Preparation
Turning farm produce into real meals — including our farm dinners.
🪱 Compost Preparation
Building living soil from manure, straw and scraps — see our garden days.
🏗️ Structural Builds
On-site building projects like cob models and greenhouses, raised by hand.
🛠️ …and more as we grow
A farm in progress always has a next project — bring your curiosity and we’ll find your fit.
Open to interns, students and anyone who wants to learn by doing — tell us which areas interest you and we’ll shape a placement or visit around them.
06 — Paid Helpers for Events
Good work for local teens & college students
Party days are joyful — and busy. We hire local helpers at an hourly rate to make them run smoothly.
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Party-Day Crew
Set-up and clean-up, welcoming guests, helping with pony rides and animal encounters, and keeping the day on schedule.
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Paid Hourly
Clear hourly pay for event shifts — mostly weekends. Reliable, kind, animal-comfortable helpers are gold here, and we re-book the good ones.
🧑🌾
Who Should Apply
Local high-schoolers (where age-appropriate for the task), East Texas A&M students, and anyone who likes kids, animals, and being outdoors.
Parents & applicants: email with your age range, school (if any), availability on Saturdays/Sundays, and any animal or childcare experience. We’ll reply with current hourly rate and upcoming party dates.
Celebrate — Parties & Events
Birthdays & big days in the metal barn
Our metal barn is the farm’s party headquarters — a big, weather-proof space that opens onto the pasture, with the animals as your guests of honour.
Party at the barn 🎉
Birthday parties, family reunions, school celebrations and club days — decorate the barn your way, then spill outside for pony rides, animal hellos and farm games.
The metal barn comes with plenty to keep everyone entertained indoors, too: two pianos, a billiard table, and a foosball table are all in the barn and included with your event.
- The metal barn — parties go ahead, rain or shine
- Inside the barn: two pianos, a billiard table & a foosball table
- Add pony rides, animal encounters & farm rides
- Our paid event helpers can staff your day
- Members save on parties — see membership
🎄 Holiday season — November & December: Party organizers, the barn is open for holiday events — office parties, family gatherings, club celebrations and group farm dinners. No set packages or prices here: tell us your date and group size via the Get Involved form, DesiFarmsTexas@gmail.com or 425-219-8949, and we’ll build the day around your group.
Upcoming offer — 30% off all events for the next 3 months: We’ll be offering a 30% discount on all events for the next 3 months — birthday parties, gatherings and celebrations at the farm. Mention the offer when you enquire via the Get Involved form, DesiFarmsTexas@gmail.com or 425-219-8949, and we’ll confirm the discounted details with your booking by email.
Eat at the Farm — Farm Dinners
One long table, right where dinner grew
On select evenings we set a long table in the pasture — or in the metal barn if the weather turns — and serve a seasonal meal built around what the farm and garden are giving us.
Dinner, farm-style 🍽️
Arrive to golden light and grazing animals, take a wander through the garden, then sit down with neighbours and new friends for a slow, generous meal.
- Seasonal menus from the garden & local farms
- Pasture seating, with the barn as wet-weather backup
- Limited seats per dinner — booking essential
- Private farm dinners for groups by arrangement
Stay Over — Short Rental Stays & Tent Camping
Wake up on the farm
Short rental stays for folks who want more than a day visit — fall asleep to frogs and crickets, wake to roosters, peacocks and coffee with a pasture view. Or bring your own tent and camp on the farm land.
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Towing RV
Our towable travel trailer, parked up on the farm — a cosy home-on-wheels with the whole ranch right outside your door.
Short staysSunset views🚌
Bus RV
Our converted bus RV — roomier, quirky, and a story in itself. Great for families who want a stay the kids will talk about all year.
Families & groupsOne of a kind🛖
The Small Shed
Simple, snug and close to the animals — our little shed stay for travellers who like their comforts basic and their mornings unforgettable.
RusticBack to basics⛺
Tent Camping — Bring Your Own Tent
Prefer to sleep under your own canvas? Guests are welcome to camp on the farm by bringing their own tents — pitch up on the farm land, fall asleep to frogs and crickets, and wake to roosters, peacocks and the animals starting their day. Bring your own tent and camping gear; we’ll point you to your spot on the land when you arrive.
- Bring your own tent & camping gear
- Camp right on the farm land, close to the animals and the pasture
- Campers are welcome to join farm activities during their stay
- By reservation — email us your dates and group size and we’ll confirm the details by email
Stays and tent camping are short-term and by reservation only — email us your dates and which stay you’d like (or that you’re bringing your own tent), and we’ll confirm availability, what’s included, and rates by email. Stay and camping guests are welcome to join farm activities during their visit.
Ride the Farm
If it has wheels, it rolls here
Beyond horse and pony rides, the farm fleet comes out to play — a slow roll past the pasture fences, or a little more throttle. Always staff-led, always by appointment.
Pick your ride 🚜
- Horse wagon rides — our horse-drawn wagon, below — the favourite for groups & parties
- Tractor rides — climb aboard the wagon for a roll around the pastures and pond
- Military truck rides — a lap of the farm in our vintage military truck
- Quad rides — guided quad rides on farm tracks; age and size limits apply
- Go-cart rides — laps in the farm go-cart for kids and kids-at-heart
Rides can be added to any visit, birthday party or event day — just tell us which wheels you want when you book.
Book Rides →Meet the fleet
Military Truck Rides
A lap of the farm in the big green truck, Texas flag flying — part ride, part parade.
Open Tour Truck
Our yellow open-top truck, built for slow sightseeing rolls round the pastures.
The same truck, closer up — open-air seats for the whole group.
Quad Rides
Guided quad rides on farm tracks; age and size limits apply.
Go-Cart Rides
Laps in the red farm go-cart — for kids and kids-at-heart.
Horse & Pony Rides
Guided rides across the pasture — for many visitors, their very first time on a horse.
Boat Tow Ride
Coming soon: once its tires and deck are repaired, our boat will be towed on a ride around the farm — on land, inside the farm only, never on the water. Watch this space, or ask when you book.
Coming soon
School Bus
Our yellow school bus — number 861 — with its own rooftop viewing deck up top. It’s part of the farm fleet.
Rooftop deck
Fire Truck
A vintage red fire truck from the Bonham Fire Dept — gauges, hoses and ladders still on board. A favourite backdrop for photos and a big hit with young firefighters.
Bonham Fire DeptPhoto favouriteHorse Wagon Rides
The slow ride everyone remembers
No engine, no hurry — just the creak of the wagon, the rhythm of hooves, and the farm rolling past at horse pace.
Clip-clop round the farm 🐴
Settle onto the benches of our horse-drawn wagon for a gentle circuit of the pastures, fences and pond. It’s the ride grandparents ask for by name — and the one kids talk about all the way home.
- Driven by our team, with an experienced handler
- Room for the whole group — families, classes & clubs
- A favourite add-on for birthday parties & events in the metal barn
- Golden-hour wagon rides by arrangement — bring your camera
Wagon rides are by appointment and weather- and horse-dependent — if the team needs a rest day, we’ll offer tractor wagon rides or a new date. Tell us your group size when you book.
Nature Photography
Bring your camera — the farm does the rest
Peacocks showing off, alpacas in morning light, the pond at sunset, big Texas skies over open pasture — Desi Farms is a living photo walk, and photographers are welcome.
Shoot the farm 📷
- Animal portraits — peacocks, alpacas, llamas, horses & cattle at the fence line
- Golden hour — early morning and sunset sessions by appointment, when the light is best
- The pond & pasture — water, wild edges, birds and wide-open sky
- Photo walks & groups — camera clubs and classes welcome; we’ll plan a route around the animals
Tripods welcome on the paths. Please keep gates closed and give the animals their space — we’ll show you the best spots and angles when you arrive.
Book a Photography Visit →Learn by Doing — Workshops
Hands dirty, skills for life
Small-group workshops where you don’t just watch — you build, dig, plant, care and even run the business side alongside us, and take the know-how home.
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Compost & Soil
Build a working compost pile from scratch, learn the greens-to-browns balance, and read your soil like a farmer.
Beginner friendlyHands-on🥕
Garden Skills
Mulching, swales and water-wise beds, seasonal vegetable planting, and setting young fruit trees up to thrive.
Seasonal topicsHands-on🐐
Animal Care Basics
Feeding, handling and everyday husbandry with our cattle, horses, alpacas and more — a favourite with youth groups.
Great for groupsHands-on💼
Farm Business Development
How a small farm earns its living: marketing the farm, building income from visits, parties, stays and sponsorships, pricing, and planning and running events — taught on a farm still building all of it.
For growers & dreamersReal numbers, real lessonsWorkshops run on scheduled dates, and for private groups by arrangement — 4-H, FFA, scout, homeschool and school groups especially welcome. Email for the current workshop calendar.
From the Farm Journal — The Blog
Stories from a farm still being built
Desi Farms is a work in progress, and the blog is where we tell that story as it happens — the wins, the mud, the lessons, and the animals in between.
Building soil, one compost pile at a time
How manure, straw and scraps become the dark, living compost that feeds our beds — and what we’ve learned about getting the mix right.
Garden Diary
Mulch, swales & a little pond
Putting the winter vegetable garden to bed: deep mulching, shaping swales to hold the rain, and digging the pond with the on-site tractor.
On the Land
Planting today, harvesting for years
Vegetables for this season and young spring fruit trees for the future — notes from planting days, and how the new trees are settling in.
Follow along — and join in ✍️
New stories follow the seasons: animal arrivals, build projects like our cob models and greenhouses, volunteer workdays, farm dinners and what the garden is teaching us. Interns, volunteers and learning-farm visitors are welcome to contribute photos and guest posts — the Learning Farm story is better told together.
Get involved
Tell us how you’d like to join in
Pick one — this builds an email to us so nothing gets lost. No account, no payment on this page.
Call 425-219-8949
Opens your email app to DesiFarmsTexas@gmail.com — just press send.
| Way in | Best for | You get | Farm gets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parties, Garden & Workshops | Celebrations, gardeners & hands-on learners | The metal barn, soil skills & know-how to take home | Joyful days and a growing community |
| Farm Business Development | Growers, students & farm dreamers | Marketing, income & event-management experience | New ideas for a farm still being built |
| Volunteer Workday | Families & groups with a free Saturday | Meal, fresh air, visible results | Fences, planting & barn done well |
| Adopt-an-Animal | Animal-loving families | Photos, updates & a visit | Steady monthly support |
| Membership | Regular visitors | Unlimited visits + discounts | Loyal community |
| Youth Programs | 4-H, FFA, scouts, homeschool | Projects & service hours | Energy & helping hands |
| Internship | ETAMU & local students | Hands-on hours & mentoring | Skilled seasonal help |
| Learning Farm | Anyone who wants to learn by doing | Experience across the whole farm | Creative hands building the farm |
| Paid Helper | Teens & college students | Hourly pay, weekend shifts | Reliable party-day crew |
| Garden Days | Green thumbs & the curious | Compost, mulch, swale & planting skills | Soil that gets better every year |
| Parties & Dinners | Birthdays, groups & food lovers | The metal barn & a long-table meal | Joyful days, fully hosted |
| Stays & Rides | Weekenders & thrill-seekers | A night on the farm, wheels to ride | Guests who come back as friends |
| Horse Wagon Rides | Families, groups & parties | A slow, horse-drawn circuit of the farm | Smiles at horse pace |
| Photography & Blog | Photographers & storytellers | Golden-hour shoots & farm stories to follow | The farm’s story, beautifully told |
See you at the fence line 🌻
4694 CR 4514, Commerce, TX 75428 — by appointment only, so we’re ready for you.
DesiFarmsTexas@gmail.com • 425-219-8949 • desifarms.org