HOLLAND, Mich. — Cheryl Kaletka didn't grow up with any pets. Now, animals are her entire life.
A little more than 10 years ago, Cheryl and her husband purchased an 11-and-a-quarter-acre property in Allegan County. Their daughters, Ashleigh and Alyssa, both have special needs, so they couldn't travel like typical families.
So, their vision was to turn the property into a place that felt like a vacation but would be right in their backyard.
That original design has blossomed into an entire farm enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities — the Fellinlove Farm.
"We just wanted to create a world for our family," Cheryl said. "I used to be a professor at Grand Valley. I shared with my teachers how we had Alyssa's friends here, and they're all young adults with cognitive needs. We noticed such amazing connections to animals with them and kind of really helped children and young adults communicate in ways they haven't before."
The farm is filled with just about every animal you could imagine, and then some. There are horses, ponies, donkeys, Zebu cattle, pigs, llamas, cats, dogs, turtles...if you can think it, they probably have it.
Winter is typically a slower time of the year for the farm, but the excitement hasn't taken a break. Back in December, Cheryl and the farm received an invitation from Amazon Studios to participate in the "Holland, Michigan" movie starring Nicole Kidman.
Apparently, there's a scene in the movie that requires about four floats, similar to what you would see during the Tulip Time Parade, and Fellinlove Farm made the cut!
With a big smile on her face, Ashleigh said, "I'm so excited."
Cheryl said there are plenty of volunteer opportunities for people of all abilities who want to come and help out at the farm Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. On Saturdays, they have a Young Fellinove Farmers Program that meets from 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. They also do adaptive field trips, tours for assisted living centers and more.