Meet the animals and play a round of disc golf at Haute Goat Farm in Port Hope, Ont.

Have you ever wanted to take a walk through the woods accompanied by some 40 goats, or lead an alpaca through the meadow at sunset? How about meet and ride an Icelandic horse? Well, at Haute Goat Farm in Port Hope, Ont., you can.

Farm owner Debbie Nightingale said their mission is to teach people about animals through unique interactions.

“Our vision is to connect people with animals, so we try to allow that to happen and create circumstances for that to happen,” she said.

Those circumstances include goat yoga and the popular goat “shmurgle” (a term coined by the farm team, given to a free-range walk with the goats).

“Whether it was during COVID, no matter what, there is something about a goat that makes you smile,” said Nightingale. “We just wanted to offer something where people can connect with the animals and to nature.”

And now, another offering at the farm allows you to connect to nature in a different way. Haute Goat Disc Golf is a recent addition to the property, open year-round.

“We just wanted to include something that allowed more people to experience the farm and thought it was a good way to have people connect with nature and see the property,” said Nightingale.

Darrell Bankes, a competitive disc golfer and course designer with Innova Disc Golf, said the course has been very popular.

“We just take advantage of the entire landscape,” he said. “There are a lot of trees, a lot of wooded sections and a lot of meadows. It is a great way for people to get outside during COVID. Everyone is loving it.”

“Even if you don’t want to play the course, it is still a beautiful walk,” added Nightingale.

Speaking of walks, she said along with the goats you can also take alpacas along the trail and meet the farm’s Icelandic horses.

“The Icelandics are interesting. They carried the Vikings originally; they are very strong and sturdy and can go for miles and hours. Their endurance is amazing,” said Nightingale.

General entry to the farm is by donation, but excursions and added experiences are an additional cost and can be booked online. A licensed cafe is also on-site and overnight yurt stays are now available.

For more information, you can visit the Haute Goat website.