About
us
Hi All I
decided to have a little space to tell my story because
people are always asking me how I started Holy Cow? Some
people think I must be crazy to do what I do and others
think it is a dream job. Well, I would say a little of both
but a dream come true is what it is! I am a 42 year old
wife and mother of 2 great kids. Sydni-Renee is 9 and
Chance is 8. I first want to say how I could never do what
I do without the amazing support of my husband and kids. My
husband Dan is my pillar of strength behind the
scenes…building fencing, fixing tractors, designing my
website and a shoulder to lean on those tough days when I
lose an animal or coe home so tired I stumble to the bed
while he cooks dinner and tends to the kids and yes he has
a full time business of his own. My kids on the other hand
are constantly saying…"mom I am so glad you are getting to
live your dream, we are so proud of you". They have never
once complained when mom has to work 7 days a week or miss
a game or bedtime. I am blessed!
Building
Holy Cow I
I am from Memphis, TN where I attended Ole Miss and
graduated from University of Memphis. I moved to Atlanta in
the early 90’s for a sales job as a computer head hunter. I
stayed in this field until I met Dan and jumped on the
bandwagon with him in his exciting career in the Olympics.
After the Atlanta games, we married and moved to Sydney,
Australia for 4 years where both of our children were born.
I continued to enjoy my career in sales and marketing until
one day when I had a vision as clear as could be that I was
to open a petting farm with a little old farmhouse and a
few animals for kids to interact with in a non threatening
place while the moms enjoyed themselves in a whimsical
creative environment. It became my passion and I stated
tearing out pictures in magazines and reading farm and
animal books. I looked everyday for the perfect spot with
my cute little farmhouse. Fast forward about 3 years and
boom there it was! Love at first sight. I signed the lease
and that day I hit the ground running buying animals, yard
art and fun “junk” to filly little Eden. I was in business
and my little dream was becoming realty. My kids were
amazed to see all of my scrapbook pictures come to life and
the animals started arriving to fast become family. This
was August 2006 and I thought why not get a few pumpkins to
sell so while my visitors are here playing with the animals
they can buy a pumpkin and hey they sure would look cute.
Well, little did I know that I would have about 4,000
visitors my first 6 weeks. Wow! I was not prepared for this
and never has the saying ”build
it and they will come" ever
been more true! Well, this got me off to a running start
and I started booking birthdays, fieldtrips and my morning
playgroups stayed full even in the winter because of our
cozy heated farmhouse. I imagined that people would really
come. The lesson is FOLLOW YOUR Dreams AND PASSION, TAKES
CHANCES AND JUST DO WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN WANTING TO DO!! I am
blessed!
My
Love of Animals
My
father is truly an old fashion cowboy I guess you could
say. My parents separated when I was very young and I
stayed with my mom in the city but visited my dad on the
farm. My father is a bit of a legend in his field of horse
shoeing (farrier). He was inducted in the international
horseshoeing hall of fame a few years ago. It was nice that
his 40 long hard years of being a farrier were recognized
by his peers. He has been Elvis Presley’s farrier and farm
manager for 35 years, still today. I guess you could say I
got my animal and farm love from him. We went 20 years
without speaking and reunited 2 years ago and that has been
a gift that I will forever be grateful for! Life lesson #2
don’t let 20 years go by without speaking to your father.
Turns out we are very similar and we speak weekly now. I am
blessed!
Closing
Holy Cow I
One day
the City of Milton informed me that I didn't have the right
use permit to operate my first location. Long story short
they wanted me to put a 75 foot landscape buffer around the
perimeter of the property, sidewalks, move the parking lot
etc. etc. I tried to do what I could do but 3 weeks into it
I had already realized that common sense was not going to
take over and Milton was not going to budge. You see they
only had one set of ordinances so if you want to build a
mega church, wall mart or Holy Cow Farm you are subject to
the same requirements. Seems odd doesn't it? Many wonderful
people offered to help me and they wanted to fight Milton
and get the media involved, all of my neighbors were
amazing. Thank you LONGSTREET neighbors, you were great! I
decided to quietly close the farm and shut the doors in
Feb. 08..sold all of the animals and had a big sale where
people rummaged thru the farm stuff until my dream only
excited in my memories. This was very sad! I kept myself
busy and threw myself into opening a different business. I
would wake up in the morning and feel like I needed to run
to the farm and then remember it was no longer
there.
Holy
Cow II
I
was very busy with my kids sports, school, home projects
and planning my new business when on April 14 I ran to the
paint store to adjust a paint color that I did not like. I
was in a big hurry and in walks this man about the same
time as me with a little dog named Misty. He had a big
personality and I was smiling inside thinking that this man
was a real character. He gave his name to order his paint,
Jack Cashin. I had remembered reading an article about him
in North Points Magazine and I had taken an art class with
his daughter in law Elisa. I said Hi to him and told him I
knew Elisa. Jack is the kind of man that never meets a
stranger so we struck up a conversation while we waited for
our paint to mix. He asked me questions and somehow I ended
up telling him about Holy Cow closing. He said well my camp
director left and I have been looking for someone to take
over camps, birthdays etc. He
invited me to his beautiful 131 acre farm in the heart of
Alpharetta and on a hand shake we were in business together
that day! As quickly as Holy Cow! was disassembled I had to
assemble it even quicker again. DÉJÀ VU! And that is where
we are today!
Have I mentioned that I am blessed?
I look
forward to seeing you at the farm!
Robin
Donovan 5/6/08
Our Newsletters (click on date to view):
April
2008
April 2008