The Dinky Creek Farm: A Hobby To Teach Responsibility

FARMINGTON — If 8-yearold Collin Stone had his way, this is what would happen:

“Everyone would live on a farm and connect with the animals.”

Collin and his sister, Scarlett Stone, who is only 3 years old, help with the family’s hobby farm, The Dinky Creek Farm, located on two acres off Rheas Mill Road outside the Farmington city limits. The land is backed up by hundreds of acres belonging to their great-grandparents.

The name of the farm comes from the small creek down the hill, Dinky Creek.

“We’re small and we have a little creek,” said Collin’s mother, Hailey Spears Robinson.

Full-time, Hailey works as a science teacher at Farmington High School. She is the science department chair and teaches AP biology, AP environmental science and pre-AP biology. She recently remarried and her husband, Aaron Robinson, owns White River Contractors.

Currently, Dinky Creek Farm has 10 goats of four different breeds, hens that lay eggs and a small garden.

The family’s hobby farm is not meant to be a profit-making business. In fact, Hailey said, right now, it’s costing them money.

But the endeavor is providing fresh eggs for them and to give or sell to others, goat’s milk and the opportunity for Collin and Scarlett to learn how to take care of animals.

Both Hailey and Aaron come from farming families. Hailey, who graduated from Prairie Grove High School, said her father didn’t prefer the farm life and moved in another direction. But she and her siblings “really got into it.”

Growing up, she said she made friends through showing livestock at county fairs and other events.

The friends I made I’m still friends with and now our kids have started showing together,” Hailey said.

Aaron added, “We want to teach them the responsibility of keeping animals and taking care of animals.”

The farm started with a pair of twin baby goats, Mickey and Minnie, given to Collin and Scarlett as birthday presents, with the plan to breed the goats.

“All of our goats are named after the Mickey Mouse Club,” Hailey said.

The goats’ names include Millie, Goofy, Clara Belle, Stinky Pete, Donald and Darcey.

Other goats have come along the way.

“We’ve become a goat rescue lately,” Aaron said, as people have asked if they would be interested in taking their goats. “We’ve adopted some and bought some.”

The goats are treated as pets. They milk the oldest goat and the milk is used to make cheese and bread from whey. Hailey said she also wants to learn how to make soap and butter with the goat’s milk.

She laughed, adding, “Whenever someone comes in the house I tell them to try my cheese.”

Collin said his farming responsibilities include collecting eggs, giving hay to the animals to eat and pulling weeds from the garden.

Hailey said she’s been interested in planting a garden for several years but hasn’t had the time. Being home to teach virtually during the covid- 19 pandemic gave her more time. They’ve started a compost pile and the plan is to triple the size of the garden next year.

Another reason for the garden, Hailey said, was to give her son hands-on activities to do outside, instead of being inside on the computer too much while attending school from home.

Both children show dairy cows at the Washington County Fair and Collin is waiting for his new calf or heifer to show up. He usually gets it in March but schedules are a little different because of the pandemic. After showing his cow, it goes back to his great-grandparent’s farm.

Besides showing at the Washington County Fair, Collin, who is a member of Goin’ Showin’ 4-H Club, also has participated in the Arkansas State Fair, Four State Dairy Days and the Arkansas-Oklahoma State Fair in Fort Smith.

Hailey said the plan is to show goats this year but this will be new to her. She showed dairy cows growing up and doesn’t have any experience showing goats.

Collin doesn’t have a favorite part of the hobby farm — he said he likes it all — but his favorite goats are the ones that are “very, very, very nice.” Scarlett’s favorite animal is Clara Belle.

LYNN KUTTER ENTERPRISE-LEADER Hailey and Aaron Robinson have a hobby farm called The Dinky Creek Farm, which has goats, chickens and a small vegetable garden. They are pictured with Hailey’s children, Collin and Scarlett. Hailey emphasizes the hobby farm really belongs to her children who are learning how to take care of animals. The goats are Layla, Stinky Pete and Clarabelle. Above, right: These chickens, called Wheatons, are on The Dinky Creek Farm off Rheas Mill Road near Farmington. Left: Collin Stone with one of his goats named Minnie. His family’s Dinky Creek Farm has goats, chickens and a garden. Collin also shows a dairy cow each year at the Washington County Fair. He is a member of Goin’ Showin’ 4-H Club.

LYNN KUTTER ENTERPRISE-LEADER Collin Stone, 8, and his sister, Scarlett Stone, 3, play with their goats, Goofy and Millie, named for characters from the Mickey Mouse Club.

Minnie the goat is fascinated by the camera.