Duncan and Angela Criscoe purchased Crooked Pines Farm in fall 2006, which they bought for acreage and wildlife. The two had no idea that a simple farm would turn into a massive undertaking that would ultimately serve as a place for community and visiting families to make memories, while creating a space for their own family memories as well.

“I worked at Reynold’s Plantation for years, until I lost my job in 2009. I went back to school and finished my business degree from Georgia College, and when I finished, my wife and I decided that we wanted to offer the community something. We opened our farm to the area and sold pre-cut Frasier Fir Christmas trees,” Duncan said.

The trees came from Sparta, N.C., and the Criscoes journeyed to the farm to check out the tree selection and learn the business for opening a Christmas tree lot.

“When we went to Sparta to see the farm and lot, Duncan and I were amazed. There were a million trees on the lot and it was absolutely awesome. When we left that day, we were so excited. The owner and his wife and child had opened their farm for the community and really made it a family affair, and Duncan and I realized we wanted to do that as well,” Angela said.

When the Criscoes opened their farm and Christmas tree lot, the event was a huge success. The owners decided to move forward and felt the time was right to host more activities and groups on the farm. Earlier this year, the Criscoe’s hosted their first spring fling, which included hay rides, a fire pit, two bands, giveaways and a corn hole tournament.

“After we had our spring fling, we held our Easter Egg Launch and Lunch. We wanted to do something a little different than the typical Easter egg hunt, so we came up with a new concept. We held it two weeks before Easter and offered our guests a ham lunch plate and a giant slingshot. Everyone got one free egg to launch into the pasture, and there were three grand prizes to whomever launched their egg the farthest,” Angela said.

The Easter Egg Launch and Lunch was such a success the Criscoes are already planning on making it an annual event for families from all over the area to enjoy. The farm activities aren’t over yet. The Criscoes decided to hold four different and unique weeklong summer camps for children. Two Georgia College students were hired to create lesson plans and serve as counselors for the children.

“Both of our young ladies from the college were interviewed and have a great knowledge and love of children. One of our young ladies is an education major and the other is a psychology major. They have a plan of action for each child and they haven’t even met them yet. These girls are amazing and they are so looking forward to helping these children learn on our farm,” Angela said.

The farm animals camp focuses on teaching children to feed the animals and walk them, and teaches them all of the ways that animals contribute on a farm. Crooked Pines has plenty of wildlife throughout the property including chickens, pigs, horses, turkeys, donkeys and rabbits. Campers will learn about animal lifecycles as well as how to care and tend to wildlife.

The gardening week will take place June 20 through 24, and campers will learn to grow their own garden and discover the many different types of seed identification. On the last day of every camp, a special family day will begin around 4:30 so that parents can see what their children have learned and see the gardens their children planted.

Each camp lasts from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., but parents can drop students ages 5 through 12 off as early as 7:30 a.m. and can pick them up as late as 5:30 p.m. The camps are $100 per child, and a snack will be provided in the afternoon, but campers should eat breakfast before arriving at Crooked Pines and bring their own lunch. Drinks will be provided all day.

As if the farm didn’t have enough character, the name itself comes from its truly unique pines.

“Our farm was planted with trees 15 years ago. The trees were very poorly planted and ended up growing really close together. In an effort to get as much sun and water as possible, the trees came up with some very interesting twists and turns to get the job done. Our pine trees are uniquely crooked, and it became our name for the farm and how people recognize it,” Duncan said.

The farm will have camps going into July, and is always available for birthday parties and special events, as well as educational tours. Parents can pick and choose events for their child’s party based on a list on the Crooked Pines webpage.

“We’d also love to be a venue for school field trips and try to cater to what teachers have been teaching. We could do animal focus, plant cycles and gardening focus and numerous other ideas as well,” Angela said.

“We’re here to make memories, and we want to give back to our community. At Christmas time we give out coupons to the schools, and with every Christmas tree purchased, $2 goes back to the Putnam County school system. Now that it is summer, our excess vegetables that weren’t purchased will go toward Second Harvest to feed needy families,” Duncan said.

Registration for the camps can be completed up until the first day, and applications for the camps can be located online at crookedpinesfarm.com. Spaces are limited in order to give each camper plenty of attention and learning opportunities. The horses camp will take place July 11 through 15, and Nature’s Music will take place July 18 through 22. Crooked Pines Farm is located at 355 Harmony Road in Eatonton, and can be reached at (706) 347- 0274.