Queen Elizabeth Had Twins Last Week

"This was really my dream," confided Peter Whitman of The Mission Farm in Wakefield, his 9-acre homestead on Curtis Corner Road in Wakefield.

On the day of the Great Flood in 2010, Whitman and his wife Diane moved into their 1830's-era home, formerly the Caswell family farm. Well-known South County real estate agent Ned Caswell, Whitman said, grew up on this land. Now the farm is home to three generations of the Whitman family.

The farm's new name is a byproduct of Whitman's commitment to feeding those in need. Among other acts of kindness, Whitman regularly shares chicken eggs with Welcome House of South County in Peace Dale.

In addition to a The Mission Farm is also home to a half dozen pigs and a small herd or polled Dorset sheep. URI's mascot is a horned Dorset ram, a close relative of the variety that Whitman raises on his farm. The Mission Farm is a member of the Rhode Island Raised Livestock Association.

Several farmers we visited this week told us that spring is "two weeks behind" because of the recent drizmal weather. One thing's for certain, though: Our southern New England climate doesn't put a damper on local farmers' enthusiasm for a much anticipated growing season.

The accompanying photo and video gallery offers a sneak peek at early spring farming in South County. The videos offer a look at the surprising sociability of pigs and one baby lamb's youthful curiosity.

Here are the five farms featured in our gallery:

• Blue Moon Farm, 173 Saugatucket Road, Wakefield, RI
• Goose Pond Farm, 545 Waites Corner Road, West Kingston, RI
• Moonstone Gardens, at Earth Care Farm, 89 Country Dr., Charlestown, RI
• Red Horse Farm, Exeter, RI
• The Mission Farm, 700 Curtis Corner Road, Wakefield, RI

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