When the Hermann family got their first dwarf sheep, Fern, they had no idea that just a few years down the road they would invest in three acres to provide a home for more than 60 farm animals and spread the joy of spending time outdoors amongst them to the greater Tri-City community and beyond.

Established in 2020, A Bit of Happiness Farm was born in Sarah and Randy Hermann’s roughly half-acre West Richland backyard on Bombing Range Road.

The family of six kept two sheep, three goats and a scattering of chickens and ducks.

“It was because of Covid that we started,” recalled Sarah Hermann. “Someone on Facebook asked if there was somewhere to take their kids outside and see some farm animals. A girlfriend put my name up there and at first I was so upset.

“But I know having four kids myself that getting outside is so important to them. And the relaxation is a good reset. We started scheduling people to come visit in family groups for an hour in the backyard,” Hermann said.

Word spread fast. “We ended up having too many people come and parking was an issue so the city shut us down,” she said.

Just as she and her husband were wondering what to do next, a woman who owned three acres at 2770 Van Giesen St. in Richland called to ask if they might be interested.

“Her family members had passed away and it was too much for her to take care of … It was very sentimental to her so she wanted something special to go on here and she loved what we did for the animals and the people,” Hermann said.

The couple bought the property in the spring of 2024 and had the site cleaned up and ready to open in time for Christmas 2024.

Now, two years later, A Bit of Happiness has grown to include a full farmyard cast of ducks, geese, goats, sheep, horses, donkeys, pigs, a highland steer named Kevin, rabbits, chickens, quail, alpacas, Dolly the Great Pyrenees dog, a turkey, cows, guinea pigs and Humphrey the Bactrian camel.

Sarah Hermann manages the farm full time while husband Randy continues to work his regular full-time job. He helps out on Fridays and weekends. Their four kids also lend a hand.

Sarah and Randy Hermann own A Bit of Happiness Farm at 2770 Van Giesen St., 

Richland. The three-acre petting zoo features 60 farm animals plus a Bactrian camel, a gift shop, kids’ play area and hosts events from birthday parties to maker markets.  

Also pictured: the Yoke’s Goat. 

| Photo by Laura Kostad

Farm visits

A Bit of Happiness farm is open almost year-round, with each season’s hours outlined on its website. The farm closes in January and February.

Admission is $5 per person and guests under 2 years old are free. No reservations are needed. A Bit of Happiness even has a rewards program for repeat visitors.

The farm is organized in a loop and is fully fenced, making it easy to keep track of little ones. Small bags of feed are available and beyond the animals there is plenty to keep everyone entertained, including an assortment of children’s play structures, a swing set, toy kitchens, a sandpit with trucks and tools, wagons and toddler car ramps.

In the central building there is space for special events such as school field trips, birthday parties and other gatherings.

A gift shop next door sells small drinks and snacks, stuffies of the animals on the farm, stickers, T-shirts, egg wash, homemade soap from Dapper Duck’s Soap, local honey from Bishop’s Bees, small kitchen wares such as egg baskets, as well as items made from the wool and fiber of their animals.

All of the buildings on the property came with the sale of the property and the family put in months of effort to clean up some 40 years of farm and shop clutter, including about 50 screwdrivers found in the process.

The acreage is situated on a flood plain, so Hermann said they will never be able to live on the property but they can improve on what’s there.

“We have a five-year plan for improving the pens and fences,” Hermann said.

One white shed and several of the surrounding paddocks were built in the 1950s and the pole shed that houses the gift shop and indoor gathering space went up in 1996 above the flood plain.

The farm flooded twice this past winter, the worst occurring in December when all of the animals had to be evacuated. The Hermanns were grateful to longtime neighbors of the property who watch over it for them and helped to gauge rising flood waters.

For many of the animals, it wasn’t their first rescue.

The vast majority of the Hermann’s furry and feathered staff were “caught in the middle of life transitions,” as Hermann put it.

“When we got the three acres, we kept getting phone calls from people with animals who needed a new home or who have a special need. Now people call and see if we have room. That’s how we got the camel – that’s how we got everybody,” she continued.

One lamb was found running down a highway near Spokane with its umbilical cord still hanging from its belly and others were 4-H projects that didn’t find a freezer when the Benton Franklin Fair shut down during the pandemic.

Humphrey the camel, who is 2 and 1/2, was living on a dairy farm but was a lot of work for his previous owner, especially when he started to have unexplained arthritis flare-ups.

Hermann said it was difficult to find care for him among the local vet community but she networked with other local camel owners and found a camel vet in Australia who has been critical in Humphrey’s ongoing care.

“We definitely get help taking care of the animals,” she said.

Life on the farm has had its humorous moments as well, like the time one of their Nigerian dwarf goats, Buckwheat, a serial escape artist, escaped from their West Richland home – not once but twice – and could be observed soaking in all of the attention of passerby while nibbling the landscaping at nearby Yoke’s Fresh Market.

Hermann said he is now known in the community as “The Yoke’s Goat.”

“The animals definitely have personalities,” she said.

Upcoming additions

In October, pumpkins from local patches will arrive and Hermann said that visitors can expect to find a little kid-friendly Charlie Brown-inspired fall festival.

“We don’t do scary,” she said.

Another attraction is hosting maker markets and other vendor events. At the first one they had 15 to 20 vendors and some 800 people visited.

Luckily, the farm’s limited parking situation was alleviated recently when they made an arrangement with their neighbor to allow overflow parking in their pasture.

Hermann said that she looks forward to continuing to expand the farm’s educational content after partnering with Educational Service District 123 to install signs about A Bit of Happiness’ animals in English, Spanish and American Sign Language.

“Our next project is a sidewalk for wheelchairs. We get a lot of retirement homes that come,” she said.

Another project in the works is a honeybee demonstration garden in partnership with Bishop’s Bees.

Coming this fall is an animal sponsorship program to support vet care and feed costs. Sponsors will receive a professional photo of their animal, a goodie bag and tickets to visit the farm.

Hermann said she is also hoping to launch a highly requested farm volunteer program this fall.

“Working with your hands and being out in the sunshine – it’s relaxing hard work. You go home fulfilled,” Hermann said.

A Bit of Happiness Farm: 2770 Van Giesen St., Richland; abitofhappinessfarm.com. Fall hours: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday; noon to 5:30 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday.