They say it’s a little piece of heaven, right here in Lakeland.
Sipping sweet tea, reviewing their day and watching their zebra, emus, deer and other assorted animal family roam on their six-acre home site which includes a swimming pool and children’s playset.
Joe and Tammy Cartwright are parents to three grown boys but provide homes to a bevy of not-so-typical “children:” Lilly, Rosebud, Charlie Brown and Angel, their micro-mini pigs; Jenny the donkey; Onyx the zebra; T-bone the cow; Pongo the Llama; a pair of pheasants; 4 emus; 7 adult and 13 baby peacocks; 4 Sica deer; 3 dogs; 1 cat; and assorted bunnies and chickens. And a fawn born just yesterday (6.14.18).
Although she spends about 20 hours a week on what she calls “Tammy’s Little Farm,” Mrs. Cartwright finds time to work as a vet tech Saturdays and school days as a crossing guard for both Lakeland schools (Lakeland Elementary and Lakeland Middle Preparatory).
The 2017-18 school year was her first in the Lakeland System, after working with Arlington Community Schools.
“I just love animals,” said Mrs. Cartwright. “I’ve always loved animals, since my first dog when I was 12 or 13- years-old.” She said God has blessed her and her husband to allow them to do the thing they enjoy.
Married 30 years, the Cartwrights have owned their Lakeland acreage 20 years and started with pigs, chickens and rabbits. “It went up from there,” said Mrs. Cartwright. Her husband said she picks the animals and he builds what the animals need.
By day Mr. Cartwright runs his own business, Bonanza Heating and Air Conditioning, which he started in 1994. In his spare time he helps his wife and enjoys having friends and associates come to their Farm to mingle with the animals and swim in the pool.
When they were first married, they had horses but after buying the Lakeland property, they sold their horses and switched to the assortment of animals they have now. Most are purchased at exotic animal farms around the Mid-South.
The peacocks, rabbits and pigs have babies which she sells online. She said the three-foot-tall emus will grow to six feet. They purchased ten emu eggs and four hatched. Although the emus are allowed out of their pen, Mrs. Cartwright says they won’t leave the property. “They love to be with us.” And the chickens provide 14-18 fresh eggs each day.
To keep the rabbits from escaping, Mr. Cartwright built a sophisticated pen, complete with tunnels for the rabbits.
The zebra, which is wild and not really a petting animal, is three-years-old. The donkey is eight and the llama is nine-years-old.
And what does it take to care for so many animals? Two hours a day to feed, water, check on the animals and give them TLC, said Mrs. Cartwright. She adds, “It takes about 20 hours a week to clean out the pens, mow and weed-eat the property. This is my joy. This is what I love to do.” She said her feed bill is about $200 a month, not including food for her dogs—two dalmatians and one German shepard.
Although only invited friends and guests have come to their Farm so far, Mr. Cartwright entertains the idea of opening their property and animals to others. He said anyone interested can call him at 372-5005.
“I would love to see little kids or special needs kids here,’ said Mrs. Cartwright. “It would brighten their day. They could smile and laugh and have a good time.”
And what’s next for the Cartwrights? A camel perhaps and maybe an Appaloosa llama with blue eyes.
Link to Google album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/9yY4fajLiTbp5fYz7
… Photos by Jim Willis, Lakeland Currents.
