Most of us only think about reindeer when wrapping paper, cookies and sleighs are involved. Daniel Connell and Tanya Clarke made reindeer a part of their lives year-round when they opened Goldendale Reindeer.
The two are married, emergency room RNs and have had their fair share of difficult days on the job. During their days off, Daniel and Tanya prioritize traveling and spending time outdoors. Some of their adventures took them to farms and cities. A few years ago, the two visited a reindeer farm and Tanya fell in love with the big, adorable animals.
Tanya followed every reindeer farm she could find on social media, bought informational books and started to learn everything she could about them. It quickly became an obsession! She couldn’t get enough of them.
Then, COVID-19 hit and the two found themselves in a constant cycle of boredom at home and being overburdened at work. After a difficult night in the emergency room, Tanya asked Daniel if they could open a reindeer farm. His response?
“Okay.”
Some state regulations make it incredibly difficult to keep reindeer, so Daniel and Tanya turned to Washington. The two looked at South Central Washington and fell in love with the town of Goldendale. They purchased a five-acre farm near town and got to work.
When Daniel and Tanya bought their acreage, they knew they needed a tractor to help them maintain and develop it. But neither of them knew anything about machinery. Daniel’s favorite color? Orange. What did they end up going with? A Kubota L2501, complete with a front bucket, backhoe, mowing deck, box blade and post hole digger!
Their L2501 and backhoe helped them install 400-feet of water pipe, while the post hole digger assisted them in fencing their property with ease. As the needs of Goldendale Reindeer have grown, so have the requirements in their tractor. The two have been thrilled with their Kubota and Daniel thinks their next tractor will be bigger and include a cab for those extra windy days.
Once they’d prepared their dream farm for animals, they purchased five reindeer and a livestock guardian dog. Now, Daniel and Tanya have six reindeer, one of them being a breeding bull. Three of their reindeer are pregnant and they’re excited to keep adding to the herd!
In August 2021, Daniel and Tanya received their USDA Certification, which is required to provide public access and tours on the farm. Two months later, they opened up for tours at Goldendale Reindeer.
Daniel and Tanya typically take groups of 12 people through their barn and have Reindeer Rumination Time, an opportunity to let people get up close and share facts about the reindeer with guests. Afterwards, they hold a quick safety briefing and bring everyone into the enclosure where they get to pet, feed, interact, take photos and experience hands-on learning with the animals.
Goldendale Reindeer also holds a Believe in the Magic of Christmas event on Saturdays and Sundays between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Daniel and Tanya play Christmas music, have fire pits and treats, Reindeer Rumination Time and even have Santa and Mrs. Claus visit. They also encourage picnics on their farm, live music and community engagement. After the isolation they experienced during COVID-19, Daniel and Tanya want to bring the joy of reindeer to everyone.
You can follow Daniel and Tanya on their Goldendale Reindeer journey by visiting their website, Facebook or Instagram page.
