Photo Series: Goats and Deer

The following photo series was shot at Colasanti’s Tropical Gardens in Kingsville, Ontario, Canada. Colasanti’s serves as a local experience, simply deeming it a tourist attraction or anything other doesn’t aptly describe what the Colasanti family has created for the surrounding community.

Colasanti’s (Colsanti’s Tropical Gardens) began in 1941 as a producer of greenhouse crops and vegetables. At the retail level, the business began as a small fruit stand. By the early 1970s, Colasanti’s had expanded to included lemon trees, orange trees, tropical plants and cacti. Presently, the business sits on 35 acres of land, 3.5 of which are indoors.

This was my first trip to Colasanti’s in years. I grew up in nearby Windsor, Ontario and for many of us Windsorites, a trip to Colasanti’s is a standard event in our childhood histories; the tropical gardens serves as a destination for many school field trips. I still remember the fuzzy cactus I bought on one of those trips.

Presently, the establishment differs from my memories of it. It has expanded to include an outdoor petting farm, an activity zone with rides for children, and mini golf in addition to the other amenities, which include a large array of plants, an indoor petting farm, kept animals (bats!), and an incredible eating area with, what I remember as a child, some of the best apple pie and donuts around. Visiting Colasanti’s always excited me back then and it fails to disappoint now.

The following photos were taken at the outdoor petting farm. My first interaction with goats was at Colasanti’s on a school field trip back when I was small enough that the goats were large and intimidating. I remember trying to feed one of them food pellets purchased from one of the nearby dispensers. The goat, after devouring what I offered in my outstretched hand, proceeded to chew on the denim of one of my pant legs. I’ve been fond of goats ever since.

I shot a photo series at another local staple, John R. Park Homestead in nearby Essex, Ontario. I feel the photo series complements this one nicely.