In 1964, Bob and Coni Keyes decided to transform their 80-acre hog farm in Waterford, Wisconsin into something brand new: pick-your-own vegetables and raspberry farm. Inspired by their own 13 children, they decided to gear the experience toward families and kids. It wasn't long before the operation expanded to include interactions with their animals, and the farm became a destination where children could come to experience agriculture and farm life. Eventually the Keyes' children grew up and left the nest, but that they didn't necessarily leave the family business. Instead, many decided to start their own petting farms in their new towns—which is how Green Meadows started in Ijamsville.