We Visit the Prescott Family Farm (and Its Reindeer!)

Walking around the Prescott family’s farm in Vanzant, Missouri you can see reindeer basking in an abundance of twinkling string lights that give them a magical glow. The crisp air whips around, adding a brisk element to the warm atmosphere of the holiday season. The reindeer sit by patiently, as eager to meet the guests as the guests are to meet them. After months of hard work preparing and decorating, the Prescott family has incorporated the best aspects of the holiday season: activities, decorations, treats, and of course, meeting Santa, Mrs. Claus and their reindeer. 

Sara and Michael Prescott and their three kids Madison, Emma and Carter took it upon themselves to carry on their family tradition of farming, but with a bit of a twist. And so the Prescott Family Reindeer Farm was born, a fully Christmas-themed reindeer farm, where families can get up-close and personal with the reindeer, learn about them and get into the Christmas spirit. Heading into their fourth Christmas season, Sara Prescott says the looks on kids’ faces when they round the corner never get old. 

With reindeer being so hard to come by in the lower 48 states, Prescott says it took her family five years of research and preparation before they were able to purchase their first reindeer, Noel and Tinsel, who were only six months old at the time. “You can’t just go to a sale and pick one up,” she says.

The Prescott Family prepares for the Christmas season year-round, making sure their reindeer are well taken care of through spring and summer and that the property is tended to. Sara, Michael and their three young kids have all taken on the role of reindeer caretakers as a full-time jobs. It’s truly a family affair.

After tending to the reindeer all year, the decorating begins. “We start putting props together and painting and doing all that stuff in July,” Sara says. “It’s a lot of work, and we do a lot of things because we want it to be a great experience for people. We built this farm as an extension of our family, and we’ve had a lot of amazing people come back, so it’s just fantastic.”

Aside from being home to five reindeer and two calves—Noel, Tinsel, Winter, Snowflake, Mistletoe, Blitzen, Comet and Chet—the farm houses other animals too. There are horses, llamas, mini horses, mini donkeys, alpacas and chickens.

The farm has several Christmas-themed photo opportunities around the property, along with games like Reindeer Guess Who, Search and Find Christmas Items, Ring Toss Antlers and a game called Up on the Housetop, where you help Santa get his presents down the chimney in time for Christmas. They also provide $1 craft kits and a “Christmas Village” themed area of the farm where, no matter the weather, guests can partake in snowball fights made with fake snow.

Additionally, they provide horse-drawn carriage rides through the farm pastures; the gift shop featuring farm merchandise and Christmas-themed gifts and toys; Mrs. Claus’ Bakery offering soup, chili, hotdogs, cookies, hot chocolate and cider; and the chance to meet Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus.