Our History
What does 100 Years of Continuous Agricultural Heritage mean for the Woosley Family?
Woosley Farm is a working poly-culture farm in Western Forsyth County that provides hands-on, educational programs to children of all ages. From our vegetable garden to dairy goats, honey bees, and beef cattle we work year round farming to provide the basis for our educational programs.
We have over 100 Years of Continuous Agricultural Heritage that we would love to share with you! What you'll see is where we live and where we work.
Come to our farm; we would love to see you!
The Woosley farm began in the latter 1800s when Uria Woosley moved from the Arcadia area of Davidson County and purchased 300 acres along the Yadkin River and Bashavia Creek in western Forsyth County. John, one of Uria's three sons, inherited the northern third of the original tract. They raised tobacco and field crops. They were a self sufficient farm. He and his father, built the house which stands today. Each generation made changes and improvements to the structure. Additions include electricity, water, plumbing, weather siding, bathrooms, closets, and central heating; none of which were in the original house.
John and Rosa farmed this area while raising their children until their youngest son assumed ownership. Gaither named this tract Walnut Hill Farm when he and his son Wayne began to raise registered Polled Hereford beef cattle on the land. This third section of the original tract is the only section that remains in the Woosley family. It contains hills, bottomland, woods, fields, two natural springs, and river frontage along the Yadkin River.
Gaither and Geraldine (Gerry) Woosley raised three children and Polled Hereford Cattle on Woosley Farm. In addition to farming, both Gaither and Gerry eventually worked full-time jobs to supplement the low income of farming. When it was time to retire they built a house next door and let Wayne and Riely move into the farmhouse and take over the farm. The 100-acre farm was left in three tracts to their children, all of whom live on Woosley Road and farm the section of land.
Wayne and Riely Woosley have taught public school in Forsyth and Stokes Counties for 25 years. Between them they have taught all ages, from Kindergarten to seniors in high school. Throughout their teaching careers, class fieldtrips to the farm have been favorite experiences of their students.
With Riely's retirement from the public school, they decided to offer farm trips to all area students. A unique combination of 18th century living history programs combined with farm representation of the rapidly vanishing small farm in the Forsyth County countryside becomes a memorable experience for students of all ages.
J'nie Woosley was born and raised on Woosley Farm. Prior to moving back to the farm in 2007, J'nie worked as a teacher, then as a photographer and museum specialist at the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park.
She became an integral part of the farm and, with her daughters, works primarily with goats and chickens. Her girls show the Nubian goats at the Dixie Classic Fair. The farm's chickens are raised in an greenhouse attached to her house and the goats share their backyard.
Our extended family lives here at the farm. Three generations of Woosley's live, work and play on Woosley Farm.
Woosley Family farming continues on Woosley Road outside of Woosley Farm. Both of Wayne's sisters have lived on the property with him and farmed on the tract of land belonging to their father Gaither Woosley. Sharon and Sam (pictured) ran a horse farm, Sharing Rose Farm. Wayne's older sister Phyllis and her husband Jim have a tree farm next to Woosley Farm.