Just off Route 33 near Zanesfield sits Marmon Valley Farm, a place where visitors step back into a simpler time and enjoy the great outdoors. For over 60 years, the farm has offered people horseback riding, archery, and a taste of farm life, something many today have never experienced.
The farm traces its roots to the early 1800s when the Marmon brothers moved to the area from Virginia to escape the practice of slavery. Soon after that, the Outland family, with their 12 children, moved to the area, and together, the two families founded the Goshen Friends Church, which sits on the edge of the farm to this day.
In the early 1960s, at the prompting of friends, Bill and Phyllis Wiley purchased 75 acres of land and established the Marmon Valley Farm Camp, a hat tip to the original settlers. Today, Matt Wiley, affectionately known as ‘Wrangler Matt,’ carries on the tradition on which the camp was founded: Faith, Farm, and Fun. Wrangler Matt talks about the family farm experience:
The farm has seen the need for growth steadily since its inception. New stables, the addition of a lake during the construction of Route 33, an indoor arena, and new bunkhouses have all happened over the years.
Currently, Marmon Valley Farm hosts eight weeks of camps during the summer in addition to trail rides and horseback lessons. Summer campers are encouraged to build a relationship with their horse during the week, and his staff encourages the campers to see the connection between their relationship with their horse and their relationship with Jesus:
Wrangler Matt said that the camp is open year-round and the farm is an ideal place to hold birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, and retreats for your organization.
Perhaps the most well-attended event each year is the Country Christmas. Guests take a trip through the farm campus and see the birth narrative of Jesus acted out by teenagers from all over the state.
For more information about the camp and events, visit https://marmonvalley.com
