DATE: Monday, October 20, 1997              TAG: 9710200066

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MIKE ABRAMS 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   78 lines

TAYLOR FARMS ENTERS THE THEME PARK MARKET

Since moving her prized horses to Wisconsin three years ago, Linda Taylor Chappell has contemplated what to do next with the 226-acre farm she owns.

She thinks she's on to something.

Just weeks after winning Planning Commission approval for her idea, Chappell has much of the resort city's newest attraction in place.

It doesn't have a fancy name, but it could rightly be called an agricultural theme park.

Playgrounds. Hay rides. Chincoteague ponies. Bunnies. Goats. Pigs. A learning barn. Wooded walkways. Pick-your-own vegetables. A butterfly garden.

Some of those have appeared on the farm this fall as part of a Halloween-season celebration. By spring, however, they will fit into a larger transformation of the farm.

The old name, Taylor Farms, will stay. The emptiness of the three years since Dam Neck Road cut a swath through the property won't.

``We're not Busch Gardens. We're not Kings Dominion,'' Chappell said. ``We're showing kids what a working farm is all about.''

The public park is the most recent effort for the sprawling Taylor property, some 1,600 acres of sparse land southwest of Oceana Naval Air Station. One piece of the property once was in the running for Virginia's horse racing license. Other spots are earmarked for industrial development.

Chappell won't reveal what she's spending on her latest project, although a staff of up to 20 has been moving earth and building the various sections at a furious pace.

The attractions will change by the seasons.

The fall features a haunted walk through the woods and a 15-minute ``Dismal Haunts of the Swamp Hayride.'' Actors, animated props and grotesque creatures occupy the pathway.

In the spring, the farm would become home to acres of pick-your-own vegetables, an animal petting area, a fish pond, a country store, butterfly garden and sculpture garden.

Children could tour through a horticultural program in a special barn.

Inside, they could move Velcro parts on a wall to simulate life cycles. They could watch worms wiggle around and see a farm worker feed calves by hand.

A few steps away would be five Chincoteague ponies, bought during this summer's auction for $1,500 to $2,000 each. An open pasture may one day feature up to 20 of the creatures.

``I love kids,'' Chappell said. ``I wanted to be able to do something fun with the farm where people could also learn.''

Tami Eilers, who will run the children's program, said she plans to cover lessons that appear in kindergarten through fifth-grade science text books. Instead of a chalkboard and pop quizzes, she'll use the barn and its stalls to challenge the children.

``That's why we call it the learning barn,'' she said.

A town square playground is next to the barn. Its heart and soul are an inviting purple Victorian house and fire station.

Louis Cullipher, director of Virginia Beach's Department of Agriculture, said the Taylor attractions will be good for the city and the region. He said he views farming as one of the Beach's top draws - behind the military and tourism.

``Most folks are several generations removed from the farm, so it's a good link for them,'' he said. ``There's a little bit of farm in each of us.''

Not far from Taylor Farms is Hunt Club Farm, home to some of the region's best-known agricultural activities and it is expected to be the main competitor.

``I think there's certainly room,'' said Cathy Ruffin, education director at Hunt Club. ``There's not much out there, and kids need a place to go.''

In fact, she said she's been receiving 100 calls a day about her programs.

``We won't lose business,'' she said.

Chappell said stealing visitors from a neighboring farm isn't her goal.

``I think there's room for all of us,'' she said. ``There's a huge demand for this, because so many kids have never been on a farm. They've never seen a cow or a pony.'' MEMO: For details about Taylor Farms attractions, call 427-6428. Expect

busy signals while a new phone system is installed. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic

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