Bush-N-Vine Farm — Attraction in South Carolina

Two years ago, while pregnant, I stood in line in the heat of the sun to order ice cream, and was feeling weak from of the heat. I asked if I could have a cup of water with my order and was abruptly told that they don’t give cups of water. I mentioned I was pregnant and asked if an exception could be made, and the middle-aged woman behind the counter literally rolled her eyes. She slammed a small cup of water in front of me and said, “We don’t normally give customers water.” That was her response to a pregnant woman asking for water – a basic courtesy - she literally rolled her eyes. I walked away, feeling shaken by the experience. The overall feel of the place during our 2nd visit was “Our customers are of no value to us, we are here to make money in agra-tourism, but don’t actually value the tourists.” Surprising attitude for a tourist attraction. We decided to try it one more time this yr. We had mistakenly thought that their store closed at 6pm, but realized when we arrived we had 8 minutes left to shop in the store before they closed at 5. In entering the store, I was abruptly told by a middle aged woman that they were closing in 2 minutes, making it very clear that she didn’t welcome any further customers. My husband & I ran around to gather the things that we needed as fast as we could, and I felt the need to be apologetic, explaining that we hadn’t realized they were closing at 5 and would hurry to get our things to the counter. On hindsight, I think it’s ridiculous that I was made to feel like I needed to apologize for bringing them my business. Again, the store was not closed yet, it was a few minutes before 5. We ran to the counter and proceeded to spend about $140 on groceries. While checking us out, the woman made it clear that she was annoyed. I mentioned that we had driven from 40 minutes away and asked if our kids could have a few minutes on the playground before driving home. Obviously annoyed, she said she would ask the owner. While waiting for her to come back, and while my husband was rushing the rest of the groceries out of the store, my kids and I waited on the porch where the tractor is and I took their pictures on the tractor. A minute later, my husband walked up, saying that they had said we could not play on the playground. We immediately started gathering up the kids when the same woman appeared from the opposite end of porch - maybe 40 feet away, yelling, “MA’AM!! YOU CANNOT DO THAT!!” I was unclear what she was referring to. She proceeded to talk to me in an intense tone, storming down the porch toward us, in front of my children, telling me that we could not be there, and our kids could crack their heads and we should not be doing this. Acting like we were criminals & talking to me like I was a child? I explained we had been waiting for her to get back to us re: the playground and that my husband had just told us we couldn’t stay so we were currently gathering our children. She was continued to speak in an antagonistic way to me as we walked to our car, while ignoring my husband. Saying my kids could’ve “cracked their heads on the tractor” and we didn’t have a right to be there because of the farm insurance. (To be clear, my kids had literally just SAT on the tractor while I took their picture and were climbing down as she approached.) We all walked away from that experience feeling completely undervalued as customers & very disrespected. No. This treatment was not ok. BNV, I find it puzzling that you would treat your customers, who bring in so much of your income, in such a disrespectful, demeaning, and humiliating way. It’s clear that you do not value your customers. We will not be returning to you. We will be giving our business to your neighbor, Black’s Peaches. To avoid this treatment, I recommend heading over to Black Peaches, down the road from BNV. The folks there are kind and respectful, and sell one of the best burgers ever at their café. If you have any self-respect, stay...

Unknowingly we drank their milk. Only after did I notice the label declaring it was raw milk. Providing a fair warning to anyone else whom might drink the milk not knowing the risks associated with it. Drinking raw, unpasteurized milk can expose individuals to a variety of harmful pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Below is a comprehensive list of potential pathogens that have been associated with raw milk consumption:

Bacterial Pathogens:

Brucella spp. – Causes brucellosis (undulant fever), leading to fever, joint pain, and fatigue.

Campylobacter jejuni – Causes campylobacteriosis, leading to diarrhea (sometimes bloody), fever, and abdominal cramps.

Coxiella burnetii – Causes Q fever, leading to flu-like symptoms and potentially chronic infections.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 and other Shiga toxin-producing strains – Causes hemorrhagic colitis and can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can cause kidney failure.

Listeria monocytogenes – Causes listeriosis, particularly dangerous for pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. It can lead to miscarriage, meningitis, and septicemia.

Mycobacterium bovis – A strain of tuberculosis (bovine TB) that can infect humans.

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) – Suspected link to Crohn’s disease in humans.

Salmonella spp. – Causes salmonellosis, leading to diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.

Staphylococcus aureus – Can produce enterotoxins that cause severe food poisoning.

Streptococcus spp. – Some strains can cause scarlet fever, sore throat, and mastitis in cows.

Yersinia enterocolitica – Causes yersiniosis, leading to fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, sometimes mimicking appendicitis.

Viral Pathogens:

Hepatitis A virus – Can be transmitted through contaminated milk, leading to liver inflammation.

Norovirus – Causes gastroenteritis, leading to vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration.

Parasitic Pathogens:

Cryptosporidium parvum – Causes cryptosporidiosis, leading to severe diarrhea, especially in immunocompromised individuals.

Giardia lamblia – Causes giardiasis, leading to diarrhea, bloating, and malabsorption.

Toxoplasma gondii – Causes toxoplasmosis, which can be especially dangerous for pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals.

Fungal & Toxin Risks:

Molds and Mycotoxins – Some molds present in raw milk can produce aflatoxins, which are carcinogenic.

Bacillus cereus – Produces toxins that cause food poisoning, leading to vomiting and diarrhea.

Other Considerations:

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria – Some bacteria in raw milk may carry antibiotic resistance genes, increasing the risk of difficult-to-treat infections.

Environmental contaminants – Raw milk may contain contaminants from the farm environment, including manure, soil, and waterborne pathogens.

Conclusion:

Consuming raw, unpasteurized milk increases the risk of infection from these pathogens, which can lead to serious illnesses, especially in young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. Pasteurization significantly reduces these risks by killing harmful microorganisms while preserving the milk’s...

This is not a "Farm" that you visit and see animals and other things. If you want to take your kids to a "Farm" this is the wrong choice. This is how we ended up out here. Again. Not a farm IN THAT SENSE.

It's a glorified vegetable stand. Lots of very nice seating. It has a beautiful view all around. There are some swings, a well-maintained sandbox, and a fun slide out back for the kids. Inside the stand is air conditioned, as well as the restrooms out back.

The slide is 3' drain tile with a sleeve on the inside so that, well, you can slide. It's got a fig tree growing on top, and provides a way for your younglings to burn off some energy. My boy had a lot of fun going up and down the slide. At the bottom of the slide is a very small chicken coop, complete with (at the time) a hornets nest. Chickens eat these, but my boy wasn't interested in being stung, so the wonder of "farm animal" wore off very quickly.

Inside is a lot of vegetables, cheese, and things in jars. Everything is a bit expensive, but they have some tasty soft serve ice cream and some very good fruit smoothies that are supposedly made from farm fruit only.

So it does have a lot of farmland around it. And it's probably part of the farm, but this is a vegetable stand with a small amount of stuff you can do that isn't directly related to...