Burros, Brunches, and a Little Bit of Magic
FEATURED IN THE NORTHLAND CITY LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
A Smithville farm is giving Kansas City families something to bray about
There are some experiences that are hard to explain until you're standing in the middle of them. A field of miniature donkeys is one of those experiences. The moment you arrive at Bar None Burros in Smithville, Missouri, something shifts. Whatever you carried with you — the to-do lists, the screen time, the hurry — loosens its grip. And if you have kids in tow, you are about to witness something genuinely wonderful.
Rachel Arnold didn't set out to build a burro empire. She's quick to tell you that. A lifelong horse lover, Rachel moved to her six-acre property in 2019, primarily so she could bring her old horse home and share the same land with him. Then came one miniature donkey — offered by a friend whose mother was ready to travel and leave the animals behind. Then came a second, because anyone who knows anything about mini donkeys will tell you they need a companion. Then came the realization that her donkeys and her horses had quietly formed two entirely separate herds in the same field, each perfectly content to ignore the other. "I was wrong," Rachel laughs. "The second that second donkey arrived, they never interacted with the horses again."
From there, the herd grew the way these things tend to — organically, opportunistically, and with a lot of heart. Two of her donkeys came from owners who had moved off a property and simply couldn't take them along. Another required a seven-hour drive. Rachel didn't hesitate. Today she has six miniature donkeys, and they are, by any measure, the stars of the operation.
The Burro Brunch was born almost by accident. After having to cancel a wedding appearance when one of her donkeys was injured, Rachel invited the bride and her group out to the farm as a way of making it right. They had a wonderful time — and told her she needed to share this with more people. She called up a few past clients to test the idea. They loved it. Last June, Rachel made a single Facebook post about the brunches she was offering. She received 500 emails in a single weekend and was booked solid for the rest of the season. No advertising. No marketing strategy. Just six miniature donkeys and the word of a few very enthusiastic guests.
The experience itself is simple, and that's exactly the point. Groups of four to twenty people gather in a grassy yard on the farm, charcuterie in hand, while the donkeys do what donkeys do — which is to say, they get into your business. "People say, oh, so they're just in the field over there?" Rachel says with a smile. "No. They are in your business." These animals are not shy. They are nosy and emotional and, as Rachel describes them, more like big dogs than anything else. They will find you. They will nudge you. And before long, even the most hesitant guest is sitting on the ground, arms wrapped around a donkey who looks perfectly content to stay there all afternoon.
That's the thing about kids and donkeys — there's no pretense between them. Children haven't yet learned to hold back. They don't wonder if it's okay to love on an animal they just met. They simply drop to their knees and go for it, and the donkeys meet them right there. It's easy to imagine what an afternoon in that field must feel like for a child. Magical is not too strong a word.
Rachel will tell you she's not necessarily a people person. She and her family moved out to this property, in part, to have some space from the world. But something unexpected happened when she started opening the gate. "I love sharing these little donkeys with people," she says, "because they bring me so much joy. And I'm so lucky to have six of them." That joy is contagious — you can see it in the faces of the guests, in the photos on her website, in the story of the man whose favorite animal in the world has always been the donkey, who sat on the ground hugging one of Rachel's for as long as he possibly could before he had to leave.
Some things are worth making time for. Bar None Burros is one of them. Bar None Burros is currently booking April through November. Visit barnoneburros.com to learn more or book your own brunch.
