‘Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood’ comes to Weatherbury Farm

Weirton Daily Times | November 16 2016

As reported by Summer Wallace-Minger, in the Weirton Daily Times  November 16 2016:   

AVELLA — ” ‘Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood’ has expanded to include part of Avella.

Weatherbury Farm, a working farm raising cattle and organic grains that offers farm vacations, will be featured on live-action segments as part of the animated children’s show, targeted toward children aged 2 to 4. The show follows the next generation of characters from the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, including Daniel Striped Tiger’s son, the titular character.

Dale Tudor, who owns the farm along with wife Marcy and son Nigel, will be featured on the segments as well. Known as ‘Farmer Dale’ to Weatherbury Farm guests, he also was a guide for show veteran Jazmyn as the pair explored the farm together, feeding the cattle and bottle-feeding a kitten.

Margy Whitmer, Fred Rogers Co. director of video production and special events, contacted the Tudors to ask them to become part of the show — but they aren’t quite sure why.

‘I wish I had asked, but we have three puppies right now, and they like to bark, so I was on puppy-sitting duty,’ Marcy Tudor said.  ‘We should have asked them how they found out about us.’

Dale Tudor, accompanied by son Nigel, spent approximately four hours filming the two one-and-a-half minute segments with the crew around the farm, but in the bustle of filming, forgot as well.

‘They did a little thing out in front of the tractors and Jazmyn introduced me as ‘my friend Dale,’ Tudor said, noting he was impressed by the child’s professionalism. ‘We did several takes, and each was a little different. She was good at switching it up. Our goose Brunhilde was honking and it was messing up (the take), so Nigel was trying to shoo her away, and she walked right through the shot, behind the tractors. The producers loved that, an animal walking through the shot — Brunhilde was determined to get on (television).’ Following the introduction, the crew went to visit the farm’s cattle, including a mother with a two-week-old calf.

We had a baby calf that Jasmine got to bottle feed,’ Tudor said.

Dale calls the calf ‘Billy Bully,’ Marcy Tudor said. ‘He loves Dale — when he sees him coming, he gallops to him.”

Dale Tudor noted that the farm offers educational farm vacations, so educating the preschoolers who watch “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” fit in well with the overall mission of the farm.

Basically, (education) is what we’ve done here for 24 years, educating people about farm life and where their food comes from,’ he said.

The family said they aren’t sure when the episode featuring the farm will air, but they are looking forward to their — and Brunhilde’s — star turn.”