810-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 19,1989
Easter Seal Kids Spend Day On The Farm
BY VAL VANTASSEL
Berks Co. Correspondent
CENTERPORT (Berks Co.)
It started like any other farm tour
day at the Dave and Robin Phillips
farm. Their oldest daughter Amy
and her friend Jessica Erikson
washed down the animals to be
exhibited. Rain the day before
made the lawn look lush. The
petunias beside the milking parlor
bloomed in profusion. After
cleaning the bam, Robin sprinkled
bam dry over the floors. TTie cows
were tied to trees beside a pony at
the lower end of the lawn from the
picnic table where the children
would gather. Robin donned clean
overalls and her blue flowered
milking bonnet. Her husband,
Dave has an off farm construction
job so he couldn’t be at the tour
but he supports Robin’s efforts.
Helpers began to arrive. Don
Stewart, a Bern Township police
man, pedalled in with his young
daughter and son on their bicycles.
Another family friend, Warren
Blatt brought his camera to record
the event. Mary Haag and her
niece came in a pick-up truck
complete with two goats and a
guinea pig. Dottie Spatz, Robin’s
mom and a seasoned tour veteran,
conversed with Berk’s Dairy Prin
cess Ann Mitchell. Robin’s
middle daughter, Laura, stood by
ready to take care of the youngest
member of the family, Sarah. Beth
Phillips, a cousin, accompanied
the youngest children to the sand
box.
After unloading the livestock
from Mary’s truck and lying them
near the picnic table the adults and
teens gathered on the concrete
paths at the side of the house to
wait for the children.
A blue van fulled in the drive
way followed by a second van and
a car. The kids of Easter Seal’s
Camp Lily had arrived. Adults
surged forward to welcome the
happy campers. Parents gathered
children from the sandbox and fol
lowed. Easter Seal Kids are physi
cally disabled children of all ages,
but strange as it may seem, it
wasn’t the crutches, walkers or
wheelchairs that left that all
important first impression. It was
the energy and enthusiasm of 13
kids who just happen to have some
extra hardware.
One of the fust campers out of
the van was Mark Adams. Flash
ing a smile and sporting a Holstein
t-shirt, Mark headed straight for
one of the goats. “I got this shirt at
an animal sanctuary we visited,”
he explained while scratching the
goat’s head. “I wore it especially
for today,” he added. Clyde, the
goat, enjoyed the attention, occa
sionally taking a playful nip at
someone’s clothing, and rubbing
his head on Mark’s leg. Mark who
attends Wilson School District is a
bit of a farmer himself. “I’ve got
10 animals, three of them are
sheep,” he said proudly.
Counselors dressed in bright
colored Camp Lily t-shirts fin
ished unloading youngsters and
soon enveryone was busy. Some
petted goats, others looked at the
guinea pig. Robin’s helpers
snagged a couple of kittens and
campers stroked them while sit
ting on bales of hay.
Robin pried the kids from the
animals with promises that there
will be time to pet them later. She
sent Amy to fetch Madeline, an
aged Jersey that has seen 600 lour
ing children this year alone. Don
was on his Erst farm tour, Robin
turned to him and asked. “Would
you mind holding Madeline,
Don.” Don looked the situation
over and agreed. Robin turned to
her audience, some seated on hay
bales, others at the picnic table
while some preferred to stand.
“Our farm is different from a lot
of places. Here women do the
fanning. We also have a different
type of cows called Jerseys. They
are smaller and easier for us to
handle,” Robin explained.
Amy pulled forward another
animal. “This is Spouy. Does any
one know what breed of cow Spot
ty is?”
“It’s a Holstein,” one of the
campers shouts.
Robin hands her a cow shaped
pencil eraser and promised more
prizes for kids that are on the ball.
Amy pulls Spotty up next to
Madeline. The healthy Holstein
two-year-old dwarfs the aged
Jersey and when Robin announced
that Spotty could grow even more
there were oohs and aahs.
The youngsters also were
impressed by the cow horns that
Robin passed around the group.
One whispered to another, “You
could really get hurt with these.”
Her confidante nodded.
The group also took Robin’s
discussion of litter very seriously.
“Sometimes cows eat litter that’s
tossed into Helds from the road.
We put these magnets in the cows
stomachs to try to attract the metal
to them. But the magnets don’t
work very well and sometimes
cows can get really hurt. So when
you see litter I want you to pick it
up.” She instructed.
The mood lightened appreciab
ly when Robin announced that
everyone would have a chance to
milk Madeline. And unlike many
tours where a number of students
back away, everybody in this crew
wanted to milk the cow.
“I have had 600 kids here this
year. Never has any tour been able
to get enough milk in the bucket
for me to have milk in my coffee.
Let’s see if you guys can,” Robin
said as the kids lined up.
With the support of two camp
counselors and instruction from
Robin, Stacey shyly tried her hand
at milking. She gently massaged
Madeline’s udder, puUed the teat
and milk squirted into the pail.
Balancing on her crutches, Stacey
beamed.
Stacy’s magic touch was just
the beginning. Zah Zerbe, a
13-year-old from Leesport leaned
over from his wheelchair, and
pulled Madeline’s teat. “I did
good!” he exclaimed pointing to
the rising level of milk in the pail.
M Boy is this group smart The
last group that went through here
couldn’t get anything in the buck
et. In the old days when farmers
had to milk by hand 10 to IS cows
was all that they could handle.
This is really hard work,” Robin
stated.
C.J. Stokes almost couldn’t
wait for his turn. His limp is slight
and he had no problem getting
down to the task at hand. His first
couple of tugs were unsuccessful
and he was ready to give up but
with a little help from Robin he
too was able to milk the cow.
“Can’t I do it just a little longer,”
he asked when his turn was up.
Robin answered, Tm going to cow. Robin announced that they counselors shoulders for support,
have to get you out here to milk would now go to the bam to sec Counselors also guided Zach and
cows for me.” the modem way to milk cows. Leo Fies in their wheelchairs,
CJ. milked just a minute longer “There can’t be much milk left in The boys watched enthralled
then pointed out, “I bet you’ve got that cow,” C.J. announced from just outside the door while
enough milk for two cups of confidently. Robin washed Madeline s udder,
coffee.” For some students getting to the hooked up the milker and milk
Robin laughed. Before the bam was a relatively easy matter, splashed into the glass container,
group was finished, all the cam- Several held hands with helpers. In the parlor, CJ. pressed close
pers, counselors, a couple of the Others with more serious disabili- to the jar unable to believe how
helpers and several of their chil- ties had counselors walk in front much milk was still in Madeline,
dren had successfully milked the of them while they held on to the (Turn to Pag* B 14)
The Easter Seal kids finished the farm tour with some fresh home-churned ice
cream.
Zach Zerbe didn’t let his wheelchair keep him from enjoying life on the farm.
The klde threw their crutches aside to listen to tales on the
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