814-Uncaster Farming, Saturday, August 19,1989
(Continued from Pago BIO)
Robin stressed cleanliness to
the group. u We take a lot of care
with the milk because it’s going to
some very important people...you!
The kids then got a peek at the
bulk tank whilecounselors pushed
Zach and Leo around the barn to
look in the feeding area. Kathy
Phillips, Robin’s cousin and
sister-in-law. explained that milk
has to be cooled. “We have just a
few hours to get it to the right
temperature or we can’t sell the
milk,” he said.
Then Robin stood on the stairs
above the group, pointed to her
blue sneakers and said, “Now I’m
not going to get my sneakers dirty
and I don’t want you to get yours
dirty either. Everyone who keeps
their sneakers clean gets a prize at
the end of the tour.”
The youngsters with some help
climbed the three stairs and
walked into the feeding area.
Courtney Luckenbill, a spunky
nine-year-old wanted to follow the
group into the feeding area but her
crutches made the going tough.
Policeman Don hoisted her on his
back and the two happily marched
into the main bam to pet the cows.
Robin’s Jerseys are quite tame
and came out to greet the visitors
when she turned on the feeder.
Sarah Milanen held out her hand
one one of the cows mosied over
for a sniff. Other animals followed
suit and several kids had a chance
to pat the cows.
the group left the bam and
stepped back into the sun. The
lads imitated Robin’s famous
chicken walk and cleaned their
shoes. Then they sauntered over
for a sniff of silage. She explained
its importance while campers
wrinkled their noses.
Youngsters, helpers and
counselors then crowded around
the calf hutches for the chance to
bottle feed three little Jerseys.
Some kids leaned over the top of
the fence while the calves sucked
to their hearts content. Others
gazed between the planks, but
before the bottles were finished
everyone had a chance to feed a
calf.
Somewhere between the silage,
the calves, and a trip to the heifer
bam CJ. discovered Dairy Prin
cess Ann Mitchell. “I just love
her,” he confided later.
Outstretched hands fed happy
heifers a bit of grain at the next
stop and the kids stroked the cats
that loafed on bales of hay. Finally
the crew trooped back to the picn
ic table to hear a presentation by
Dairy Princess Ann on the impor
tance of drinking milk.
The tour wound up with ice
cream and pony rides. While not
everyone was ready to ride the
pony, Zach was one of the first in
line. Although he is a strapping
lad, the counselors and helpers
were able to lift him onto the ani
mal and Amy led him for a walk
down the drive and around the
trees. At first Zach seemed a bit
reserved with the pony but by the
return trip his face was wreathed
in smiles.
Asked if the pony was his favo
rite part of the tour, he replied, “I
liked everything.”
Mark concurred. This is a great
place for animals,” he added.
Courtney, a fourth grader at
Whitfield Elementary said, “I
liked everything too. It’s nice to
learn how milk is produced.”
Stacey, seven years old, and
Sarah, 11 years old, both thought
that milking the cow was the near
est thing about the tour. ‘T really
liked feeling the calves too,” Sar-
Easter Seal Kids
ah added taking another bite of ice
cream.
“Joel likes the animals,” Sheri
Keuscher, the head counselor at
Camp Lily said.
It was Camp Lily’s first trip to
Robin’s farm. “I learned about it
from the kindergarten teacher at
the school,” Sheri explained. Sheri
is an aide in a special needs class
at the 12th and Marion School in
the Reading School District. “This
was a really successful tour. I’m
going to recommend that the class
visit the hum next spring.”
Sheri believes it would be great
for other farmers to open their
farms for visits from the disabled.
She has some advice for those
interested in doing so. “Accessi
bility is important. Here Zach and
Joel could see everything despite
their wheelchairs. We had five
counselors with the group, but in a
‘normal’ class situation you might
only have two teachers and maybe
an aide. Get lots of volunteers to
make your farm tour a success.”
Robin agreed. “We just love
doing farm tours and I think more
farmers should do them. When we
have a group like Camp Lily I do
try to get extra helpers. I like to
have a one to one ratio. I also like
to have a lot of animals around
where the kids can get to them.
It’s more like a petting zoo.”
Robin stresses cleanliness on all
her tours. “We want to promote
milk as a healthy product so we
like things to be really clean. After
frlends cheer her on.
is wears her milking bonnet to instruct vlsl
r illklr~
Robin
Ip
all you only get one chance to
make a first impression.”
Another thing farmers don’t
think about sometimes is flies. We
keep the manure cleaned up in our
barns and keep insecticide on our
walls so we don’t have much of a
problem with it but it is something
that city folks really notice. Most
of us farmers don’t even think
about it
The kids gave Robin a big thank
you, before loading into the vans
and driving away waving and
smiling.
Dairy Princess Ann Mitchell
summed up the feelings of the
helpers. "The kids were so enthu
siastic and alert. I felt I really got a
chance to know these guys which
you don’t get to do in the bigger
groups. After the first couple of
minutes I didn’t even notice their
disabilities. I sure hope other
farmers get involved in tours like
this one. It was great!"
Robin said, “I’m really glad
they had a chance to come to the
farm. Dave and I love to have visi
tors. As Dave says they will
always be welcome. We’re glad to
have the type of animals that peo
ple can get close to. We’ve been
running tours since the second
week of May and we’ve had 600
'kids so far this year. That doesn’t
count the tours that were cancelled
because of rain. And the number
goes up every year. It would be
great for more farmers to run tours
so more kids could visit farms.”
See your nearest
(SEW HOLLAND
Dealer for Dependable
Equipment and
PENNSYLVANIA
Dependable Service:
Annvllle, PA
BHM Farm
Equipment, Inc.
RDI, Rte. 934
717-867-2211
Beavertown, PA
B&R Farm
Equipment, Inc.
RD 1, Box 217 A
717-658-7024
Belleville, PA
Ivan J. Zook
Farm Equipment
Belleville, Pa.
717-935-2948
Canton, PA
Hess Farm Equipment
717-673-5143
Carlisle, PA
R&W Equipment Co.
35 East Willow Street
717-243-2686
Chambersburg, PA
Clugston
Implement, Inc.
R.D. 1
717-263-4103
Davldpburg, PA
George N. Gross, Inc.
R.D. 2, Dover, PA
717-292-1673
Elizabethtown, PA
Messick Farm
Equipment, Inc.
Rt. 283 - Rheem’s Exit
717-367-1319
Gattyaburg, PA
Yingljng Implements,
Inc.
3291 Taney town Rd.
717-359-4848
Graeneastle, PA
Meyers
Implements Inc,
400 N. Antrim Way
P.O. Box 97
717-597-2176
Halifax. PA
Sweigard Brat.
R.D. 3, Box 13
717-896-3414
Hamburg, PA
Sharteaville
Farm Service
R.D. 1, Box 1392
21S-48S-1025
Honey Brook, PA
Dependable Motor Co.
East Main Street
215-273-3131
215-273-3737
Honey Grove, PA
Norman D. Clark
& Son, Inc.
Honey Grove, PA
717-734-3682
Hughasvllle, PA
Farnsworth Farm
Supplies, Inc.
103 Cemetery Street
717-584-2106
r, 1 ] j, j fr v ] f[ n t 1 f( I ft 3 n I r, I f, t. 1
Lancaster, PA
Lancaster Ford
Tractor, Inc.
1655 Rohrerstown Rd.
717-569-7063
Loysvilie, PA
Paul Shovers, Inc.
Loysvilie, PA
717-789-3117
New Holland, PA
A.B.C. Groff, Inc.
110 South Railroad
717-354-4191
Oley, PA
C.J. Wonsidler Bros.
R.D. 2
215-987-6257
Pitman, PA
Schreiner Equipment
Pitman, PA
717-648-1120
Quakartown, PA
C.J. Wonsidler Bros.
R.D. 1
215-536-1935
Quarryvillo, PA
C.E. Wiley & Son, Inc.
101 South Lime Street
717-786-2895
Ringtown, PA
Ringtoyvn Farm
Equipment
Ringtown, PA
717-889-3184
Tamaqua, PA
Charles S. Snyder, Inc.
R.D. 3
717-386-5945
Waat Grove, PA
S.G. Lewis & Son, Inc.
R.D. 2, Box 66
215-869-2214
MARYLAND
Churehviila, MD
Walter G. Coale, Inc.
2849-53
Churchville Rd.
301-638-6470
Frederick, HD
Ceraaville
Ford New Holland, Inc.
Rt. 26 East
301-662-4197
Outside MD,
800-331-9122
Hagerstown, MD
An tie tarn Ford Tractor
301-791-1200
NEW JERSEY
Bridgeton, NJ.
Leslie G. Fogg, Inc.
Canton & Stow Creek
Landing Rd.
609-451-2727
609-935-5145
Washington, NJ
Frank Rymon & Sons
201-689-1464
Woodstown, NJ
Owen Supply Co.
Broad Street &
East Avenue
609-769-0308