Mothers On The Farm Reflect On
Greatest Challenge
Sharon B. Schu
Maryland Correspondent
Whether they raise cows or
sheep, whether they are on a farm
of 10 acres or 1000 acres, mothers
on the farm face the same chal
lenge as mothers everywhere
finding enough time to spend with
their children.
Farm mothers from New York
to Virginia and points in between,
were asked “what is the greatest
challenge to you as a mother on
the farm in the 1990 s?”
Sarah Hafenstelner and her son, Marc, raise sheep on
their family’s Flemish Bond Farm in Selkirk, N.Y.
Carmen Griffin and her daughters Bobbl, 9, and Jaeme,
11, take a break at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.
They raise sheep, llamas, and dogs at their New Jersey
Farm In Pine Ridge.
n
m
Donna Myers sits on the porch swing of their historic
family home on Windsor Manor Farm with daughters, Kris
tin and Kelly. “Darlene (the dog) thinks she Is my third
daughter,” said Donna.
Their children were also asked
to describe their mother in just
three words. Here is what mom
and kids had to say.
Donna Myers
New Windsor, Maryland
Donna Myers lives on the
150-acre Windsor Manor Farm in
New Windsor, Maryland, where
she and her husband, Jason, and
their two daughters milk 60 cows.
They raise hay and small grains to
feed their herd of 123 cows, and
have lived in their historic stone
\ v v ■***
The Rineharts of Taneytown, Md., from left: Jeena, 8; Sharon, mother; Jodee, 2;
Maryland Farm Queen Jenell, 18; and Jenae, 3.
Kathy Patrick’s daughters are the fourth generation on the Maryland Maple Dell
Farm. From left: Becky with J.R.; Missy, 8; Kathy, and Nicole, 10.
farmhouse for the past seven
years.
“I don’t think we are any diffe
rent than any other mothers in the
fact that because of economics, all
mothers are busy. We all have to
make sure our children come first,
when our lives are so busy. Being
on the farm, I can make my sche
dule adapt that’s a real
benefit.”
Donna’s daughters, Kelly, 13,
and Kristin, 10, said their mother
is “considerate, kind and work
ing.”
Carmen Griffin
Whitehouse Station
New Jersey
Carmen and Charles Griffin and
their daughters, Jaeme Lee, 11,
and Bobbi Ellen, 9, run 60 head of
sheep on two farms. They raise
Tunis and Romney sheep, llamas
and Maremma guard dogs on their
Pine Ridge Farm.
Carmen said her greatest chal
lenge is “spreading my time
giving equal time to children, ani
mals and the house (usually last in
the priorities). The kids do a lot,
and they are starling to know more
than I do as to what to select for
show stock.”
Jaeme and Bobbi characterized
their mother with these three
words “determined, busy.
energetic."
Pat Lehmkuhl
Real Retreat, Virginia
At Thistletown Farm in Virgini
a, Pat Lehmkuhl works at her on -
farm gallery where she turns out
beautiful original oil paintings
with a pastoral theme. With 35
sheep and three children. Holly,
Jason and Nathan, she has a full
schedule.
Pat said that “having enough
time to be artistic and work with
the sheep” is a challenge to her.
She is pleased that daughter. Hol
ly, 13, has “shown an interest in
wool and spinning, and I need
more time to develop these
interests.”
Holly said her mom is “nice,
caring, and friendly.”
Kathy Patrick
Woodbine, Maryland
Kathy Patrick is part of the
Maple Dell Farm operation which
involves 1000 acres. She and her
husband, Mike, and their three
daughters, Becky, 12, Nicole, 10,
wmestead
c H/oics
and Missy, 8, milk 200 cows. The
girls are the fourth generation of
Patricks to continue the dairying
tradition at Maryland Maple Dell.
Kathy said that she feels chal
lenged to “teach these guys
responsibility, what the farm is
about, and where it came from. 1
want them to understand and
appreciate the hard work of gener
ations before them, and to have
the same love of the land that their
father, grandfather and great
grandfather had.”
The girls said they appreciate
the fact that their mom “lets us do
things like mow the lawn,” and
also characterized her as “capable
and strong.”
Sarah Hafensteiner
Selkirk, New York
The Hafensteiners raise natural
colored sheep on their 92-acre
Flemish Bond Farm, 12 miles
south of Albany, New York. Sarah
and her husband, Marc, have four
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