Bio-Lancaster Farming,
Children Learn About Farming At PAWS Dairy Barn
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
MOUNT LAUREL, NJ.
Many children who do not grow up
on a farm do not know where then
food comes from. They think it
comes from the store. It’s true that
all kinds of food can be purchased
at the store, but before it gets to the
store, it comes from the farm.
Many children do not understand
this.
To help children understand that
milk comes from cows and so does
ice cream, yogurt, and cheese, a
different kind of a farm, called
PAWS Farm, is a place for child
ren to visit. The farm is located in
Mount Laurel, N.J.
Many years ago, it was a regular
working farm with cows in the
bam. Then it became PAWS Farm
Nature Center. PAWS stands for
the Preservation and Wildlife Soc
iety. Recently PAWS renovated
the bam to tell the story of a real
farm.
Sheep shearing demonstrations take off the wooly coats
of the sheep.
Mlcah Horton fills up his cart with dairy products In the
pretend “Moo M -Trltion Market.
Saturday, June 26, 1993
In the bam, a mannequin farmer
milks a large fiberglass Holstein
cow. Children who visit the bam
are given a puzzle. In different
parts of the bam, they receive a
puzzle piece that fits in the puzzle.
For example, at ond**station, the
children receive a small milk bottle
that fits in the puzzle. This helps
them understand the different food
groups.
This continues in areas that
teach them about chickens, eggs,
fruits, grains, and many more
products.
One of the most fun parts for
children is that they can go grocery
shopping in the “Moo”-tricious
Store. The children fill their groc
ery carts with food canons from
the different food groups. They
even have “PAWS money to pay
for the food.
They can drive a delivery truck,
take com off the stalk, and watch
vegetables grow.
You can learn what Howdy
Doody likes to eat and other char
acters like the Lone Ranger.
There are real farm animals such
as chicks, sheep, rabbits, horses,
cats, and dogs.
Jan Stanton, executive director
for Dairy Council, helped set up
the learning bam. She said that
children who visit the bam are
more likely to eat their food when
they know where it’s coming from.
Some other things children like
to do at the farm include seeing
wildlife such as deer, mallard
ducklings, an owl, and other birds
and animals from the forest.
PAWS is open Wednesday
through Sunday year-round, 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $1.25.
Special events are often planned.
To learn more about PAWS,
located at 1105 Hainesport-
Mt. Laurel Rd., call (609)
778-8795.
Milk promotion knows no age or county boundries. These relatives from Chester
and from Lancaster counties gathered at the Lancaster pageant where Patty
Longenecker, front, receives recognition for her first-place win In the Coloring Con
test. Her aunt Charlene Rohrer Ranck from Chester County was the Pennsylvania
Dairy Princess In 1981. Her grandmother Vera Rohrer is chairman of Chester County
Dairy Promotion, and her grandfather Elvin Is a farmer.
A visitor at PAWS Farm nuzzles Dory, the Dorset sheep
Tugger, a Golden Retriever, greets a visitor at PAWS.