May 30, 2014 at 4:16 p.m.
The farm comes to Pelican Elementary School
The farm comes to Pelican Elementary School
Goats, sheep, lambs, chickens, chicks and bunnies greeted the excited students who later fed the animals milk out of bottles.
"Grampa" Jim Severt, owner of Grampa's Farm, said he likes to visit schools during the spring so he can show the youngsters his newest animals.
"We usually get to see the kids twice a year. They usually come out to the farm during the fall to do all of the activities there, but then in spring we come to visit them," he said. "We like to come in the springtime because by that time, the babies have been born so we can bring them along to play with the kids. The kids love feeding them and holding them and petting them, so it really works out nicely."
When the students travel to the farm they participate in activities such as milking cows, pony rides, hay rides, traversing through corn mazes, making ice cream and apple cider, and touring the farm to learn about what life is like in the fields and barn. In the spring, when the farm comes to them, it's all about playing with the animals.
"The fall seems like the perfect time to get the kids out on the farm for the different activities and games we have set up for them. They get to see what it's like on a farm," Severt said.
"Then, like I said, come springtime, all the animals have their babies, so we bring them to the kids so they can pet them and play with them and feed them. They love it, and the animals seem to really enjoy it to. They love the attention."
It's not all fun and games, however. The kids learn a lot during the visits.
"We try to teach them as much as we can. It's really easy when they're at the farm because we can show them how we do things and how the animals live and that," Severt said.
"When we come in the spring, we always have one lesson ready to teach them. Last year they learned about sheep and lambs and wool. This year they'll learn about chickens and eggs. I think they're going to be amazed at just how many eggs one chicken can produce."
Once the learning is over, it's time to get close to the newborn babies. The kids were able to hold the animals, pet them and even feed some of them using bottles of milk.
The bunnies and chicks were the most popular, but the baby goats and lambs also got their fair share of attention, especially once feeding time began. The only question that presented itself was who was having more fun - the animals or the kids. Judging from the excited squeals coming from both, everybody was having the time of their lives.
Marcus Nesemann may be reached at [email protected].
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