ORIGINALLY WRITTEN
The farm home of Carol Duerksen and Maynard Knepp, northeast of Goessel, will once again be the place for the annual “Day on a Farm,” an educational event and fund-raiser sponsored by Mennonite Agri-Urban Inc. and planned for Saturday, Aug. 16.
Activities, which run continuously from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m., will include pig catching by children, goat tending, horseback riding, tractor wagon rides and a branding iron demonstration.
Other scheduled events include goat milking, pig catching by ministers at 11 a.m. and a children’s story at 12:45 p.m. A meal will be served at 11:30 a.m.
The purpose of “Day on the Farm” is to build connections between rural and urban families, and in particular to give children a chance to experience some aspects of farm life and perhaps connect with their grandparents.
While the day is free, it is designed to also raise funds for Mennonite Agri-Urban Inc., which sponsors the event.
That this is the eighth annual Day on the Farm speaks for its popularity. Between 400 and 500 people usually come. Children get to touch farm animals-including pigs, goats, calves, sheep and horses-and see more exotic animals such as llamas, emu and a buffalo calf.
They can also watch rope making and climb through a bale maze.
The Agri-Urban program began in 1972. The idea was for farmers and cattle feeders to donate labor, facilities and feed or pasture to fatten cattle, and for urbanites to give money to buy the animals and possibly some or all of the feed.
Profits from sale of the cattle go to Western District Conference, Mennonite Church USA and Bethel College and are also reinvested in Agri-Urban.
Agri-Urban is implemented by a steering committee from Mennonite Men, a mission and service organization for men in the Mennonite Church.
“Day on the Farm” began in 1996 as a way to involve more people from urban areas. Duerksen and Knepp, who also write Amish novels-their eighth will be available on Aug. 16-provide the farm for city folk to visit.
Duerksen said, “It’s fun to share our animals with so many people.”
The Agri-Urban volunteers, she added, “are great at cleaning everything up afterward.”
