Fall Visitors to the Farm

We have had a lot of visitors to the farm this fall! It was a good opportunity to make some new friends and spread the awareness of Safe Haven Farms throughout the local community.

Twenty-two (K-5th grade) elementary students with developmental disabilities from three classrooms at nearby Madison Elementary School visited the farm for a field trip on September 13th, along with ten teachers, aides and volunteers. They had lunch in the picnic shelter, took a hay ride to the back pasture to pick pumpkins and stopped by the garden to pick some fresh vegetables to take home. Then they went to the barn where they interacted with our horses and alpacas and make an “alpaca people” craft in the viewing room. Everyone seemed to have a good time. We are hopeful that this experience will encourage some of them to join our equestrian program in the future.

Four parent advocates representing DD programs from several local high school districts came out for a tour and to learn more about our programs on October 18th. Lakota, Middletown, Princeton and Oak Hills school districts were all represented.

They viewed the houses, gardens and greenhouses, barns and Hatton Center and got a good understanding of the activities at Safe Haven Farms to take back and share with their parent groups in their districts. This could be a good pipeline for future day participants and equestrian riders.

On October 28th, five students with disabilities and five teachers and aides from Madison High School visited the farm for a few hours to enjoy the fall weather and experience farm activities. They had lunch in the Hatton Center, took a hay ride, collected pumpkins and vegetables and interacted with the animals.

It’s very satisfying to see visitors discover us for the first time. They are generally amazed at our farm and the opportunities it presents for individuals with disabilities in the area.