 With
a Baby Goat Here, and a Baby Chick There . . .
Vallejo's Loma Vista Farm
By Kathy Krebs-Dean
Copyright 2005, all rights
reserved. aThis article first appeared in the January, 2005 print
edition of Parents' Press.
We are momentarily absorbed into a small swarm of curious
onlookers a multi-cultural pack of urban children and their
teachers on a field trip from one of Vallejo's nearby public
schools. A pungent, earthy scent of animal dung, mud, and wet
straw assaults our uninitiated noses.
"Pee-you, it stinks," says one of the children,
unabashedly expressing what's surely on everyone's mind. But
as we round the brick-red rabbit hutch, the olfactory shock fades
as we see a dozen or so newborn pygmy goats, no higher than the
smallest child's knees. Their puny legs seem to be made of springs;
when they are startled, they bounce, looking naïve and defenseless.
The first time I visited Loma Vista Farm was as a new mom,
many years ago. Without thinking, I reached into the corral and
picked up a baby goat. The shaggy, salt-and-pepper kid was as
soft and docile as a teddy bear, only this little guy was equipped
with tiny black hooves, still smooth and shiny in their newness.
A small crowd had gathered around to admire the little goat
in my arms, and their ooohs and aahhhs captured the attention
of a farm staff member. Within seconds, Farmer Cindy, a woman
with a no-nonsense look in her eye, was at my side, chastising
me, making me feel as guilty as a first grader who got caught
pulling the fire alarm.
Baby Animal Season
Now it's February again on the Loma Vista Farm in north Vallejo.
Mt. Tamalpais stands out prominently against a crisp blue sky.
Blades of green grass are sprouting, challenging the brown landscape.
I'm no longer on Farmer Cindy's "dung" list, having
redeemed myself by becoming a regular, rule-abiding visitor.
Today, I am here for my annual dose of baby farm animals. These
babies never fail to jumpstart me out of winter hibernation and
into the brighter, more vibrant and active days of springtime.
Although it's still winter technically, the birth of goat
kids marks the farm's unofficial start to spring. In the next
few weeks, fluffy baby chicks and ducklings will be peeping and
squeaking as they scurry to keep up with their broods. By May,
woolly newborn lambs, both white and black, will be bounding
in the nearby pasture, swiping sips of milk from their perpetually
grazing mamas (provided a suitable ram has been found).
All this sublime cuteness the visual impact of so many
furry and feathery farmyard babies may very well induce
ovulation among the unsuspecting, so be forewarned! It is worth
the risk, for it is an especially opportune time to visit the
farm with curious, active young children.
My entourage on this day includes my spirited toddler, my adventurous
5-year-old, and his equally adventurous friend. For us, the Loma
Vista Farm is a welcome retreat, providing an authentic farm
experience where children can roam to their heart's content.
The farm is showing signs of wear and tear structures need
painting, fences need mending, sidewalks are rippled and cracked
yet to us, it is a pastoral playground ready for exploration.
Feeding Frenzy
Besides admiring the farm's tiny babies, another big thrill
is feeding the animals with food brought from home. The general
rule is that four-legged creatures such as the horses, goats,
sheep, pigs, rabbits, cow, and donkeys can eat lettuce, carrots,
celery, and other vegetables, while the two-legged ducks, chickens,
turkeys, and Guinea hens can be fed breads, grains, and cereals.
When feeding the mammals, be sure to use an open hand.
Farmer Rita, a petite, woman with long, strawberry blond hair
and rubber boots, occasionally asks visitors to help scatter
feed for the chickens. She's often willing to let children pick
a few vegetables from the organic garden to feed the animals
as well.
If you wish to hold an animal, be sure to ask Farmer Rita
and spare yourself the embarrassment I experienced. In general,
an animal cannot be picked up until it is at least a month old,
to safeguard against the mother rejecting it.
 At the goat pen,
a feeding frenzy ensues. The nanny goats, having recently given
birth, are understandably ravenous . They stand on their hind
legs with heads craning past the wire fencing and lips inching
as close as possible to outstretched hands and unattended bags.
"Yuck, it slimed me," complains my son, who rubs
the slick of translucent saliva onto his pants, then dips back
into his plastic bag for another carrot. My toddler is simultaneously
terrified and fascinated by these insatiable slit-eyed beasts.
As the nanny goats scarf up the veggies, the baby goats are nearly
trampled underfoot, trying their best to keep up with all the
activity.
We head over to Milkyway, Oreo, Angel, Marshmallow, and the
other rabbits in the hutch. My toddler delights in cramming baby
carrots into the raised cages, which are set perfectly at her
height. This gives her a much tamer feeding experience than the
goats.
The boys find a yellow and brown chick peeping alone in the
corner, obviously upset by being separated from the other chicks.
An older school boy informs them its name is SpongeBob.
"Cool!," the boys say in unison, moving in for a
closer look, admiring the chick before it escapes through a crack
in the wall.
I'm pleased to see that my rough and tumble son and his friend
treat the baby chick so respectfully. Perhaps this has something
to do with a previous visit, when Farmer Rita ushered us to the
chicken coop to see newly hatched chicks. She let my children
hold one, a delicate pile of fluff barely a day old. She took
a chance that these young children would be gentle with the tiny
creature, and they reacted in kind, eyes beaming with amazement.
This is the kind of enriching experience that the farm offers.
Oftentimes these moments are planned; other times they happen
spontaneously.
Seeking fresh air, we emerge from the bunny hutch and head
for the animals grazing in the nearby pasture. As we stand on
the badly cracked sidewalk, trying to avoid the thorny thistle
weeds poking us, the boys start to become rambunctious. They
are soon quelled by the sight of a pack of large www.hiddenvilla.orgfarm animals galloping
toward us. Good thing we saved a few carrots, for clearly the
alpha male among the pack, a chestnut-brown quarter horse, is
hungry. The others some sheep, a Shetland pony, and a donkey
hang back, hoping for any morsels they can scrounge. As
we make a game of tossing food out to the beta animals, more
slobber and laughter abound.
The Farm's History & Future
The Loma Vista Farm is a five-acre farm owned by the Vallejo
City Unified School District. It is built on a patch of leased
federal land that was the site of Navy housing when the now defunct
Mare Island Shipyard was in full swing.
 The farm was borne
from the fertile imagination of kindergarten teacher Carolyn
Libby, who envisioned an outdoor learning environment where children
of all abilities, ethnicities, and social backgrounds could have
hands-on opportunities to connect with the earth, the things
we eat, and the things we grow. As a result of Libby's efforts,
the Loma Vista Farm emerged as one of the few school-based public
farms in the nation.
In its "hayday" 30 years ago, this outdoor classroom
employed a number of teachers, who provided countless school
children and other visitors with opportunities to learn about
horticulture, composting, animal husbandry, nutrition, cooking,
life sciences, and more.
The farm continues this educational tradition today on a much
smaller scale among visiting school groups.
Nowadays, staffing has dwindled down to Farmer Rita, a University
of Kansas alum; another part-time teaching aide, Edna Chapman;
and Bev and Cal Calvert, the farm's off-hours caretakers, who
have been living on the farm for 22 years. Together they maintain
the farm, organic garden, and greenhouse, with assistance from
local school children, teachers, and numerous community volunteers
known collectively as the "Friends of Loma Vista Farm."
The Friends sponsor fundraising events, organize volunteer
work days, and have taken on the task of formally incorporating
the farm as a private nonprofit. Their actions are critically
needed in light of the school district's recent multi-million
dollar budget shortfall, which has put the farm's future on shaky
ground. By forming the nonprofit, the Friends hope to expand
the farm's ability to attract community supporters as well as
potential funding partners to help sustain and expand its educational
programs.
Loma Vista's educational value extends beyond the farm and
the Vallejo school district to classrooms as far away as Vacaville,
Fairfield and Benicia. \
For example, kindergarten teacher Robin Dutrow, an Albany
resident who teaches at Benicia's Robert Semple Elementary School,
hatches chicken eggs obtained from the farm, using an incubator
in her classroom as part of the life sciences curriculum she
teaches. Her students tend to the eggs, faithfully turning them
over each day. After the chicks have hatched and have been thoroughly
adored by the children, they are returned to the farm, where
they continue to grow and thrive, awaiting a future visit from
the kindergartners.
Tucked away in an unlikely corner of the Bay Area, in a city
of over 120,000 people, this "jewel in the dung" awaits
your visit. The Loma Vista Farm is ideal for preschool and elementary
school groups, who can take part in a loosely organized tour
of the farm. It is equally inviting to families with small children
who wish to amble along at a leisurely pace, or spend a Saturday
morning doing some work on the farm. The more the merrier, for
public interest will help ensure that this unique Bay Area educational
resource continues to thrive.
When you go, wear old shoes, bring along snacks for you and
the animals, and be sure to drop a $3 donation in the milk can.
Kathy Krebs-Dean, M.A., is a San Francisco
Bay Area-based writer, applied anthropologist, and mother of
three children, Piper, Hunter, and Zoë. She specializes
in family-centered adventures.
|
If You Go
Directions:
Loma Vista Farm and Garden
is located at 150 Rainier Ave. in north Vallejo. From the San
Francisco and East Bay, take 80 East to Vallejo, exit on Highway
37, and take Fairgrounds Drive North. At Corcoran Avenue, turn
left. Go one block past the four-way stop, and turn left at Rainer,
between Loma Vista Play Yard and the MIT Academy. The entrance
is on the left.
Cost: A $3 donation per child is welcomed.
Tentative
baby animal birthing schedule for spring, 2005: Late February/early March, pygmy goat
kids. March/April: chicks, peachicks, and ducklings. May: As
of this writing, lambs are tentatively expected, depending on
whether the farm is able to locate a suitable ram for breeding.
Spring is also a good time to
purchase greenhouse plants grown by children. Cool-weather vegetables
such as broccoli, cabbage, and chard are sold in April. Warm-weather
crops such as tomatoes, peppers, and flowering bedding plants
are available in May. Prices start at 50 cents.
Visiting hours coincide with the Vallejo City Unified
School District's schedule. The farm is open from 9 a.m. to 2:30
p.m., Monday through Friday, and is closed on weekends, major
holidays, and spring break.
The farm holds volunteer work
days the third Saturday of each month. It is especially in need
of assistance from skilled carpenters and electricians. The farm
will be open limited hours during the summer; call ahead for
more information.
To arrange school field trips
or to inquire about special events, contact Farmer Rita at (707)
556-8765.
The Friends
of Loma Vista: To learn
more about becoming involved with the farm, contact Farmer Rita
at rkleroy@yahoo.com,
and attend the farm's 2nd Annual Spaghetti Feed on Feb. 27 at
the Dan Foley Cultural Center in Vallejo.
The farm also gladly accepts
donations of cash, animal feed, paper towels, copy paper, flower
pots, and potting soil.
For more information, log onto www.lomavistafarmandgarden.com
or call (707) 556-8765.
More Bay Area
Farms & Agricultural Education Programs
 Ardenwood Farm,
34600 Ardenwood Blvd. Fremont, California. This is a turn-of-the
century farm a working museum where people participate
in farm chores. Open Tuesday- Sunday. For more information, call
(510) 796-0199, visit www.ebparks.org,
or e-mail ardenwood@ebparks.org.
Connolly Ranch,
3141 Browns Valley Road, Napa. A 12-acre urban farm adjoining
Westwood Hills Park. This working ranch offers tours, as well
as numerous farm education classes and activities for children
(ages 0-6) and school-aged children (ages 6-12). For information,
call (707) 224-1894, or see the
Napa Land Trust website
Deer Hollow
Farm, Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve, Los Altos Hills.
A working farmstead and education center managed by the Mountain
View Recreation Division. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 8 a.m..
to 4 p.m.; early closing at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays. For information,
call (650) 903-6430 or visit the
deer_hollow_farm website
Emma Prusch
Farm Park, San Jose. The park captures the site's past as a dairy
farm that continued into the 1960s. This farm within a city has
farm animals, vintage farm equipment, community gardens, and
a rare fruit orchard. For information, call (408) 926-5555 or
visit the
emma prusch website
Hidden Villa,
26870 Moody Rd., Los Altos Hills. 1,600 acres of farm and open
space preserve, with many programs for school groups, children,
and families. For information about guided weekend tours and
"Saturdays on the Farm" for ages 6-10, call (650) 949-9704
or visit www.hiddenvilla.org.
Little Farm,
Tilden Park, Berkeley. A small, but well-maintained farm complete
with farm animals large and small. For more information, call
(510) 562-PARK or visit www.ebparks.org.
Slide Ranch,
2025 Shoreline Highway, Muir Beach. A 20-acre agriculture outdoor
education program situated near the ocean. Numerous scheduled
educational programs are offered. For more information, call
(415) 381-6155 or log onto www.slideranch.org.
|
