Children on the Farm

 We had a beautiful day today at Gale Woods Farm.  Children could pet and feed sheep and their lambs, milk a cow, visit egg-laying chickens, tour green houses and fields, make a snack, and do a craft, among other activities.  I  have always wanted outside animals at our school.  Maybe someday!  In the meantime, children and animals--it doesn't get much better!  The University of California has a specific program to facilitate this relationship.  They say:

 "Children’s relationships with animals are crucial to their emotional and social development and serve as the foundation for environmental stewardship. Interactions with pets and wildlife help children understand the diversity of animal life, deepen their connection to other species and develop positive attitudes toward animals. 

Although pets are common in United States households, our increasingly metropolitan society has limited direct interaction with agricultural animals and wildlife. Exposure to live animals through schools and community-based programs is even more limited in urban areas due to logistical and budgetary restrictions."  

You can find out more about this program by contacting:

Martin H. Smith
Assistant CE Specialist
Veterinary Medicine Extension
1373 Surge III
One Shields Avenue
University of California
Davis, CA 95616