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BY CLAUDIA
VILLMARIE
 It didn’t matter. They donned windbreakers,
raincoats, rubber boots,
packed a cold lunch, chose something
to wet their whistle and scurried excitedly
out the door. This appeared to be a day just
like the last, but these primary school kids
from Pope Memorial in Bury knew it
would be a special day, one to remember.
Under threatening skies, grasses and
fields wet from a night’s rain, these 40 students
would transfer to another bus to travel
the wooded hills and green valleys
leading to Island Brook’s Burns dairy farm.
They’d spend this school day learning
about milk, the cows that produce it, what
they eat, milking procedures, caring for
these important food-producers and even
catch a glimpse of the ‘old days’ when milk
was skimmed through a separators, cream
was churned into butter and skim milk fed
to calves and piglets.
This unusual outing was just one of
many such learning excursions, the inspiration
of some primary level teachers here
who were determined to give Pope Memorial
students hands-on experience with food
production, at the same time, involving
eager seniors ready to reveal their secrets to
a lifestyle never experienced by most of
today’s children.
This outing was one of the Farms Alive!
project which pairs adult learners and children
with seniors who can teach them,
through hands-on experience such as this
farm visit, about traditional agriculture and
rural life skills. Funded by Human Resources
and Social Development Canada’s
New Horizons for Seniors Program, the
project is also a partnership with Pope Memorial
Elementary School, St. Paul’s Rest
Home, Townshippers’ Foundation, Eaton
Valley Community Learning Center, Community
Table and New Horizons Adult Education
Center.
So, when students were interested in
learning about farming, sewing and related
skills, it was soon apparent there were seniors,
either retired or still active, who would
happily show the young folk what producing
milk or beef or maple syrup was all
about.
On this day, the Burns family farm
would be the venue for these young people.
Divided into three groups, 40 youngsters
between five and 12 would learn what these
famous Ayrshire dairy animals eat, how
they are cared for, get acquainted with the
capricious calves and even get the chance
to squeeze a stream of milk from a patient
cow.
The youngsters held a mix of grains in
their hands, smelled the sweetness of a
dairy ration and watched as now retired
Fred Burns explained the inner workings of
a cream separator. They peered into the
stalls, as they walked tentatively down the
centre aisle where the view is of the business
end, obviously preferring the outside
walkways where curious animals tolerated
a few pats on the head and the occasional
hug.
Neil and Marlene, fifth generation farmers
on this family farmstead were well organized
links between these boisterous
visitors and Neil’s parents, now retired and
living in town. The project designed to preserve
valuable knowledge through actual
hands-on experience is helping to put ageing
back in a positive light. Seniors have
taken this project to heart, volunteering
their time and expertise to work with the
students on various projects, sometimes
during a lunch hour and other events incorporated
into the classroom curriculum. Already
they’ve had knitting and embroidery
lessons, a visit to a maple sugar bush and
learning about baking the old-fashioned
way. Plans include ice-cream making,
games of days gone by and hopefully planting
a garden.
Heading up the Farms Alive! Project is
Lise Côté-Doughtery, the project facilitator.“This dairy farm visit stirred up lots of
interest. We have 40 children beginning
with a couple from pre-kindergarten up to
12- year-olds about to leave for secondary
school. Today, there are 12 adults and several
teachers in the group. Actually we had
to round up some personal vehicles as the
bus was full,” Dougherty said, obviously
pleased with the interest in the project.“The reception and cooperation here from
three generations of the Burns family has
been outstanding and this dairy farm visit
will go on record as a resounding success.”
Scurrying from one group to another,
this animated group of youngsters did have
one serious task - answering a questionnaire
about their visit and what they earned
We didn’t get a glimpse of their answers,
but expressions such as ‘that’s really cool’
and ‘let’s hug a calf’ or ‘did you get any
milk when you squeezed’ and ‘wow,
they’re really big and they don’t smell very
nice’.
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