Lake Metropark's Farmpark | Ohio| MobileRVing
Lake Metropark's Farmpark | Ohio| MobileRVing
Lake Metropark's Farmpark | Ohio| MobileRVing
![The Farmpark In The Winter From Canine Meadow [Photo Credit: Geraldo Teissoniere]](https://media.mobilerving.com/mrvthebuzz/contentbuilder/uploads/farmpark-winter-view-1920x1080-photo-by-geraldo-teissoniere-m0bf53.jpg "The Farmpark In The Winter From Canine Meadow [Photo Credit: Geraldo Teissoniere]")
When many children are asked where milk comes from their answer is: “From the store.” Ohio's Lake Metropark's Farmpark is where children go to get the real answer...and even milk the cows themselves. It's the Farmpark's mission to teach people where food, produce and other products come from and help people understand the culture of farming. But this isn't any ordinary walk through a farm: Lake Metropark's Farmpark is one of the most hands-on experiences out there, with countless opportunities to not only see the animals at work, but work with the animals.
Children can see how commercial milk is processed, but they can also milk a cow by hand. They can visit a greenhouse and see how vegetables are grown and sold, but they can also participate in seasonal planting and harvesting activities. They can try their hand at grinding corn and wheat, learning how to make bread and seeing how farmers gather and use grains from the field. They can see lambs being born and touch young lambs that are running around on the farm. They can watch horse shows and see border collies at work, herding sheep.
It's these immersive, hands-on, up-close experiences that make Lake Metropark's Farmpark an edutainment experience unlike any other. With just under 200,000 visitors a year, the busy farm is hoping to make an impact on their guests.
Siblings get a chance to bottle feed a Calf inside the cultural center. [Photo/Lake Metropark]
“I would love to say that I'm surprised when children don't know where milk actually comes from... But I'm really not,” said Farmpark Administrator Lee J. Homyock. “Throughout the nation people have really had this disconnection with farming and the outdoors. That's really the whole purpose of anything we do here. It's about bringing them outside, teaching them about things they aren't exposed to on a daily basis.”
The dairy demonstration is the farm's most attended program, “the start of the show.” Homyock believes it's an experience many people have never had and that they're seeing something they may never have the opportunity to see. While horse shows and sheep running in a pasture may be on the television, Homyock believes that milking a cow is a quite rarer sight.
When children have the chance to get up and hand milk a cow they can be heard saying, 'Cool!' Adults have had similar reactions. Hearing people so fascinated and intrigued by the process of milking a cow and producing commercial dairy products is “such a neat thing,” said Homyock.
“My personal favorite is our border collie demonstration,” he continued. “The audience gets to tell the trainer where to put the sheep, which can either be up on the hill or in the barn... She will tell the dog to do it and, of course, the dog does it! The partnership between the working dog and its trainer... People are always surprised by what the dog can do.”
Visitors also love getting to see and pet various farm animals, including horses, sheep, goats, chickens, pigs, rabbits and cows. In the warmer weather the Farmpark also has alpacas. And Homyock can't pick a favorite. He said: “They're all my favorite!”
Lake Metropark's Farmpark celebrated their 25th anniversary a few years ago. The farm has been continuously changing exhibits and programs throughout the past few years, not only hoping to showcase how things were done in the past, but show guests what farming is in the modern age as well. Every day there is a workshop or program and new special events are being added on their calendar all the time. It's the constant changes and updates that have made Homyock's job exciting.
He's been working at the Farmpark for the past two years. Before, Homyock was all the way in New Jersey working as an assistant superintendent for a park system for over 20 years. When he met his wife they decided to move to Ohio.
“I love it out here,” he gushed. “We have Lake Erie just north of us. We have the rolling hills. And the people are great. At the park, every day is different. I can never go home without having some fun. There's paperwork and tasks to do, but I can still take a walk and go play with some goats.”
By : Olivia Richman November 21, 2018
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