Article & Photos By Barbara Arnstein
Open Farms offers open arms. The Springville farm is home to many different rescued farm animals, including goats, donkeys, pigs and chickens. It is also a home away from home where kids and adults enjoy visiting and sharing in farm activities such as caring for the garden. It’s primarily a Care Farm, a type of farm that welcomes help from people who derive therapeutic value from handling farm tasks. Its group farming program allows schools, community organizations and various groups to participate in helping with the animals, growing food and completing nature-based projects, while skill-building and vocational programs with guided support provide essential work skills. For three hours on Sunday mornings and Thursday evenings, people can visit and enjoy activities including feeding the chickens, and petting the furry four-legged residents.
One of the farm’s goats starred in a thirty-second commercial for the William Mattar law offices. In it, a lawyer is shown bringing a goat to the farm (identified in the commercial as “Mandy’s Goat Farm”), explaining that when he “gets the goat” of insurance companies, he brings it there. Another interesting goat fact: Before she originated Open Farms, Executive Director Jennifer Zeitler began a business, which is still continuing, called “Let’s Goat Buffalo”. The business rents and brings goats to customers (including the county and businesses, as well as private homes), who want to naturally rid their land of invasive plants, including poison ivy. One of the places the goats cleared was the Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve in Depew, NY.
Speaking about visitors’ involvement with tasks at the farm, Jennifer Zeitler said, “People get nervous when they hear the term ‘Care Farm’. They wonder, ‘Do I have to bale hay, or wrangle a goat?’ The answer is ‘If you’d like to.’ Depending on what a person’s needs are, what their abilities are, and what their interests are, they can be self-led in how they want to proceed.”
“People come here who are receiving treatment for mental health conditions, but we let folks leave that stuff at the gate”, she continued. “When you’re here, you’re just a farmer, and we’re farming together.”
Open Farms is a non-profit organization and, besides money, all kinds of donations are gratefully accepted. If you’ve even got some stale bread, or wood shavings, or old, clean towels you can give, the farm can put them to good use. Things that may now just be cluttering up your garage or grounds, such as five-gallon buckets, garden gloves, sturdy shovels and loads of stone will also be greatly appreciated at the farm. Donating just ten dollars provides animals with hay for a day. while twenty-five dollars buys feed for a week. Eggs are available at the farm for a donation.
Open Farm’s basic philosophy was beautifully expressed in the words on a sign that was displayed at the farm. Part of it read: “As you connect with our animal residents, we hope you will connect with the parts of you that need healing. Know that just as they found safety and peace here, so can you.”
Open Farms is located at 7512 Genesee Road in Springville, NY. For more information, go to openfarmswny.org or call
(716) 803-7484.