Document text
89 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, August 2, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 1, 2004 Melody Boyer and her 16-month-old son, Shane, feed Dakota while a bevy of goats try to nuzzle in on the opportunity. Boxer and several others plan to open a petting zoo on an old farm south of Medford. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli The Farm will invite petters The home base of a traveling petting zoo will open to the public and add education to its programs By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune Krikee the Wallaby has fur soft like a rabbit’s and looks like a miniature kangaroo. "They kind of have a personality of a cat a little bit," says Melody Boyer, one of eight people who plans to open the home base of a traveling petting zoo to the public this fall. With recent approval by Jackson County planners, "The Farm" hopes to open this fall, so kids of all ages can visit several wallabies along with 150 other animals. "We really want to establish an educational farm facility," said April Bassett, another organizer. The Farm, at 51 S. Stage Road near Highway 99, will be headquarters for a traveling petting zoo called The Great American Petting Zoo, which visits about 50 fairs and events annually along the West Coast. Organizers decided to establish more of a home base and create an educational experience to cultivate the connection between kids and animals. Advertisement Whether milking a goat, going on pony rides or cleaning the stalls of the pot-bellied pigs, kids of all ages will be able to get involved in animal care at The Farm. In addition to Bassett and Boyer, others involved in the organization include Denver Boyer, Sherry Gavlik, Pamela Jager, Manuel Lawrence Jr., Maura Rosie and Mike Wiltsie. The group, which formed Kids & Critters Inc., bought the five-acre parcel on South Stage Road complete with farmhouse, barns and stalls for $374,700 in March 2003. They raise ponies, pot-bellied pigs, five breeds of goats, four breeds of sheep, chickens, miniature call ducks, wallabies, llamas and mini donkeys, including Felipe the stud. Jackson County Planner Dawn Jagger said the owners received final approval in January. She said zoning for the petting zoo has since been approved pending a couple of conditions, such as permanent restrooms and anchored wheel stops in the parking lot. The Farm will be built in stages, and Bassett hopes to eventually have summer farm camps and hands-on experiences that will teach children, teens and families skills ranging from animal grooming and organic farming to basic veterinary skills. They also hope to have a school-based gardening program by the fall of 2005. The group is also looking for individuals and businesses to get involved with donations, volunteering and fund raising. "We’re trying to raise the funds to put in a parking lot," said Bassett. Eventually they’d like to offer animal outreach programs to schools, she said. Boyer, 31, said most of her childhood was not spent around animals, and it wasn’t until she was 17 and moved from Southern California to Grants Pass that she was really exposed to animals. She appreciates the responsibility kids can learn from animal care, and is repeatedly impressed at how at-risk teens can build self-esteem by working with animals. She hopes to create some programs for at-risk kids. She admits the whole project sounds ambitious. "If you dream big you can be big," she said. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times