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CLOUDY Temp: 45 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Wednesday, February 19, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend January 25, 2003 E. coli concerns cancel kids’ farm day School budget cuts, potential lawsuits stopped field trip By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune CENTRAL POINT — After a quarter-century of bringing farm life to Rogue Valley children and their parents, Seven Oaks Farm and Crater High School Future Farmers of America have decided to cancel the annual "Touch and See" farm day because of concerns over E. coli. The potential of a lawsuit should an outbreak occur, plus school budget cuts in transportation services, canceled the event that attracts some 7,000 visitors annually, said Crater FFA adviser John Dimick. Concerns over E. coli began last year with the state’s largest outbreak at the Lane County Fair, Dimick said. "This was a really tough, emotional decision," said Dimick. "Given the predatory nature of lawyers and people looking for chances to sue somebody, we are just very concerned about the E. coli situation. All it takes is one guy who wants to hammer a guy with a lawsuit. "Then the whole deal with everybody’s field trip budgets being slashed and done away with. It didn’t stand a chance." Dimick said it was hard to believe that, for the first time since Don and Doreen Bradshaw began the event in 1977, thousands of children, parents and teachers would not head out to the farm in March to see baby chicks, donkeys and pigs, or sit on a tractor, or take their first pony ride. Dimick said students were disappointed the event was canceled — not only because it was fun and taught them leadership skills, but because it inspired many as children to get into FFA. Crater senior and FFA secretary Sheri Costelow said it saddened her to think that this year, rather than making scrapbook pages of children on pony rides and fellow students sharing baby animals with happy kindergartners, she would be sending letters of cancellation to parents and teachers. "I remember when I was in kindergarten and went to this thing," she said. "It made me want to be in FFA. When I started in ag, when I was a freshman, I helped organize the event, and when I worked out there and my little sister came out to it, I was so proud of myself. "Now we have to worry about this E. coli mess and lawsuits ... so many kids are going to miss out on the opportunity that I got to have. It was one of the best things we did." Dimick said the event provided an opportunity to experience farm life for children who might not otherwise get the chance. "We’re trying to develop a contingency plan for maybe doing something different, but it’s tough," Dimick said. "If we had it but then had to say, ‘You guys can look but not touch,’ that would just really defeat the purpose of the whole thing." Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S