More than 400 attend Day on the Farm event years ago
By DELBERT PETERS
Contributing writer
The gorgeous weather on Saturday allowed more than 450 people to enjoy the Day on the Farm at Maynard Knepp and Carol Duerksen's yard, southwest of Hillsboro. The menagerie of animals provided the entertainment for the day.
Thirty-pound pigs squealed in protest as youngsters were allowed to catch and pose with the porkers for their parents. The traditional horseback ride still attracted the most repeat customers and youngsters got to sit in the saddle of a big horse. Newborn ducklings, piglets and calves were in abundance as families once again could sense the attraction of the farm through the smells, the sounds and the sights of an active farm.
Children turned the crank of the hand made rope-making machine. Spectators watched as a branding iron put its mark on a piece of wood to become a souvenir of the day. A pastor's pig catching contest took on a new twist when the Western District Conference minister, Dorothy Nickel Friesen, agreed to kiss any pig that the local ministers could catch. A bale ma
Agri-Urban is a creative way for local farmers to directly assist financially with two church conferences and a church school. Currently, farmers accept delivery of several calves and agree to feed them and haul them to market. Most of the time, the farmers are willing to donate the pasture or feed costs, which minimizes the financial risk to Agri-Urban.
Urban folks also assist by purchasing feed certificates to help cover the cost of the feed that does need to be purchased. When the cattle are sold, the income that exceeds the expenses is distributed to Bethel College, Western District Mennonite Conference and Mennonite Church USA. In 2003, Agri Urban had one of its best year's in its thirty year history and was able to distribute over $80,000 to its three beneficiaries.
Duerksen and Knepp use their farm in the winter for a popular "Night in the Barn" event which is a live nativity scene. Community members can visit the farm around Christmas as this memorable activity is a fund raising event for a local church youth group in the Goessel area.
