Farm Aid

Written by Smith Jones    Tuesday, 19 February 2008

I was driving from Chicago to Washington when I passed a sign for Lambs Farm and decided to stop in. the farm---which includes a pet shop, restaurant, petting zoo, and miniature golf course draws 300,000 visitors a year and is staffed by mentally retarded adults. What a remarkable place this is! While Linda Balsom, who works in the Country kitchen, held my baby son, I collected jars of homemade salsa, preserves, and barbecue sauce. Under the watchful eye of Steven Shelley, who has been at the Lambs for 17 years, my son made his first acquaintance with farm animals in the petting zoo. “I thing the best thing we have done is improve the reputation of the retarded,” says Corinne Owen, who, along with Bob Terese, cofounded the Lambs in 1961 with $600 and the assistance of insurance magnate W. Clement Stone, who helped purchase the current 63-acre site. By opening their farm to the public, Owen and Terese have fostered a spirit of independence and dignity in a group of people who are too often forgotten by many of us. ---Magda  Krance,IL   Corinne Owen and Bob Terese are the winners of this month’s Bernie Award. Lambs Farm is located at the intersection of Interstate 94 and Route 176, about 35 miles north of Chicago. Admission is free, with a small charge for the petting zoo and miniature golf courses. Open all year except major holidays. For more information, call 800-525-2627.

Last Updated ( Saturday, 23 February 2008 )