OLD McDONALD'S FARM, INC.
What: Old McDonald’s Farm, Inc. (OMF) is a nonprofit, charitable organization providing an educational experience in a therapeutic farm setting for children in the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area.
Our Mission: In facilitating healthy social and emotional development, OMF is committed to providing at-risk protective factors to children through structured, educational experiences using animals, agriculture, gardens and natural resources.
Our Primary Goal: To teach children responsibility and respect for themselves, other people, animals and the environment. We obtain our teaching goal with children through educational experiences presented in a positive, hands-on farm setting. Lessons in world geography, mathematics, healthcare and nurturing, safety and self restraint, writing mechanics, better communication skills, life-cycles and interconnectedness of all living things, history, recycling/composting and better land management are also taught.
- Our Programs: We serve primarily children K-12 in greater Portland. We target "at risk" youth but extend our services to benefit all school-age children.
- The Day Visit Program offers worthwhile, educational activities for children. They learn safety and self control; how to be kind and respectful of one another and animals; feeding, housing and health care needs of the animals; the commercial uses of animals; identification of wild plants and animal species; world geography; identification and appropriate use of tools; to compost and recycle; and the purposes and proper care of a garden. We offer four different program packages ranging from one hour to 3 hours.
- Special Programs allow children the chance to plan, develop and execute individual or group projects with the support of OMF staff. As an example, at the request of Multnomah Educational Service District, high school students of the Functional Living Skills class from Reynolds, Gresham-Barlow, Parkrose, Centennial and Corbett School Districts come twice per week to participate in structured, educational activities while they learn good, life skills. In addition, we are working weekly with a child and a mentor through Services to Families and Children. The possibilities for Special Programs abound.
- Our Summer Programs allows OMF staff the opportunity to work with children during a concentrated time. The highlight of this program is to learn to appropriately approach, lead, handle, discipline if need be, mount and dismount and ride a horse. We teach animal care and health needs and how to appropriately bond and nurture an animal. Research shows that working with livestock, especially horses, has a positive and lasting impact on children. The ability to focus, be less anxious, display faster reflexes, communicate more effectively and the ability to improve cognitive processes are examples of this positive impact. Skills in composting, planting, weeding, cultivating, fertilizing, watering and harvesting a garden are also learned. Children are introduced to life cycles, interconnectedness with all nature and scientific methods of prediction, hypothesis, measurement and to draw conclusions. We offer sevem weeks of programs- the Summer Program for 2nd-6th grades and the Jr. Vet. Equine Camp for 5th-10th grades.
- Experience the Farmer For A Day Program as you stay over in the beautiful bedroom in the Horse Barn and then help feed farm animals the next morning. Meet the horses, cow, goats, sheep, pig, chickens and our farm dog, Caledonia. Included with your stay is a complimentary continental breakfast. Enjoy scenic views and a wonderful, bucolic atmosphere on our 68-acre farm. We are located just over a mile off the Historic Columbia River Highway not far from Crown Point and Multnomah Falls. Custom tailor your visit with hay rides, barbeque in the fire pit, have a full-farm breakfast or have a horse back riding lesson.
- During “Farm-On-The-Go” children share their project animal with other children or adults at hospitals, convalescent homes, human service agencies and with the disabled or elderly. Farm-On-The-Go will introduce children to volunteering and the importance of altruism while bolstering their self-concept. We dabble in the Farm-On-The-Go program now and a Residential Treatment Program is among our long-range plans for OMF.
Children Served: We have taught more than 11,000
Yes We Are a 501-C-3: A nonprofit, charitable organization. Your cash or in-kind donation to OMF is tax-deductible. We just need an invoice with contact and company name, address, phone number, date, what item is, what it is for and retail amount to receive a tax deduction. A receipt/thank you letter for either cash or in-kind contributions will be mailed to you.
Key Dates: Began research and development in October 1992, incorporated in December 1993, Board meetings began in January 1994, received IRS determination July 1994, started serving children in the summer of 1995 to help in curriculum development and officially opened our doors to serve children in September of 1996.
Board Members: Now 7 and always looking
Volunteers: 1,400 people have worked more than 21,000 hours to develop OMF
Money: More than $400,000 has been raised to build this program and more is needed
Animals: We have 30+ farm animals that include horses, sheep, goats, pig, ducks, chickens, geese, rabbits, cats and dogs.
Materials Available: Day Visit Program brochure, Summer Program brochure, Special Program sheet, Farmer For A Day flyer, Post Card with short version of all that we do and Volunteer Opportunities sheet.