Meeting new people and learning down on the farm

Matt Pierson (left) and Anne Foltz walking Cheyene for exercise. (Photo by Katie Buzdor)

Beth Meyers cutting the main pieces of glass for

the ornaments. (Photo by Katie Buzdor)

  The Owens photojournalism class received a great opportunity to do a service project.
  We piled into an Owens van and traveled to Whitehouse were Bittersweet Farms is located.  Bittersweet Farms is a small community that helps adults with Autism.
  Right now Bittersweet Farms is having issues with funding for their Medicade services that there residents receive. 
  When the class arrived, we interviewed one of the day residents Jamie Cummins.  She has been coming to the community for over seven years.  She helps in the kitchen and is a co-secretary for the farm.  She told us how much Bittersweet Farms means to her. 
  When we walked out of the main building after our interview and noticed multiple buildings.  We decided to break up into teams so that we could cover the whole community.
  There is a barn where they care for animals.  Bittersweet Farms also has a woodshop where the residents make different types of furniture and other crafts.  They even have a green house where they grow their own plants and make items such as pesto.  The community has an arts and crafts center where they make many types of items and sell them in their located in the community.  
  I stopped into the arts and crafts building, there were three people working on glass sun catchers for gift baskets for Huntington Bank.  This is where I met Beth Meyers. She is the longest resident of Bittersweet Farms.  According to some of the helpers in the arts and crafts center Meyer is the best cutter for the glass sun catchers. 

Dan Everett conditions Cheyene's hoof. (Photo

by Katie Buzdor)

  The barn was my next stop and a very interesting stop at that.  They had two horses, two sheep and a goat.  Dan Everett was one of the main helpers in the barn.  At one point the goat ended up eating a magazine that was sitting on a chair and Dan wrestled it to the ground to get it out of his mouth.       
  I really enjoyed my trip to the farm.  It was a bittersweet day for me.  I did not want to say goodbye.  It was great to get to meet so many different people and I am looking forward to going back and volunteering to help with anything that they need.       
Check out our story from the Owens Outlook 
http://owensoutlook.com/3019/whats-new/down-on-the-farm-ornery-bittersweet-farm-participants-remain-strong-despite-threats-in-funding/



Barn that houses the animals at Bittersweet Farms. (Photo by Katie Buzdor)