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Friday, July 30, 2010
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Serving Maine and Lincoln County for over a century. |
Volume 135 Issue 30 |
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| | Email this article • Print this article | Stones Edge Farm's Animals Visit Lincoln Home
Kim Fletcher
Newcastle's Darilyn Nelson of Stones Edge Farm raises livestock, and recently she took her miniature horse Gumdrop and a little kid goat to visit the residents at the Lincoln Home in Newcastle and Cove's Edge in Damariscotta.
Lincoln Home Activities Director Nancy Bliss said she learned of Nelson's farm in July of 2005, when she visited the farm on Open Farm Day. “I just thought her tiny baby goats were the best; and her farm is as clean and neat as a pin. In the back of my mind I said I would love to have our residents see these great animals.”
So this month, Bliss contacted Darilyn Nelson who was only too happy to have her animals visit. Thursday afternoon (June 22) Nelson, with her friend Cindy Hagar loaded up the animals and visited The Lincoln Home.
Bliss spoke of telling the Lincoln Home staff and the powers that be that the animals were coming and they said, “…they aren't coming into the building, are they? Actually I had planned for the animals to come into the activities room; we have a nice linoleum floor. But it ended up being such a nice day, that 13 or 14 residents came out into the sun with the animals.”
The residents fed the little horse carrots, and the two young goats snuggled up by residents, and “…were very content with the whole experience. Gumdrop was so well behaved, and they never pooped once; I was hoping for the manure for my garden!”
Visiting Darilyn Nelson on her beautiful farm spread, there're easily 20 goats and kids. She has Pygmy goats, Nigerian Dwarf goats and Tennessee Fainting goats, including three adult bucks (or billies) and numerous does. The kids are for sale, but only as pets or for milk or cheese.
Also on the farm are numerous horses, including the miniature Gumdrop and registered Haflingers, which she shows. Nelson has three red and white beef cattle, Herefords, and 27 acres of rolling, beautifully tended grazing fields.
Nelson was asked about volunteering the animals for elder care visits. “It really is so much fun for us and the residents. Rudolph is especially friendly, so I took him and another sweet goat, along with Gumdrop and we've made many visits.” The animals have also been to Cove's Edge recently.
Regarding transport, Nelson said she just used a large van, rather than the work of hitching up the trailer. “Gumdrop is only 32” and the goats are like puppies; it is so easy just to put them in a car,” she laughs.
Nelson and her husband Shawn Gregory lived on Vinalhaven until 2002 when they purchased the farm.
Shawn Gregory owns and operates Coastal Maine Wood Floors, and for more information on Stones Edge Farm and Coastal Maine Wood Floors, visit the website at www.stonesedgefarm.com, or e-mail Nelson and Gregory at stonesed gefarm@yahoo.com. On the website, information is available about the farm and on purchasing livestock.
Stones Edge Farm participates in Maine's statewide event Open Farm Day in July.
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