Thousands meet, greet animals at MetroParks’ Farm season opening

By AMANDA C. DAVIS

news@vindy.com

CANFOIELD

Mahoning County’s 700 farms produce 469,766 pounds of berries each year and more than 5 million pounds of apples and peaches.

Area families learned such tidbits and got a chance to meet the animals Sunday at the annual Farm Animal Baby Shower at Mill Creek MetroParks Farm.

Children got to see chicks hatch and had a chance to pet some animals and take pictures of others. The event kicks off the season for MetroParks Farm, which is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

Brenda Markley, MetroParks’ agricultural facilities manager, said organizers planned for 3,000 to 3,500 people to attend and said up to 5,000 people show up for the event in warm weather.

She said the animal shower gives families a chance to spend time together and that generations of families come back year after year.

Shannon Kerr traveled from Alliance with her sons, Matthew, 7, and Samuel, 4, so they could pet the animals. The boys weren’t the only ones squealing with delight while looking at 8-month-old Anniken, a black pot-bellied pig named after Luke Skywalker’s father from the Star Wars series.