Nicole Gerber enjoys Saturday mornings at Wakeman Town Farm.
A committee member at the Cross Highway environmental education center and sustainable farm, she eagerly helps care for their alpacas, sheep, goats and chickens.
Nicole’s 17-year-old daughter Scarlett was a much more reluctant volunteer. She found the farm hot and dirty. Like many teenagers, she thought Saturdays were for sleeping in.
Nicole and Scarlett Gerber
But 2 years ago, Scarlett was at the farm soon after a tiny goat was born.
Scarlett was the first human being to hold the baby. She cleaned its umbilical cord. That simple act left lasting imprint on both.
Soon, Scarlett felt herself drawn to WTF. She returned often, to care for the young goat she nicknamed Dolly.
As she cared for Dolly, children from the WTF summer camp gravitated to Scarlett. She helped lead “goat encounters,” showing the youngsters how to gently hold the babies for bottle feeding, and how to play with the naturally curious animals.
The kids smiled broadly. Scarlett did too.
Meanwhile, she bonded with Judy Panzer, the “ambassador” who cares for all the Farm’s animals. They were excited for the first WTF goat husbandry program.
Judy mentored Scarlett, helping her embrace both the educational and fun aspects of Wakeman Town Farm.
Gradually, Scarlett’s idea of how to spend Saturday changed. She was there all day, helping not just with animals but at the farm stand, special events, and nurturing the gardens.
When she felt stressed with college applications and exams, Scarlett found comfort doing homework in the farm environment, surrounded by goats. She thrived, academically and personally.
Scarlett Gerber with a goat …
Her hands-on volunteerism helped her learn life skills like working hard, communicating well, and caring for others. She felt transformed, and empowered.
Her time at the farm showed her that seemingly mundane events can be “a catalyst for the extraordinary,” Scarlett says.
In a hectic world, Wakeman Town Farm became her happy place. It helped her get through her last 2 years of high school, and strengthened her sense of connection to Westport.
She wrote her college application essay about her goat experience (and added a video). She graduated this spring from Hopkins School, and got into her first choice: Washington University. She begins pre-med studies there this fall.
Her WTF experience “profoundly changed the way I see myself,” Scarlett says.
“I’m no longer someone who must be persuaded to deal with inconvenience. I’ve become confident as a leader who embraces new experiences and encourages others. Wherever I go from here, I will keep an eye out for meaningful experiences that can appear in unexpected places.”
… and an alpaca.
“Scarlett’s experience gave her a unique sense of purpose in life, being responsible for something other than herself,” adds her mother.
“Getting outside of the house to be on the Farm, her values became greater and provided real maturation. Wakeman Town Farm is a community gem. The transforming experience for our daughter made us love the Farm even more.”
Inspired by Scarlett, Nicole and her husband Steven decided to sponsor this summer’s WTF goat program.
With new Nigerian dwarf goats joining Dolly, the Farm hosts “Goat-Togethers” where children and adults can cuddle and play with the babies. (Click here for more information.)
Sponsorship for the program provides food, bedding, care, veterinary needs, pen maintenance and more to keep the goats healthy and happy, along with staff for
the “Goat-Togethers.”
“Visiting with baby goats is a wonderful experience for all ages,” says Panzer. “They are so playful, and cuddling them is a heartwarming activity that is good for the soul.”
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It is such a loss for WTF when committed volunteers like Scarlett leave for college. So glad the Gerbers have generously sponsored this program that will draw more people to see the magic happening at WTF for themselves. Scarlett – you be missed by so many of us in Westport when you leave for WashU!
To Scarlett and the Gerber family they all do so much for Wakeman town farm working doing stuff Scarlett will be miss as Danille said it so great to have a wonderful town farm in Westport
First, “WTF” has a very different meaning in the military so when I saw Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot on her hat I had to laugh.
Second, I’m like Scarlett and really not into the agrarian lifestyle. But when we retired from the Air Force my farm girl wife had other ideas and we bought a ranch in Texas where we raise alpacas. They are furry and fun so I can see why she’s had a change of heart.
I really connect with how she feels about the farm. Those same sentiments have been described to me by the senior citizens who garden at the westport community garden.
Blessings to all all living creatures;goats, kids, seniors, birds, bees, butterflies….