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Annual Farm Day honors Gamper while teaching about ag

By DEBBIE HEMENWAY
Staff writer
Twenty-three years ago, teacher Robin Gamper organized the first Farm Day at Waggoner Elementary School. In the decades since, Farm Day has become an annual event, keeping students in touch with the agricultural heritage of the community.
It has also taken on a new name, Robin Gamper Farm Day, in honor of the much-loved teacher who died of breast cancer in 1999.
Last week, the 2013 edition, now in the hands of kindergarten teacher Ambi Gardner, gave the youngsters a chance to get up close and personal with goats and chickens and rabbits, as well as to see farm equipment in action and to participate in classroom presentations on a variety of topics.
Farmer and School Board Trustee Rob Warren brought his shaker and backhoe to the campus. The youngsters clearly enjoyed watching a tree shimmy in the grips of the shaker and seeing the backhoe rise up balanced on one of its scoops, but Warren ruefully admitted that this year’s star in the farm equipment show was John Frazier’s sprayer-equipped helicopter, which sat in the middle of the grassy play area.
Under the trees on the southern edge of the schoolyard a small farmyard took shape, with a variety of small animals to admire and touch.
Jillian Miller’s exotic chickens particularly drew looks of amazement and lots of questions and seemed unruffled by the petting and attention that the children lavished on them.
In the classrooms, local crops, riparian mammals, beneficial insects, animal eyes and beekeeping were the subjects of presentations.
There was fresh fruit for everyone, and isn’t eating well the whole point?
The event sponsors were Mariani Nut Company, Pacific Ace Hardware and the Winters PTA.