ORANGE : Troubled Children Unwind on the Farm

With faces pressed against the fence, the children met the eyes of the wild turkeys that glared and gobbled at them. They watched the animals with some trepidation.

But minutes later, many of the children were petting, hugging and chasing the turkeys inside one of the pens at Green Meadows Farm at Irvine Regional Park.

The kids of Orangewood Children’s Home got a a free preview of Green Meadows on Monday, a day before the park officially opens its doors to other school groups and the public for its annual seven-week program.

“I’ve never seen a turkey before. They’re pretty,” said one 8-year-old girl from Orangewood, a county facility in Orange that houses more than 200 abused, abandoned and neglected children.

Monday was a day of firsts for many of the kids. First farm trip. First pony ride. First time milking a cow or holding a piglet.

“What (the children) have been exposed to so far hasn’t been pleasant,” said Nick Champion, a staff member at Orangewood. “This gives them a change. It brings them away from the environment they’re used to.”

A tour guide took the 22 children from one pen to the next and described the animals. The children laughed with delight when they petted or held the sheep, goats, baby chicks and roosters. Some even milked Angie the cow, while others chased geese and pigs.

“It’s not like a zoo where you just go and look,” said Ted Keyes, director of Green Meadow Farms, a Wisconsin-based company that brings the farm to the city. “We want to give city kids a chance to experience farm animals and to learn about them.”

Green Meadows Farm conducts two-hour tours throughout the week for elementary and nursery schools, day-care centers and church groups. Weekends are open to the public.

Since the program came to Orange County seven years ago, it has attracted more than 240,000 visitors. The season opens today and runs through April 18.

“It’s just a wonderful experience,” said Tammy Higuera, Orangewood staff member. Most of the children “are born and raised in the city. They’ve never gotten to experience this. It lets them forget where they are and why they are there.”