Red Bay farm opens to students

By Staff
Melissa Cason
RED BAY -Students once again had the chance to step back into time by experiencing Cypress Cove Farm this week.
However, for the first time, students from outside the county are joining the hundreds of Franklin County students to get the first hand farm experience.
"We had students from Hamilton and Haleyville here this week," property owner Johnny Mack Morrow said. "Schools outside the county are learning about the quality educational experiences offered in Franklin County and are brining their students here to learn."
Morrow said the kindergarten and third grade from Haleyville and the seventh grade class from Hamilton visited the farm earlier this week.
The students started their day on the farm by singing songs with musician Joseph Baldwin.
"Monday, the seventh graders really got into the spirit of things and helped me out with a little 'Chicken Fried' but today, the little kids didn't really seem to care," Baldwin said about the group.
After the music ended, Baldwin put on his blacksmith gear and helped give the students an idea of what living on a farm was like around 1900.
"Our goal here is to educate students on what life used to be like when their great-grandparents were living," Morrow said. "Where else locally are you going to experience this?"
Morrow said this is the fourth year students have come to Cypress Cove to take in the farm experience.
"Thanks to Community Education for organizing all of this for me," Morrow said. "I just supply the place and they do all the work."
The students learned about birds, snakes, bees, and cows.
Amanda Griffith from Southwest Dairy Farms brought in a three-year-old cow, Lucille, in order to demonstrate milking.
"We mostly do school groups but we do go to fairs and other events," Griffith said. "If there's a crowd, we'll be there."
Morrow said he's glad the news about the farm is growing, and he hopes to have more out-of-county schools to participate in the annual farm day.
Farm day at Cypress Cove Farm will continue all week with Franklin County Students.