BOISE, Idaho — TheWarm Springs Care Farm is an equine farm on Warm Springs Avenue in Boise.
- The farm offers multiple programs for kids and adults to learn skills.
- The founder created the farm because she says she sees too much anxiety in the youth. She says working with animals gives kids the tools to combat that.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
Goats and horses, ducks and chickens.
This isn’t out in rural Idaho, you can find all these right on the East End of Boise
“Right off Warm Springs too," Said Brody, a ninth grader who goes to the Warm Springs Care Farm. "See this magical wonderland with all these animals and take care of all these animals on a farm."
Linda Haley runs the Warm Springs Care Farm.
And it’s more than just a zoo.
Haley told me she strives to create an inclusive, safe, and judgment-free environment for all people that walk through her backyard farm.
“What we do here is sneaky therapy,” Haley said.
By working with the animals, she says kids… especially ones who may feel outcasted by peers outside of the farm get to work on their self-esteem.
As an educator, she says the amount of mental stress some kids have, drove her to do this.,"
“When I ask in a group, ‘How many of you feel anxious from time to time?’ I mean on average I’m getting 60-70% of these kids," Haley said. "That’s a problem for me, it really is. So I want to find any way to use the animals to teach the kids how to use self care."
On the farm, kids don’t just play with the animals, they take care of them, learning skills.
“We get to feed the animals, we get to have fun, we get to just be here in general. Just being here is fun," Said Evan, a kid at the farm.
Haley pairs older kids, like Maggie, with younger ones. getting them experience as a leader.
“I just love like helping kids," Said Maggie. "Especially kids who might get bullied at school. I have been bullied at school, so having past experiences it’s really cool to like come to these kids and be able to bond with them.”
The farm offers different programs for people of all ages. It also offers some kids a look into a possible future.
“And I also really like fish like I said, and if I can’t be an entomologist I would be a marine biologist," Said Powell a child a the farm.
