A group of residents from Enliven’s Chalmers Home recently took a trip out to the Sarten family dairy farm in Tikorangi.
Chalmers Home resident Shirley and late husband Vernon owned the 100-acre farm until 1985. Vernon was born on the farm and he and Shirley married in 1951 and ran the farm together until 1978. They bought the farm in the early 1960’s and sold it to their son Alan and wife Clare.
Alan and Clare are still farming today and invited Shirley and the residents to morning tea, saying they’d ensure the Jersey cows would be close to the house ready to moo and greet.
The visitors were treated to sausages rolls, homemade lemon cake, blueberry bran muffins – made with lemons and blueberries from the Sarten’s garden, followed by feeding the cows with apples picked from the Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Cox’s Orange trees in the paddocks.
“The residents loved the outing,” says Chalmers Home diversional therapist Clare SotoDeVera. “Most were former dairy farmers so they were able to share stories and reminisce about their farming experiences.
“The gorgeous weather made for a fantastic day out – even the farm dog Sam made an appearance!”
