Every year on Main Street Day, FFA joins the rest of the community by hosting their annual petting zoo. Open on Sat. Oct 21 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, this event was run by volunteers from FFA.
One volunteer, junior Megan Parker says, “I loved getting to see all the new animals and seeing all the kids interact with them.” Megan has been doing FFA for three years and this year she got involved by helping run and set up the petting zoo. To set it up, volunteers first had to lay down a tarp, which was the foundation for what came next: the pens. These pens helped to separate the animals and make sure they wouldn’t escape through the crowd. The pens were all lined with a layer of shavings that acted as both food and an extra layer of protection for the animals. After the pens were set up, the animals were all shipped in.
This year’s petting zoo had a wide variety of animals, including goats, piglets, a pony, and even a tortoise. These animals were borrowed from farmers associated with FFA and teachers here at Ripon High.
Setting up and running a petting zoo isn’t an easy task, so volunteers were rewarded with community service hours or an activity point, both of which are needed by students enrolled in Ag. Beyond that, volunteers were gifted with an impactful experience.
“I really liked seeing how happy all the kids were when they got to meet the animals, especially animals that they’d never really got to meet in person,” says freshman volunteer Parker Stewart. “The petting zoo helps bring people together. Because of it,” Parker says, “we can get out there, show people what we do, and get kids interested in Ag so maybe when they come to high school, they can join FFA, too.”
