Fairy Tale Farm

I'm writing a piece on hobby farms, including animal-assisted treatment for special needs children and adults. Yesterday's visit to Wunsapana Farm in Altamont, NY proved their benefits firsthand.

"Is the name 'Wunsapana' a play on Once Upon a Time?" I asked owner Teri Conroy. "It is," she laughed. Meeting Teri's donkeys, chickens, goats and llamas felt like a page from a fairy tale. I visited with my father, a fellow farm-lover. I grew up with chickens, ducks and geese. In the years since, my parents have added guinea hens to their pet family.

I spoke with Teri's friends, including Megan and Bruce, members of the Living Resources program. "We love taking care of the donkeys," Megan said as she brushed Bobby. Bruce, stroking Tommy nearby, agreed. "It's fun," he said. Bobby and Tommy, meanwhile, looked so content they were practically drooling. "It looks like the feeling is mutual," I noted.

The llama barn sits like a castle atop a hill, only built from sweet pine instead of stone. Teri has more than a dozen llamas and an alpaca, Griffin. Many were rescues. These rescues include Griffin and Stella. With a crippled leg, "Everyone thought Stella would never walk again," Teri said. With steady nurturing, however, Stella's health has improved 100 percent. One of Teri's friends, Helena, has a sister who is wheelchair-bound. "My sister connected with Stella immediately," Helena said. When Griffin came to the farm in summer 2009, he was so emaciated he was near death. Today, he's thriving.

When Teri acquired her first llama, Cheena, she had no idea Cheena was pregnant with La-La. "Two for the price of one," Teri joked. La-La, (ironically, my childhood nickname), took a liking to my father. I bonded with Lisel, a snow-white beauty referred to as the "PR llama" because of her sweet disposition. Although my father and I had petted llamas from behind fences at agricultural fairs, we had never gotten this close.

Walking the llamas was an exceptionally peaceful experience. The animals walked or even trotted next to us, keeping a straight line as we passed through the woods. I stroked Lisel's neck, a llama's favorite place to be rubbed. A sense of contentment welled deep inside me. "There's nothing like it," I murmured later to my father.

The farm's relaxing effects have been beneficial to children like Kailin, a high energy nine-year-old who lives in the Altamont area. Her mother, Kathie, said she first met Teri when Teri brought Jane, her licensed therapy dog, to the elementary school. "Knowing it was a 'Jane day' made my daughter want to go to school," Kathie said. Since visiting the farm, she continued, "I've noticed the difference being around the animals makes in her. She's learning how to mirror her behavior after them, understanding how her attitude effects them. If she's calm, they're calmer, too."

Special people like Teri remind us of the importance of keeping it simple and giving back. Teri's vision of her farm's future doesn't vary much from what she values about it now. "I can't think of anything better than this," she said. Visitors are always welcome free of charge. Here's my tribute to Wunsapana.