A half inch of rain may have kept their solar oven from working Saturday, but it couldn’t dampen the spirits of the hosts of Heartland Farm’s Open Farm Day.
Because of the rain there were no hayrack rides, and people couldn’t swing on a rope in the 200-year-old swinging tree. What they could do was tour the 80-acre farm in rural Pawnee Rock owned by the Dominican Sisters of Peace. Several people traveled down the gravel roads west of Great Bend for the event, including friends Mary Ann Bahr from Hoisington and Carolyn Schneider from Ellinwood.
"We decided to come out, rain or not," Schneider said.
"We’re not complaining, because everyone needs the rain so bad," Sister Terry Wasinger said as she handed out umbrellas and led guests to the barn. Sister Mary Ellen Dater joked that they might have to plan more open house events, if it will bring more moisture to the area.
The Dominican Sisters of Great Bend — now part of the Dominican Sisters of Peace — started Heartland Farm in 1987 as a place to heal body, mind and spirit. It’s an ecumenical Christian site for learning and practicing principles of simple living.
First stop on Saturday’s tour was the barn, where several alpacas were as curious about the humans as the visitors were of them. These camel relatives resemble small llamas, and their coats provide a fiber used to make a soft wool-like fabric. The newest addition to the herd was just 1 week old. The sisters named her Hermione, to go with Harry Pottter, a male alpaca born last May.
"The male was originally named Heri, which means "happiness" in Swahili." But children at the farm’s spring camp thought the name was "Harry," and soon renamed it after the fictional boy wizard. Hermione is Potter’s friend in the popular series.
The farm embraces the Domincans’ belief in sound ecological practice — from its buildings made of straw-bale walls to its waterless compost toilets. They had planned to bake cookies in the solar oven, but settled for more conventional methods when the rain started, Sister Marilyn Peirson said. The rain also stopped a hayrack tour, but she loaded guests into a van to show them some of the farm’s other features, such as a bird-watching blind built by children at this year’s camp.
A beekeeper from Larned keeps some hives on the farm. The residents of the farm raise chickens and grow alfalfa and other crops, along with flowers and herbs. There’s also an orchard with pears. All organic, naturally.
"We don’t use any pesticides or spray," Sister Marilyn said, but they do use manure from the compost pile for fertilizer.
There are also paths and nooks created for meditation, or for simply enjoying the view.
Guests find their way to Heartland Farm throughout the year, for massage therapy or one of the monthly workshops. Upcoming events include bread and jelly making on Nov. 19 and family Christmas crafts on Dec. 3. Overnight accommodations are also available. Although it has a Pawnee Rock telephone number and rural Pawnee Rock address, it is located just off a Rush County Road, 13 miles west of Great Bend. In spite of the confusing address, it’s easily reached from Great Bend by driving west of 10th Street (West Barton County Road). Twelve miles from 10th and Patton the road turns to gravel at the county line. Go west on the gravel road for one more mile, then turn south on Rush County Road 390. Heartland Farm is on the right, about half a mile down the road. For more information call 620-923-4585 or visit the website, www.heartlandfarm-ks.org.
