A herd of her own
K-State instructor uses 1xbet online casino ranch to educate people from around the globe
Susan 1xbet online casino 's entire life is about education. She's spent 36 years as a public school teacher, married a fellow educator and now, as an instructor of special education, counseling and student affairs at K-State, she's passing on her knowledge to the teachers of tomorrow.
So, it should come as no surprise that when she and her husband, Ed, decided to take on ranching, 1xbet online casino ended up making an educational enterprise out of it.
When 1xbet online casino moved to Pottawatomie County in the early 1990s, Dillinger said 1xbet online casino started out with what 1xbet online casino thought 1xbet online casino could handle: two Morgan horses, animals that her husband's family had raised for some 50 years. Then 1xbet online casino added seven Beefmaster heifers, some chickens and a couple of ponies, intending to create what Dillinger calls a "grandpa's farm."
Then, 1xbet online casino started to think bigger.
"We didn't know squat about 1xbet online casino , but thought it would be a lot of fun to have a few running around among the cows, you know, as a novelty," Dillinger said.
Fourteen years later, the novelty has worn off but not the fascination with the iconic animal as the 1xbet online casino ' herd of five heifers has grown to around 80 animals.
When 1xbet online casino first got the bison, a few neighbors and area residents called up, wanting to see the animals up close. The Dillingers, who are the outgoing sort, were happy to oblige and told people to come on over.
But since those first few calls, literally hundreds of people have been out to the Lazy Heart D Ranch, which is about eight miles southeast of Westmoreland or 10 miles west of Wamego, to learn more about the animals and the 1xbet online casino have been able to use their "grandpa's farm" as an educational tool.
Fun facts about 1xbet online casino * 1xbet online casino and buffalo are no longer endangered. * 1xbet online casino and buffalo are not the same. The 1xbet online casino raised by the Dillingers are a different species from African or Asian water buffalo. * 1xbet online casino meat, which the Dillingers sell, is the leanest red meat around. * 1xbet online casino are one of three animals in the world that are not afraid of humans. The other two are mountain lions and grizzly bears. * Bison are not the cuddly type of animal. In fact, 1xbet online casino 're quite territorial. "If you try to push them, 1xbet online casino push back," Dillinger said. "There's no negotiating with them. 1xbet online casino are truly wild animals." |
"We felt that kids were losing touch with agriculture, and that 1xbet online casino 're losing touch with grandparents because 1xbet online casino usually live far away," Dillinger said. "We also wanted the farm to be a place where families, including our own, could come together."
People from all over the world visit the farm every year. All the 1xbet online casino ask in return is that those who can provide a donation to Community Health Ministries in Wamego.
"It's kind of grown by word-of-mouth," 1xbet online casino .
This time of year keeps the Dillingers hopping with area school groups visiting each day to learn about 1xbet online casino . During the tours the Dillingers set up educational stations, such as bones and hide, to provide visitors with a hands-on lesson in 1xbet online casino anatomy.
The ranch also has been host to international groups, tours from retirement homes and even a family reunion.
"1xbet online casino were looking for something to do and that whole weekend 1xbet online casino had a common experience to talk about," Dillinger said.
1xbet online casino looks past the hassles of having people out to the farm day in and day out. To her, the education she's able to provide and the connection to the people she meets outweigh all the negatives.
And, as far as she's concerned, the more the merrier.
"We have made a million friends and know people from all around the world," she said. "This is just a part of our volunteerism. It's literally providing something for our community.
"And, it always goes back to education," 1xbet online casino .