Volunteer efforts allow Farmstead visitors a glimpse of turn-of-the-century times

Deanna Rose Farmstead has had a growth spurt since its opening in 1978. These days, the farmstead annually hosts thousands of people. They come through its Red Barn entrance to visit more than 250 animals and experience activities typical of a turn-of-the-century Kansas farm.

While about 75 city staff members work at the popular tourist spot, the Farmstead counts on its volunteers to keep the place running smoothly.

“It’s the volunteers that offer visitors personalized and engaging experiences,” said Mark Sharp, volunteer program supervisor for Overland Park’s Parks and Recreation Department, which oversees the Farmstead.

“Volunteers are there to help that kid take their first fish off the hook, and to show them how to hold that fish out toward the camera to ensure that it looks bigger than it may actually be. They are there to share when Farmstead staff are shearing sheep, feeding the koi fish, and milking the dairy cow so that fewer people miss out on unique and unscheduled events.”

During its peak months in the late spring and summer, the Farmstead relies on 250 weekly volunteers, who spend several hours a week on the grounds. Volunteers include high school students, working adults and retirees. With the various special events the Farmstead hosts, about 1,000 volunteers may be involved.

Volunteers at Deanna Rose Farmstead fill various roles, ranging from greeting people at the front gate and facilitating wagon rides, to helping with the farm’s beloved pygmy goat herd and working the mining station.

Once someone volunteers to help at the Farmstead, Sharp said they must attend an onsite orientation, learning about the various volunteer roles, opportunities and Farmstead procedures.

“Hands-on training is provided during their first shift by the Farmstead staff,” Sharp said. “There is also more than one volunteer at each position so there is a lot of peer-to-peer training. The experienced volunteers embrace new volunteers and offer support and encouragement.”

A volunteer snapshot

So who are the people donning red volunteer shirts and name badges at this suburban Johnson County Farmstead?

Kathy Worman doesn’t know a stranger at the Farmstead. For the past two years, the retired schoolteacher has found her home with the Farmstead’s beloved herd of pygmy goats. It was Worman’s granddaughter who suggested she volunteer after playing with the goats. Now Worman is with the herd Wednesday and Friday afternoons.

“I gave up the ‘kids’ in the classroom to be with the ‘kids’ in the pen,” she said. “It is my task to protect the baby goats and make sure that they are safe. I also reassure the young visitors that the goats are harmless and not to be afraid.”

In March, Worman was among the volunteers who tended to pregnant goats.

“We saw the little kids born and got a chance to hold them and play with them to get them used to humans,” said Worman, who worked for 32 years in schools.

“This is a new experience for me to be so involved with baby goats, but I will always remember watching twins being born. It was so beautiful watching the mom clean her baby and start the milking process. She also kept an eye on her little twins, making sure they were safe. She wasn’t sure who we were, but it didn’t take long before she gained our trust.”

Worman has made a number of friends at the Farmstead.

“Being a Farmstead volunteer is very enjoyable because the staff is very helpful and makes me feel good about what I do,” Worman said.

Youthful energy

Andrew Skinner, a junior at Blue Valley Southwest, has volunteered hundreds of hours at the Farmstead since May 2021.

“The reason I decided to do it was because I love kids and the animals,” Andrew said. “What I usually do is be a greeter, which is where we welcome people in and out and also answer questions if they have any. I try to come every day to help.”

Andrew — who also pitches in at the mining, goat and fishing areas — volunteers at the Church of the Resurrection’s Bible School, too. The busy teen is a member of the color guard for the Blue Valley Southwest marching band, but his favorite place to be these days is at the Farmstead with both his co-workers and supervisors.

“They always are really fun to be around and work with. We get along so well and have so many things to share,” he said.

Like Andrew, Kosi Okuagu started at the Farmstead to earn community service hours in May 2021. Since then, Kosi, a Notre Dame de Sion student, has given hundreds of hours in service working around the place as a greeter, the mining station and anywhere she was needed.

Kosi said volunteering at the Farmstead fit her busy schedule.

“My favorite part is how flexible your schedule can be at the Farmstead. If you want to volunteer just one day a week for the summer or almost every day, they’ll find a way to accommodate you,” she said.

Longtime helpers

If you have visited the Farmstead in the past decade on Saturdays or Sundays, you’ve likely been greeted with a friendly hello from Alan Stetson. Stetson began volunteering at the Farmstead after a nine-year stint on the Overland Park Arts and Recreation Foundation.

“I term-limited off and knew I wanted to stay involved with either the Arboretum or the Farmstead. Having been involved with a multitude of kid-related organizations over the years, it wasn’t a very difficult decision,” Stetson said.

One Saturday morning, Stetson was serving as the official greeter when he was pleasantly surprised by high school classmate David Rose, the widower of Deanna Rose, for whom the Farmstead is named.

“Watching the emotion as he showed his second wife around the Farmstead for the first time” was a great experience, Stetson said.

Stetson, who is an attorney, is on a brief hiatus at the Farmstead but hopes to return soon. He said volunteering at the Farmstead is special.

“Interacting with the kids and having a front row seat to witness the amazing diversity of the people that now reside in our region is amazing,” he said.

Evan James began volunteering at the Farmstead when he retired in 2019 from his own company, James Printing Company.

“I wanted something interesting and fun to fill some of my free time in retirement,” James said.

James can be found at the mining station on Tuesday afternoons. He also helps with groundskeeping chores and the Farmstead’s many special events, including Pumpkin Hollow and Georgia’s Chicken Run.

“The Farmstead is a happy place,” said the former business owner. “I love to see all the joy it brings to everyone who attends. I love to see kids having fun and helping to be a part of that fun.”

James enjoys watching kids pan for “gold” at the slurry. Even if it’s fool’s gold, “to them it’s as real as can be,” he said.

On one shift, James got a bit more than he bargained for.

“I opened the water compartment of the slurry one morning only to have a large bullfrog jump out at me,” James said. “I don’t know who jumped higher — me or the frog.”

Sharp said the Farmstead is always looking for more volunteers.

“The more volunteers we have, the more assistance and visitor engagement we can offer,” James said. “We have big ambitions to continue improving the visitor experience, but we will need help from volunteers to make them a reality.”

Those interested in volunteering at the Farmstead should visit www.opkansas.org and go to recreation and fun, or call 913-890-1678.