They had an Ikenberry Adventure! Kiddie Bridges’ preschoolers in Ms. April Sarver, Connie Akers and Teresa Callision’s classes learned about cabin life in colonial times, about apples and pumpkins and took a hayride through a functioning commercial orchard. It was a big day of not only fun, but getting a hands experience on some of the standards of learning in their grade level.

Cindy Bailey and Jean Craft head up the staff for the Ikenberry Adventure that is in its fourth fall season. Others who work at the site off Haymakertown Road in western Botetourt are teachers Lyn Burton, Gretchen and Lee Greiner and Bev Schade. Kip Burton is traffic coordinator.

Set next to not only an orchard but also a pumpkin patch, a functioning spring and an over  200-year-old cabin, the setting provides plenty of room to experience agriculture and farm life.

“So far this fall 3,000 young people from elementary school, homeschoolers and preschools have signed up to take the tour,” said Bailey.

Craft explained the tour. “Each group tours four sites that include a hayride through the orchard (featuring Disney Character scarecrows this year) and local wildlife that would frequent the area, an apple classroom, a pumpkin classroom and a look at life inside a colonial cabin.”

Every student makes it through all four of the learning stations in about 15 minute slots. Each will get either an apple or a pumpkin as part of the Ikenberry Adventure tour. The classrooms feature apple crate seats and the hayride bales of hay of course!

Parent volunteer Dana Shelton rode along on a hay bale with her girls Tora Grace and Bella Hope who exclaimed, “Look, there’s Snow White!” and remarked that Mrs. Reaves should get out to “pose with the Farmer Ikenberry Scarecrow.”

“We have seen over 10,000 students in the past four years,”  said Bailey.

For more information click on the Ikenberry Adventure Facebook or call 540-588-3324.

–By Cathy Benson, special to So Salem.