Lambs Tales Volume 1 2020

2020 Volume 1 Winter

inside: page 2: Letter from the President and CEO page 4: Shining Star Awards page 5: Christmas Tree Donations page 6: Holiday Season Results

our mission:

Helping people with developmental disabilities lead productive, happy lives and connecting with the human spirit in us all. www.lambsfarm.org

Lambs Farm Annual Benefit Harvesting the Spirit Guests brought their country charm to the Harold Washington Library Winter Garden on November 9 to celebrate the remarkable men and women of Lambs Farm at our annual benefit, Harvesting the Spirit 2019.

During the event, guests enjoyed a gourmet dining experience and silent and live auctions. The auctions had one-of-a-kind trips, weekend getaways, handcrafted artwork and items that were made with a mission by Lambs Farm Participants.

Guests could also partake in the popular grub grab, wine toss

or step on the dance floor in hopes to win the gold coin during the heads or tails game.

Each year, a Participant is awarded the Living Legacy Award for embodying our Co-Founders’ belief that given the opportunity, people with developmental disabilities could learn, grow and become contributing members of society.

Tom Durbin was chosen as this year’s honoree for his outstanding achievements. Tom is known for being a hardworking employee, amazing athlete and great friend. He always strives to do his best and has far exceeded the expectations anyone has ever had for him.

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In Memoriam: Jeff Tomaszek

From the

President and CEO’s desk...

We all like to think of ourselves as individuals, with complete control over our own destiny.

From childhood, our primary goal has been to be able to do what we want to do, when and how we want to do it. Of course, what we actually can do is totally dependent upon the options available to us and our ability to take advantage of them.

It is with deep sadness that we share the loss of Jeff Tomaszek, a dear friend and long-time Participant.

In Jeff’s nearly 40 years at Lambs Farm, he was a proud gold medalist, outstanding employee and thoughtful friend. He spent many years working at Lambs Farm’s restaurant and then went on to a facilities management role at Great Lakes Naval Base. Jeff later worked in Lambs Industries and lastly transitioned into retirement in our Enrichment Center.

Jeff loved spending time with his family, volunteering at Winchester House, going to church, coaching the Lambs Farm basketball team, taking trips to Camp Red Leaf and supporting those in need.

Jeff was a generous person with many talents and a deep faith. We are so thankful to have shared so many memories with someone so loving and kind. He will forever be remembered in our hearts.

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In our current fast-moving and competitive environment, we all are even more aware of the vast array of interesting things from which we may choose to include in our own lives. Timing, abilities, financial resources and other limitations all play a role in how our lives actually play out and who we ultimately become in the process.

Today, Lambs Farm serves two different populations of people – long-time/older residents and those younger who have joined us more recently. In doing so, we find ourselves with two major goals: to keep our older Participants engaged in interesting activities that match their diminishing abilities and, at the same time, to assure those younger a wide variety or available opportunities for work, recreational skill building, a long list of classroom topics, and a whole host of other activities both on and off campus.

Although we are partially funded by the State of Illinois, their view is that shelter, food, clothing, some training and limited medical services – life’s most basic requirements – are all that is necessary. As it always has been, our goal is to assure that our Participants do not simply exist, but instead are living lives full of interesting activities, whether designed to include more sedentary lifestyles, or with opportunities to try new things, meet new people, experience different adventures and

otherwise nurture their own unique selves. The price of those added elements, particularly now, represents more than a third of our costs.

Over the years, we have been humbled by and grateful for the support of so many who share our belief that life for our men and women should include – must include – more than bare necessities. Now, more than ever, we ask that you help us assure those elements that make such a difference in their lives remain available to them.

Sincerely,

Dianne M. Yaconetti President and CEO

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Tom was so excited to accept the award and looks forward to many more years full of learning and growth at Lambs Farm.

The memorable evening continued with a performance by the Participants and paddle raiser.

Numerous donations were made to support Lambs Farm’s quality of life programs which allow Participants more opportunities to continue to grow.

Guests ended the evening by dancing to music performed by Gold Coast Orchestra and left with a special favor - a holiday ornament made by the men and women of Lambs Farm.

A special thank you to everyone who attended Harvesting the Spirit 2019. The invaluable support from sponsors and donors make a huge impact on the individuals who call Lambs Farm home.

Thank you Annual Benefit Sponsors!

We are incredibly appreciative of our generous sponsors of Harvesting the Spirit 2019, Downtown on the Farm. We cannot thank you enough for your continued support of the men and women of Lambs Farm.

Hay Baler — $10,000

Autohaus on Edens BMO Harris Bank Discover Financial Services Nancy Goerne & Barbara Sheahan

Cultivator — $5,000 The Casanova Family Rose Kapoun

Farmer — $2,500

Alan Amos & Marcia Lazar Capstone Partners Joan Fuller Robert Gattuso Mesirow Financial Susan Siebers Uline

Participants Brayanna LaConte and Mary Juiris prepare for their Peter Pan performance

Tiller — $1,200

Tom Durbin accepts his award

Table Sponsors Abbott Alper Services The Durbin Family FCL Graphics Calvin & Jamie Kleinschmidt Karen Lieberman Milburn LLC Robert & Judy Neiman Dianne Yaconetti Jim & Kathy Zils Arie & Shannon Zoller

Guests step on the dance floor for Heads or Tails game

The wine toss is always a favorite game for guests

Iskalis American Floor Show Peggy and Bob Kimble MedScript Long Term Care Pharmacy Uline

Peter Pan cast performs for the crowd

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Special Olympics Roundup Athletes had a great fall season and have already started their 2020 activities.

Bocce athletes were unable to compete due to the poor field conditions in October, but they will practice this spring to prepare for the 2020 State Summer Games.

In November, athletes competed in the 2019 State Floor Hockey tournament. Three individuals brought home shiny medals, and the floor hockey team took second place after several intense games.

Athletes ended 2019 with Basketball Skills. Three individuals got the gold, four earned silver and three took home the bronze.

Snowshoe athletes jumped right into the new year at Districts on January 4.

Together they garnered 14 medals and six ribbons.

We look forward to seeing our athletes have another great year full of teamwork, fun and growth.

Snowshoe athletes at their first event

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Tracey Gembolys with her Shining Star award

Our Shining Stars Everyone likes to be recognized for their contributions. Lambs Farm’s Shining Star Award program recognizes Participants who go above and beyond by demonstrating a good attitude, helping others, encouraging teamwork or promoting safety.

Tracey Gembolys was recognized for her great attitude in the Shopping and Cooking class. She always has a smile on her face, offers assistance to her friends and takes it upon herself to start the dishes.

Jimmy Berke is a Shining Star for lending a helping hand at our Breakfast with Santa event. He helped staff deliver food to volunteers, distribute photos and direct guests to Santa - all on his own time.

Stephanie Scialabba was acknowledged for her willingness to help others. Stephanie went out of her way to help a staff member who was struggling to carry several bags of uniforms.

The kind acts demonstrated by the men and women of Lambs Farm are truly admirable. Congratulations to these Shining Stars! We are proud of each of them for their accomplishments.

Jimmy Berke

Stephanie Scialabba

Paint Fundraiser with Art Rave

We had a great time at our first art fundraiser with Art Rave on February 8.

Joseph the Camel waiting for his tree donation

Christmas Tree Donations Fox 32 News made a special trip to the Farmyard on January 5 to get the lowdown on Christmas tree donations.

The news station reached out after seeing the adorable video of Joseph the Dromedary Camel stomping and rubbing against a tree on Facebook. The video went live on January 2 and by the next day, it had a whopping 15,000 views - a new record for our social media outlets!

In the live interview, Farmyard Manager Jodi Miller explained how Christmas trees help the animals. Some animals enjoy munching on the branches, while others find joy in using it as an enrichment toy. The texture and smell of the trees is also a special treat for the animals because of the unique feeling they experience when brushing up against them.

The Farmyard also accepts wreaths which are mostly used to create perches and enrichment toys for the many chickens and birds at the Farmyard. Jodi also advised viewers that donations can only be given to the Farmyard if the trees and wreaths are free of sprays and decorations.

The interview also allowed Jodi to share the mission of Lambs Farm and the history behind Christmas tree donations. Many years ago, the Farmyard used to have a Christmas tree lot and would give the leftovers to the animals. When the lot closed, staff started bringing their own trees to the Farmyard and it eventually became open to the public.

Art Rave is a group of local, professional artists who specialize in private and public parties. They created a special birch tree design and walked our guests through the painting process. Everyone left with masterpieces and had a great afternoon supporting Lambs Farm.

Puppy & Kitten Yoga Events!

In 2019, 357 puppies and kittens found their forever homes at the Dogwood Garden & Pet Center. Staff look forward to another successful year full of adoptions for all of their four-legged friends.

Be sure to check out all of our animal yoga events with Blue Sky Yoga. We have several puppy yoga classes on the calendar in addition to Meowaste, our first kitten yoga class.

The Christmas tree donations continue to grow each year, and our Farmyard friends couldn’t be happier!

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Giving Tuesday Goal Reached

This year’s Giving Tuesday goal was to raise $10,000 for new, updated equipment in the bakery.

We are excited to announce that we exceeded this goal thanks to all of our generous donors.

Participants are looking forward to getting a new dishwasher and other equipment that will allow them to take on more orders with ease and learn new skills.

Thank you to everyone who supported Lambs Farm on Giving Tuesday. Whether you donated, shared a social media post or told a friend, you truly made a difference in helping us reach our goal.

Participants took a quick break to meet Santa

Holiday Season Results It was another wonderful and record-breaking holiday season for the Sugar Maple Country Store & Bakery.

Staff and Participants worked diligently to fulfill the abundance of orders in just a few weeks. They baked, sprinkled and packaged more than 4,000 tins of cookies, used over 5,700 pounds of creamy chocolate and shipped over 8,000 boxes across the country. By the end of the season, sales were up 6.5% from last year. We continue to see an increase in sales each year thanks to the support of several corporations and individuals who send gifts and share the mission of Lambs Farm with their associates, family and friends.

The Sugar Maple Country Store is thankful for the generous support of volunteers. Astellas Pharma, a major supporter of Lambs Farm, created a schedule with 375 of their employees to volunteer their time in helping us in all aspects of the production process.

Their helping hands allowed us to make all the products in a timely manner. Volunteers from Astellas worked alongside Participants nearly everyday and took on a variety of

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tasks. From labeling tins and making chocolates to assembling assortments and packaging boxes for delivery, the volunteers learned the ins and outs of production and enjoyed getting to know the men and women of Lambs Farm.

In addition to the holiday catalog orders, staff were also busy planning another year of Breakfast with Santa at the Magnolia Cafe & Bakery. All seatings reached capacity, and families enjoyed a delicious brunch, meet and greet with Santa and crafts. We also spent a weekend at the 39th Annual Lambs Farm Gift & Craft Fair at Arlington Heights Racecourse. Customers could choose from a wide variety of cookies, jams, chocolates and tins for their holiday celebrations.

It was another busy season for all at Lambs Farm. Each year we continue to grow, and we can’t wait to see what 2020 has in store for us.

Donor Salute

Lambs Farm is grateful for the support we receive from our many friends. Listed below are the names of those especially generous individuals, foundations and corporations whose gifts of $1,000 or more were received from September 2019 - December 2019. $25,000 to $49,999 Carney Foundation Grace A. Bersted Foundation The John and Kathleen Schreiber Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Warren Wiegand, Jr. Ms. Dianne M. Yaconetti $10,000 to $24,999 Adreani Foundation Anonymous Autohaus On Edens, Inc. BMO Harris Bank Fred J. Brunner Foundation The Buchanan Family Foundation Mr, & Mrs. Robert Goerne Marvin and Kay Lichtman Foundation Mrs. Karen Lieberman Maurice Cares Edmond & Alice Opler Foundation Mr. Robert N. Savoie The Trustmark Foundation Walker Group W. P. & H. B. White Foundation

Mr. & Mrs. Joe Milburn Milburn, L.L.C. Mr. Robert Neiman New Trier Township Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Redwanc The Reichert Foundation Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation Dr. & Mrs. Stuart M. Schwartz Ms. Susan Siebers Mrs. Gertrude Smutney Mr. & Mrs. Thomas A. Thill Mr. & Mrs. Rob Valerious Mr. & Mrs. Philip Wernick Mr. & Mrs. Richard Willix Mr. & Mrs. Robert N. Zaun Mr. & Mrs. James P. Zils

$2,500 to $4,999 AbbVie Ms. Renate Ade Alper Services, LLC Mr. Jeffery K. Benham Capstone Partners, LP Mr. & Mrs. Andy Chepovetsky Mr. Michael Daigle $5,000 to $9,999 Mr. & Mrs. John Durbin Abbott Laboratories Ms. Martha Fox Mr. & Mrs. John Alexander Mr. Alan O. Amos & Ms. Marcia E. Lazar Mrs. Joan Fuller Peter and Thalia Anest Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Jason Guyon Jacob Best Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Craig W. Hoffman Mrs. Nancy Casanova Mr. & Mrs. William R. Jacobs Mr. Thomas D. Creigh Ms. Alice Kim Mr. & Mrs. Dale A. Dellutri Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Krupp Discover Financial Services McCortney Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Doug Durbin Mesirow Financial George M. Eisenberg Foundation Moyer Properities, LLC for Charities Mr. Dan Novak Mrs. Joan J. Golder The Kara Foundation Mr. Peter Ouellette Mr. & Mrs. Calvin Kleinschmidt Prince Charitable Trusts James A. Kreiser Trust Shoreline Equity Partners Ms. Janice L. Leclerc Mrs. Susan Sprowl Mr. & Mrs. Paul Leclerc Uline Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Levy VS Kinhal LLC Libertyville Township Mr. & Mrs. Willard T. Walker Mr. & Mrs. Michael J. Liner

Mr. & Mrs. Frank Weitekamper Ms. Alice P. White Ms. Ruth Wittenberg Mrs. Lita Zemel Mr. & Mrs. Arie Zoller $1,000 to $2,499 Mrs. Margaret A. Adreani Anonymous Mr. & Mrs. John Arnold Mr. & Mrs. Lee Barbakoff Mr. Donal Bermingham Dr. & Mrs. Robert Bronski Mr. Edward F. Buron Mr. John W. Burrus Mrs. Electra Carlson Mr. Robert Carone Mr. Mark Casanova Ms. Jess Collier Mr. & Mrs. Brian Condon Mr. Richard Cortesi Mr. & Mrs. James E. Crist Dr. Richard Davison Mrs. Carla M. Dehmlow Mr. & Mrs. Robert O. Delaney, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Ronald J. Dunbar Mr. & Mrs. Richard A. Fick Mr. & Mrs. Robert V. Gattuso Ms. Lorette Geiger Mr. & Mrs. Jim Graham Mr. & Mrs. H. Donald Hanson Mr. & Mrs. Carl Heldmaier Dr. & Dr. Richard A. Hirth Dr. & Mrs. Robert Holstein Mr. Edmund A. Horsch Iglewski Family Foundation Independent Recycling Services, Inc. International Decorators, Inc. Iskalis American Floor Show Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Karpek Mr. Jerome M. Katz Dr. & Mrs. Melvin P. Katz Mr. & Mrs. Kennen H. Kim

Mr. & Mrs. Robert W. Kimble Mr. David Kipley & Ms. Francine Puglise Mr. & Mrs. Gideon Kishony Mr. & Mrs. Richard Koehler Mr. & Mrs. Eugene Kornel Mr. & Mrs. Michael Koss Mr. & Mrs. Burt B. Lasko Mrs. Miriam Lazar Ms. Julia Leclerc Ms. Nancy R. Levi Dr. & Mrs. John R. Lindquist Mr. & Mrs. Arthur J. McGivern MedScript Long Term Care Pharmacy Mr. & Mrs. Lou Morrone Navy Federal Credit Union North Shore Unitarian Church The Options Clearing Corporation Mr. Chaitanya Patel Ms. Rosalie Piazza Mr. & Mrs. John Piccione Mr. & Mrs. Edgar A. Rhodes Mr. & Mrs. Jack W. Schuler Ms. Christine Stegman Mr. & Mrs. Phil Stephan Mr. & Mrs. James Stephanak Dr. & Mrs. Richard L. Sturm Mr. & Mrs. Harold B. Tobin Mr. & Mrs. Kent Verner Raj Vora Rev. Dr. & Mrs. Glenn Wagner Mr. Joseph Wallace Col. & Mrs. Charles R. Wallis Mr. & Mrs. Robert Wegner Mr. & Mrs. Rich Willix Mrs. Beverly Yusim Ms. Gale Zemel & Mr. David Mausner Bequests Corabel L. Dewitt Trust Ms. Daisy D. Patt Charitable Trust Bernice S. Schweichler Revocable Trust Charlene Landsberg Smith Living Trust Pam Sully Trust

Tributes and Memorials

We are always especially honored by the decision to honor and remember friends and loved ones with a gift to Lambs Farm. Below, we list the names of those individuals who have been honored or remembered with a gift received from September 2019 - December 2019.

In Honor Of Ellen Allsteadt Stephen Allsteadt Catherine Alvary Elizabeth Alvary Christine Baudendistal Michelle Benham Carol Benvenuti Dylan Block Jessica Boyd Lori A. Carlson Davina Carrkowski Carolyn Cleary Richard Cordas Libby Creigh Darnell Family Meera Dave Karen Dunne Thomas Durbin David Fleming Martha Fox Michael Fox Fern S. Frank William Frankel Paul E. Frederick Ann Fuller Garfinkel Family Lisa Giudice Peter Graham Tony Green Renee Hageli Michele Hendrickson Keith Hickman Laurie Hickman Aaron Holstein Jeremy Holstein Lawrence Holstein Megan Holstein Robert Holstein Simon Holstein Ruth H. Hutchison Joshua Johnson Manoj Kinhal Nigel Kirtley William Klass Calvin Kleinschmidt Kleinschmidt Family

Tony Kleinschmidt Susan Koehler Sarah Komperda Carol L. Kreiser Karyn Krupp Lambs Farm Housekeeping Miriam Lazar Charles Leclerc David Lerche Jill Levy Peter Levy Jodye Lieberman Karen Lieberman Jody Lindquist John R. Lindquist Michael Lindquist Bradley Malm Mark McCleneghan Kathy McMeins Michael J. McMeins Earl Meyer Milburn Family Lauren Miller Dennis Moss Ruth I. Moyer Marc Nachtman Michael Nathenson Robert Neiman Nancy Northrip Terrie O’Day Kathleen O’Neill Richard E. O’Neill Carol Pankros Anna Patel Lianne Piccione Sarah Powills Diana Rau Ralph E. Rau Bruce P. Redwanc Edgar Austin Rhodes Marilyn Rosengarden Wynn A. Rosengarten Ruth Schulien Wally Sczygielski Jeffrey Sears Jack Shannon

Andrea Shoffstall Susan Siebers Joe Sitkin Janice E. Small Charlie Smoler John Sobol Desire Soltys Eli Spector Elizabeth Sprowl Robert O. Stein Brian Verner Douglas Wagner Chris Walti Jerry Weinberg Sandy Weinberg Stephen Weithers Andrew I. Wernick Joanna Willix Dianne M. Yaconetti Denine Yeazell Robert Zaleta Gregory L. Zaun Karin Zaun Jeff Zemel Jon Zils

In Memory Of Bernadette Andersen Jerry L. Bailey Richard Berger William Bock Elizabeth “Betsy” Brake Jimmy Braun Karen Buron Carol Catalano Lucille E. Cerwin Ken Chapin Emily Coolidge Marion Crake Michael Crake Betty Delgarn William Diehl Arleen Dorman Della Dunbar James D. Dunbar Julie Durbin Robert Durbin Ruth Eldert William Eldert Dennis Emary Robert J. Emary Richard Flynn, Jr. Gertrude E. Fredrich Frank Froncek Irene Froncek Katie Geelhart Sander M. Goodman Caesar J. Gridelli Shirley Harms Kenny Harper Martha Ingolia James A. Jordan Myron Katz Chang Hwan Kim Bill Lambert William Lambert, Jr. Charlene Landsberg Smith Thomas R. Smith June Larsen Bertrand N. Lascoe Nancy Leviton Roberta Levitt Dolores Lewandowski

Norbert Lewandowski Dan Loizzo Marjorie Loizzo Mary Emma Love Joyce Luchetti Laura Lyall Berkeley MacDougall John Mahoney Loli Manfredini Michael C. Martino Alan Marzano Tera L. Matthies Josephine Mazzoni Nina Mazzoni Thomas M. Mints, Jr. Jill Moyer Dorothy Murphy John “Jay” B. Murphy John B. Murphy Katherine M. Murphy James Neary Carol Ann Nichele Doris Niemann William Niemann Paul Norris Gloria Obremski Bablo Patel Leo Petrick Marjorie Petrick Julia Polacci Anthony Pontillo Dora Pontillo Mabel Ramskill Wirt E. Ramskill Frank Redwanc Stella Redwanc Diane Renwick Donna Savitskas Butch Schascheck Ronald Schleiden Darlene Schultz David Schulz William Siebers Barbara M. Silet William Silet Anthony Smith Elizabeth Smith

Doris Solomon Yeun Sook Evelyn Stenberg Karen Sue Stenberg Holly G. Stephenson John H. Stocker Pamela A. Sully David Sundheim George M. Sundheim Sally Sundheim Sunheim Family Blanche Taormina Bob Terese Mary Ruth Terese Thomas Vacek Valerie A. Wolf Lou Zemel

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Upcoming Events Meowaste

Potting Party at Lambs Farm

Wednesday, March 11 | 6:30pm - 7:30pm Visitors Center Be prepared for cats to hop on your mats during this introductory class with Blue Sky Yoga.

Saturday, May 9 & Sunday, May 17 | 10am-1pm Dogwood Garden & Pet Center’s Greenhouse Bring your container(s) and plant them here!

From 10am to 1pm, staff will help you choose from our wide selection of sun or shade annuals, perennials and Proven Winners. The best part you leave the mess with us!

Puppy Yoga Wednesday, March 25 | 6:30pm - 7:30pm Visitors Center You will be surrounded by cuteness as Angie Miller from Blue Sky Yoga leads an introductory class with the help of adoptable puppies.

Bunny Brunch Friday & Saturday, April 10 & April 11 Magnolia Cafe & Bakery/Visitors Center Join us for a delicious buffet and a visit to the Bunny Patch! Kids can enjoy spring crafts, activities, visit with some Farmyard friends and take a photo with the Easter bunny.

Mother’s Day Brunch Sunday, May 10 Magnolia Cafe & Bakery Treat Mom to a wonderful brunch for her special day! Families can choose from a feast including breakfast classics, lunch/dinner entrees and a spread of desserts made fresh from our bakery.

Seatings are at 10am, Noon and 2pm.

Call 847.362.5050 for reservations.

8th Annual Lambs Farm Champion Car Show Sunday, June 14 | 10am-3pm Lambs Farm Main Parking Lot Families can view antique and classic cars, enjoy food and beverages and participate in a raffle at Lambs Farm’s Champion Car Show. Free admission for visitors.

7th Annual Fun & Fit Family Day 5k Run/2 Mile Walk Saturday, June 20 | 9am-Noon Lambs Farm Enjoy a brisk run or walk starting at Lambs Farm through the Old School Forest Preserve and help raise money for the men and women of Lambs Farm. Sponsor booths and family activities will be open during and after the event. Call 847.990.3749 for more information.

Model Train Day Seatings are at 9am, 10:30am and Noon.

Call 847.362.5050 for reservations.

Easter Brunch Sunday, April 12 Magnolia Cafe & Bakery Easter Brunch features hand carved meats, breakfast classics, fresh fruit, vegetables and a fabulous dessert table!

Saturday, May 16 | 10am-3pm Magnolia Cafe & Bakery/Visitors Center The Magnolia Cafe & Bakery will host the Valley Model Railroad Club’s CTC computerized signal system for children of all ages to operate!

Families can also purchase a Fun Pass and head over to the Visitors Center for train-related crafts and activities.

Seatings are at 10am, Noon & 2pm.

Call 847.362.5050 for reservations.

14245 W. Rockland Road, Libertyville, IL 60048

p: 847.362.4636

f: 847.362.0742

www.lambsfarm.org