Youngsters from Carbon County "Right From the Start" visited Troxell's Pumpkin Patch to pick out a pumpkin in the pumpkin patch, but also to get a behind the scenes look at a working farm.

Danette Troxell, owner of the farm, gave all the youngsters the opportunity to pet a chicken, touch their eggs, play with shelled corn, travel in a corn maze and visit the pigs and turkeys. They also slide down a slide from the second floor hayloft andFor Sierra Scheirer, 3, it was a great opportunity to pick up a pumpkin and touch a chicken, while little Chase Snyder, 15, was excited to play with the shelled corn in the hay loft.Evelyn Kuehner, said that the group has been coming to Troxell's Pumpkin Patch for a few years and that the visits have created the opportunity for friendships to grow among the parents of children enrolled in the program.Right From the Start is a program that encourages and teaches parents to be their child's teacher. The parents as teachers program supports and assists parents in fostering their child's learning and development.The program offers regularly scheduled home visits by certified parent educators who provide timely information on each child's development and respond to parents' questions and concerns.There are group meetings, including play groups, with other parents to share experiences, gain new insights and establish support networks.They hold developmental screenings to detect any delays which may interfere with success in school.Carbon County Right From the Start was developed through Carbon County Partners for Progress and the Carbon County Child and Family Collaborative. The program serves prenatal to kindergarten age children and there is no cost to enroll.For additional information about the program, call (570) 325-2771.