NY Part 1

I know what you're thinking - it's been forever since I've posted. You're correct, it has been a very, very long time. Please forgive me, this Momma only has so many hours in a day...

We were in need of a family getaway. Serious need. Between work, school, soccer (5 days/week) and taking care of the house – life can get exhausting pretty quickly.

We decided to take a long weekend and head up Rt. 15 to Corning, Watkins Glen and Ithaca. I hippie’s dream location, I know – I almost didn’t come back. We had a busy 3 days planned, so we saddled up early Saturday morning and went right to The Farm Sanctuary. http://www.farmsanctuary.org/

I really don’t know how to put The Farm Sanctuary into words, but experiencing it gave me a sense of calm and affirmed my beliefs. Several people associated with TFS are vegan, just like their founder (and now one of my idols) Gene Baur – so me being a vegetarian, I learned a lot… it was very thought provoking.

 

Bean has been asking to go ever since I showed her their Facebook page and it was, hands-down, one of the best experiences of my life. You arrive at this huge farm in the NY countryside, park in a field, and sign up for a tour. You start your experience by watching a short video explaining the background of TFS, how it was founded, why they do what they do (factory farms, animal cruelty, etc) and then you go on a walking tour. Now, when I say “walking tour”, you walk the grounds, go in the pens and interact with these gorgeous, intelligent creatures. I was floored by how sweet and approachable they were after the hell they’ve been through.

We started with the cows, and I just wanted to bring them home with me. They are currently separated into 2 groups, regular herd and special needs. We pet them, hugged them and stood in awe.

There were several pens of pigs – mommas and babies are kept together, and their bond is incredible. The sheep and goats… there were kiddos all around, beautiful noises filled the air. Chickens wander free…

As we walked, our guide gave tips and stories about the animals we are seeing, what they’ve been through, where they came from and what projects are currently in the works. We saw (and interacted with) cows, pigs, chickens, ducks, turkeys, goats and sheep. All the animals have names – and they know and respond to them. They are respected and loved.

They are outside, getting dirty, living their lives as they should – they aren’t stuck in cages so small that they can’t turn around or be with their children. Their beaks are not burned off so they can be shoved in a room with 10,000 other birds. They aren’t kept in veal crates for 4 months until they meet their cruel death. They aren’t forced to have a litter several times a year. They aren’t force-fed huge amounts of food only to be killed for their livers.

They live freely.

These animals, they are someone – not something.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m not going to shove vegetarianism and veganism down your throat, but I do hope that each of you will at least look into where your food comes from. Educate yourself on how animals are treated and thrown away like garbage, even when they’re still alive. I promise, this information will shock and anger you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We can all make small changes that will have a huge impact on the meat/farming industry and our planet all together. Please take a few minutes to look around on The Farm Sanctuary site, hopefully it will inspire you.



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I love Ellen. She is a wonderful person and watching this video will shine light on her choice to be vegan.

 

Warning - if you want to watch Earthlings, you need to be prepared. Seriously, it will make you want to vomit. I've watched the trailer and maybe the first minutes and had to stop. It is sickening, bloody, horrible - and true. DO NOT ALLOW children in the room or the surrounding rooms - the animals scream and yell.