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Inspiration
Life on the Farm Sanctuary - A Family Visit to Animal Paradise at Watkins Glen
by Loraine Speck
It was the first day of May and barely a minute had passed since the office opened and bookings for the 2007 tour season had begun. I was on the telephone, giddy with delight, confirming my credit card information, thereby completing our two-night reservation of their bed and Breakfast Cabin #2; and so began the fourth annual Speck family (and friends) trip to Farm Sanctuary, New York shelter.
As Farm Sanctuary members—our family adopted a chicken named Silver Gal—our 2007 bed and breakfast rate was an exceptionally inexpensive $85 per night for the four of us (we actually paid for three people as children 3 and under are free). Non-members pay $10 more per night than members. All reservations include a continental breakfast and private tour. Companion animals are also welcome, but we decided it was probably best to leave our seven cats at home with a sitter.
On the morning of our departure I packed our vehicle with the skill of a woman who's played too much Tetris. Having buckled in my beloved boys (5 year-old Aiden and Oliver, almost 2), I smiled to my husband, Mike, and together we led the way for two other carloads of euphoric travellers to vegan mecca.
We arrived hungry and weary in Watkins Glen nearly an hour before dusk (travelling across the border on a long weekend—American or Canadian—is not advised). Together we consulted the "Where to Dine Vegan" guide sent to us from Farm Sanctuary along with our cabin information. Mike and I split up. He took the baby and went to Curly Joe's for their melt-in-your-mouth eggplant parmesan and I took Aiden to House of Hong for lo mein and bean curd from heaven. With contented sighs we climbed back into our vehicles, turned left at the lights, and started the final twenty minute journey to our destination.
It was dusk now and we were cautiously driving down the dirt road that led us to the 175-acre farm when suddenly two adult deer stopped in the middle of the road about 10 meters ahead. They stood so still and we held our breath as more deer and two fawns ran across our path, soundlessly disappearing into the trees on the other side. It was the first time any of us had seen deer so close and it was the perfect way to welcome us back.
With a resounding "Yes!" to Aiden's last "Are we there yet?" we pulled into Farm Sanctuary, picked up our cabin keys, and methodically unpacked our cars. Each of the three spacious, well-kept cabins contain two double beds (as well as floor mats for any extra company), a dresser, full closet and sitting area, plus a large covered porch with a bench. This year we arrived to find all natural bars of soap on top of organic cotton towels for our showering pleasure (showers are located in the People Barn, just steps away).
It was night and the farm was closed to the public, but we could see by the light of the millions of shining stars the outline of the slumbering barns in the distance. Unpacking completed, we said our goodnights to each other and as I closed our door I looked toward the barns, knowing that daylight would bring the excitement of seeing new and old furry and feathered faces.
Morning came. The baby had slept most of the night, proving yet again that this place is blessed. I threw open the cabin door and listened to the sounds: geese honking, turkeys gobbling, cows mooing and the crowing of a rooster. Bliss. We rushed to be first at the 8:00 a.m. continental breakfast served in the People Barn (included with our reservation) and filled our bellies with freshly made vegan pastries, muffins and all assortments of the most incredible bagels on earth. Coffee was fair trade and the soy creamer was organic, showing that Farm Sanctuary is about compassion for all life.
Our private tour of the farm began at 10:00 a.m. Unfashionably dressed in old jeans and rubber boots we met again in the People Barn for a video showing the history of Farm Sanctuary (including a clip about their first animal rescued: Hilda, a sheep found alive in deadpile at a Lancaster stockyard) and the many cruel practices of factory farming.
The video ended and chocking back tears we followed our tour guide out of the Barn and onto the path that leads to a pasture where the older and special needs cattle are basking in the sun. Hiking through the hoof-trodden field dogging cow patties, we're no longer being mocked by our friends for our choice of footwear, but they are now in full realization of the advice I had given them: bring sensible shoes.
It is here in this field that we see many of our favourite old friends: Maya, Precious and Opie. Our baby, Oliver, struggled to be put down for a closer look and once released walked up to Maya, held out his hand and said in the gentlest baby voice, "Hi." Opie, a staggeringly large steer who was found still wet from birth, unable to stand and left for dead at a New York stockyard, is the oldest of them all and it's showing with his swollen joints and careful movements. I could see in his eyes that he's so tired now and it saddens me to think that this beautiful being may not be here when we visit next year.
After ensuring every cow in this pasture had had their ear scratched or nose stroked, we were off to see the sheep. The tour guide told us that generations ago sheep had the ability to shed their own wool come spring. However, greed and genetic altering have that changed that. Sanctuary staff must sheer these rescued sheep, but they lay their fleece in the fields for birds and wild animals to line their nests with.
As we approached the barn we saw it was being cleaned and every last sheep had gone off into the hills. So we travelled next door to the goat barn where we found Simon, Joey, Zoop, Pearl and their barn mates. New to the herd, Joey is a sweet-faced young goat who was found wandering the alleyways of Brooklyn with his ear tagged for slaughter, indicating to his rescuers that he had probably escaped from one of the local live markets or slaughterhouses. Despite this beginning, he was curious about us and almost came close enough to be touched.
We moved on and entered the turkey barn to see Chicky. Chicky is an incredibly handsome tom that was shaking with excitement as we approached to stroke his surprisingly soft head. On the other side of the fence we saw the female turkeys. One allowed us to pet her and in doing so she bent her beautiful head back, tucked it under her giant wing and fell asleep. Some of the turkeys' legs are starting to splay under their unnatural weight and the tour guide confided to us that she's not sure what can be done for them as their deformities worsen.
Tearing ourselves away from Chicky, we passed one of many chicken coups where we saw the magnificent Mayfly and his hens pecking in the dirt and running through the grass. We then moved next door to see the newly constructed duck barn and some chicks seized from a pet store owner who had dyed them yellow, pink, purple, orange, blue and was selling them as Easter novelties.
Our last stop on the tour was to the pig barn. We entered to find enormous pigs sleeping in piles of fresh, clean straw. Knowing the drill, we approached our nearest pig and began rubbing their warm pink bellies to which they responded by grunting and rolling onto their backs, just as any fortunate dog would do. In a smaller pen there was a piglet named Socks that I fell madly in love with. Our guide let me in and for ten perfect minutes I snuggled and was nuzzled by that sweet little pig with his perfect curly tail.
 On our way back an intern saw us stopping again to watch Mayfly and several hens lovingly groom the feathers on his face, each gentle peck like a sweet little kiss. She gave us the tremendous opportunity to enter their pen to feed them their scratch, and most incredible of all she asked if I would like to hold one of the chickens. I love chickens. I adore chickens. I was the luckiest person alive that day as she showed me the correct way to hold this beautiful brown hen. It was only a few moments before she wanted down to the ground, but it was something I will remember with pure delight forever.
Before reaching the path to the cabins we peeked inside the rabbit barn and saw adorable bunny after adorable bunny munching on fresh greens, playing on strategically placed hay bales or running throughout their outdoor pasture. Many of these contented rabbits were rescued by a woman who happened to notice them terrified, packed away in cardboard boxes and abandoned on the side of a New York expressway.
After returning to our cabins and changing our clothes we visited the gift shop to get treats and souvenirs. This ritual always reminds of the first time we visited the gift shop three years ago when a very young Aiden asked me if a wrapped cookie he was holding was vegan and I told him it was all vegan. He was a vegan kid in a vegan candy shop.
Later that afternoon after having shared a potluck lunch with our friends, we strolled out again to the barns. This time we turned left at the sheep shelter and hiked up a painfully steep hill. It was worth the effort for at the top we found the main herd and one or two cows willing to let us touch their noses with our fingertips. There was one cow that ran to us and feverishly licked my husband's hand. When she saw Oliver she unmistakably made a 'bring me the baby' motion with her enormous head. I set him down in front of her where she placed a tender little lick on the top of his sweet baby head.
The next morning we enjoyed our breakfast of bagels and pastries then met our guide for another private tour at 10:00 a.m. Some of our friends had chosen to stay behind to pack as we would be leaving for home in a few hours, but not us—never us. We weren't going to miss seeing Opie and Chicky and Mayfly and Socks and all the other beautiful creatures in this unspeakably powerful place of love and hope.
Information and Resources: Visit Farm Sanctuary on the web at http://www.farmsanctuary.org/ or contact them to schedule your own family visit:
P.O. Box 150 Watkins Glen, NY 14891
ph: 607-583-2225 fax: 607-583-2041
info@farmsanctuary.org
VegFamily Resources: Visit the VegFamily Shopping Guide for products and companies that support VegFamily.
Loraine Speck quit her cushy library job last year to become a stay-at-home mom to her two beautiful vegan boys. She lives in Southern Ontario with her children, her husband and her myriad rescued cats.
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