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Summer is a Great Time to Visit a Farm Sanctuary, by Sharon Nazarian, VLCE

Here we are in May, one of my favorite months of the year. Why you ask? Because we’re at the beginning of farm sanctuary season! It’s about this time of year, every year (April/May through October/November), when many farm sanctuaries all across the country open their doors (and barns) to visitors.

Many have guided tours where you get to learn about the individual animal residents, hear their stories, and get to know them and their unique personalities. You can get close and pet the animals. Many farm sanctuaries also have events during this time as well, like Farm Sanctuary’s annual Hoedown Conference in August.

WHAT ARE FARM SANCTUARIES & WHY ARE THEY SO IMPORTANT?

Farm Sanctuaries rescue farm animals and provide a home for them on their farms. In this safe haven, the animals are loved and cared for. In addition to rescuing farm animals, these organizations educate, providing information and resources both online and at their physical locations. Farm animal sanctuaries promote a compassionate vegan lifestyle.

It’s at a farm sanctuary where you can really experience these wonderful beings, the farm animals. When you go to a farm sanctuary, you can look into the eyes of the animals, watch them play, pet them (pigs love belly rubs). In this experience, the connection can be easily made. The realization that animals are not here for us to consume, wear, or otherwise use in testing or entertainment. They are friends, not food. They are someones, not somethings.

MY EXPERIENCE AT A FARM SANCTUARY

In 2013, I went Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, my first time to a farm sanctuary. The guided tour was moving and informative. The animals are so sweet. We met Dylan the cow and learned that he loves pine. He has the longest eyelashes that I’ve ever seen. In this video, Doug Abel, co-founder of Woodstock Farm Sanctuary introduces us to Dylan the cow. He also talks about the meat and dairy industry.

 

One of the first and largest farm sanctuaries is Farm Sanctuary  They have farm shelters in New York and California. Farm Sanctuary has worked tirelessly to push legislation to protect farm animals. They truly are a voice for the voiceless. Their robust website contains a tremendous amount of information and resources.

When I interviewed Farm Sanctuary co-founder, Gene Baur at their 25th Anniversary Gala, he talked about what life is like at their farm shelters and the benefit to going.

“When you look into the eyes of an animal you can see that they have feelings, that they want to live and they don’t want to be abused. Farm animals have feelings like all other animals and when you come to Farm Sanctuary you see that very clearly” – Gene Baur

I’ve been saying for a while now, once you meet them you can’t eat them. A little knowledge is a wonderful thing and can sometimes be a tough pill to swallow, but once you know, you can’t un-know. Once you know, a whole new world opens up. Living vegan is an adventure, exploring new ways of eating and living in the world. Making choices that align with your values feels right.

Have you been to a farm sanctuary? Feel free to share in the comments below.

Sharon Nazarian is a MSVA Certified Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator. She teaches digital marketing at Main Street Vegan Academy. She runs the vegan lifestyle website, BigCityVegan.com  where you’ll find vegan recipes, tips, interviews, resources, and vegan message t-shirts (http://www.bigcityvegan.com/blog/vegan-shopping) and other fun swag. You can keep up with Sharon at @BigCityVegan on Instagram, Twitter (https://twitter.com/bigcityvegan), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BigCityVegan/), YouTube and Pinterest.

8 thoughts on “Summer is a Great Time to Visit a Farm Sanctuary, by Sharon Nazarian, VLCE”

  1. Sharon, I love your warm energetic piece????
    You are one of the very first vegans I ‘met’ virtually when my daughter sent me the link to Big City Vegan around the time she was interning at Farm Sanctuary – and before we met at the pilot of Main Street Vegan Academy. I love all of these paths intersecting! And think how many animals we’ve helped save since then.
    Thank you for keeping this compassionate current pulsing.
    See you in NYC this summer:))
    Carol

  2. Sharon. I appreciate all that you do at BigCityVegan.com to promote the vegan lifestyle and make it both approachable and doable. Thank you for re-focusing our attention to the animals.

    1. Thank you so much, Chris!! It’s so great to know that bigcityvegan.com has provided value and guided people on their vegan journey! I’m so happy with the focus of this post too. Comes from the heart! ❤️:) Sharon

  3. Awesome piece. We are scheduled to visit the Watkins Glen Farm Sanctuary on June 6. Can’t wait. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.

    1. That’s fantastic, Lisa!! I have yet to go to Farm Sanctuary and hope to get there this summer – maybe for the hoedown. Enjoy!! I look forward to seeing pics and hearing about your experience there!! 🙂 Sharon

  4. Big City Vegan is the best!! I love your mantra in the video “Once you meet them, you can’t eat them”.
    I loved my visits to Catskill Animal Sanctuary, seeing those animals so happy and free and the fantastic team that care for them, especially Kathy Stevens. It’s a bittersweet experience, knowing what goes on for billions of animals every day, around the world. But all things are possible and we must continue fighting the good fight. Great job, Sharon!

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