LAST DAY!!!!

Cake!

Claire (I think) with her dog Basil! Awesome girl, awesome dog

Stevie, Jenny with Coco, Alfonso, and Jenny's husband and co-owner of the sanctuary, Doug

Sophie, Phil and Jenny with Coco!

The turkeys' birthday party

The kitchen/med station

The farm

So yesterday (Sunday) was Alfonso and Boon's fifth birthday! Also my last day working at the sanctuary. I might have cried in the car a little bit on the way home. but only a little. Anyway, reaching five years (and to still be in great health) is amazing for turkeys! especially considering that these birds were only meant to live for six months. I think they are my favorite animals at the farm. We tried to make them wear party hats and when they wouldn't go for that we had to settle for bow ties. They loved the attention. It was kind of the perfect last day. The concert and the bonfire the night before were a really nice close to my three weeks there as well, but still it was still really sad to leave.
I loved it, the whole thing. I hope I can do it justice in my presentation tomorrow (or Wednesday, who knows?). But I want to go back! and I want to take you guys with me! It's so beautiful and wonderful and I already miss it terribly. It's an amazing place and what they're doing there is so, so important. I'm so happy that I was able to be a part of it and help out for so long. Everyone really made me feel at home and all of the animals were just the best. I could have spent another three weeks there just hanging out with them. Thank you everyone for reading or even just looking at the pictures ;) I love you all!
WFAS represent!
Sarah

Hey dolls, it's Saturday

Today was a big day. The concert with Joy Askew and Chrissie Hynde and JP Jones was this evening which turned out to be a big success! Everyone played wonderfully, tons of people came to watch and there were no major catastrophes!
As you can see, I worked the merch booth.
The night ended with a big bonfire and I met a lot of cool new people and had a lot of fun. The sanctuary is so different at night. Everything's calm and all of the animals are put away and sleeping and the stars come out and it's just beautiful. The whole day was just really pleasant.

A lot of these next pictures I took while helping Stevie out on a tour today. My job is to watch the gates, making sure they're all shut correctly, and making sure no little kids are mauled by goats and things like that. It was pretty fun. I love hearing people talk about the animals. Everyone knows so much about them and Stevie in particular seems to be constantly in a good mood. That's Jasper, one of the youngest goats at the farm. He has a twin brother and they'll both try to sit in your lap if you sit down (even though their hooves are really pointy).

Luise, the friendliest sheep in the world

This is one of the crates that calves are kept in that are going to be killed for veal. I think somewhere earlier (I can't find it) I may have said they're keep in them for 14 to 18 months which was a mistake. I meant to write WEEKS which is better, but still pretty horrible in my opinion.


98% of chicken eggs produced in the U.S. come from chickens living their entire lives in cages just like this one. Each side of that would be stuffed with five or six chickens who will spend their entire lives trapped in that space.

That's my friend Stevie with Rod the rooster.

I also went out this morning and got a few new Cds which I'm pretty excited about. Hopefully they'll make the long trip back home tomorrow a little nicer. I'm going to miss everyone here so much and it's weird to think that this is my last night here. I know I'll come back to visit again soon, but I'm just really sad to be leaving for real this time and really thankful that I was able to do this- to stay here and chill with these amazing people and animals for three weeks. I'm so lucky! I can't believe it's over already.

Thursday

So I know I missed a couple days of blogging here, but that doesn't mean I haven't had anything to say! Oh no, I've been pretty busy, alright. Everyone's been working like crazy to make the sanctuary ship shape for the concert this Saturday- cleaning, sweeping, raking, planing flowers- and all this on top of the regular things that need doing. We've been working really hard and unfortunately this concert has planted itself right at the end of the hottest week that has ever existed ever. I think I've gotten pretty close to having heat stroke a couple of times but taking frequent breaks inside and drinking lots of water helps a lot and everyone there makes sure I'm doing just that. Nevertheless I've gotten a few sunburns and I'm pretty exhausted by the end of each day.
Writing about everything that I've experienced and that's gone through my head throughout the day on this blog each night seems like a daunting task- almost as much as giving this presentation next week, encompassing everything that I've learned and done. It's only been a few weeks, I know, but it feels much bigger. This project has been a huge thing for me- I've gotten so much stronger! and learned so much. I've come to love the animals at the farm more than I thought possible, and I know I will miss everyone. Dawnell, Sophie, Jean Phil, Stevie, Rebecca, Jenny, Rachel- everyone is just so kind and hilarious and wonderful. It's really great here.
But it isn't always perfect. I came home last night for a day of recovery before this crazy memorial day/pretenders/ probably still scorching weekend, and I'm glad I did because I'm feeling much better now. Yesterday started out great and went downhill quickly. I woke up feeling just swell; I went out and pumped my own gas at the gas station (such a grownup)! and then went over to the farm. It was hot. None of the animals were happy and I was super uncomfortable by the end of it (though I did get to work with a nice volunteer who is a music composer- very cool). We make sure to make rounds and check on the animals frequently, especially in this heat, to make sure they are all okay and have water and shade and food and such things. I was doing this, checking on the roosters in the newest coop, and found one dead. It was really heartbreaking. I had to go tell Phil and he was just so sad... I've been helping to take care of these birds for weeks. Roosters can be jerks sometimes, but mostly they're pretty sweet. Anyway, I was pretty bummed out after that and then I went back to the house and the family I'm staying with was having veal for dinner and it was all just sort of overwhelming. I really don't understand how people can do this to animals. Is it just because they are removed from them? Because, just to be clear here, they aren't just stupid animals that can't feel pain, and don't care when they are mistreated, separated from their babies and killed.
And they're really affectionate and sweet. It just hurts me that so much suffering is going on (over ten billion farm animals are killed each year in the U.S. alone) and I've never really been able to do anything about it. The animals at the sanctuary are just a part of the lucky few that were rescued. In the grand scheme it hardly even matters.
Or that's what was going through my head last night at any rate. I remember when I switched to being vegan. I had just turned fourteen and I was just full of this anger about it, and energy to do something about it that... well...never really amounted to much. I came to accept that I probably couldn't stop factory farming single handedly and that I really needed to stop yelling at people and making them feel uncomfortable when they were just trying to eat their lunch in peace. I didn't, and still don't want to stir up trouble. I think people need to decide for their own, that it's their choice, but I also feel like not a lot of people realize what's actually going on. What it takes to put meat on their plate and how much damage and pain it's causing. I really don't mean to make anyone feel bad, but it just really sucks. It sucks that I know about all this stuff, and all day I'm surrounded by people who feel the same way and I get to hang out with turkeys and goats and scratch pigs' bellies and help take care of them but the second I step off those 24 acres it's a totally different set of rules.
But I do feel like it's getting better, and I would like to stay optimistic. There are vegan cafes and bakeries and vegetarian sections in grocery stores and all sorts of things. So I'm not going to be mad at people, and I'm not going to try to force anything on them or try to make them feel guilty or act like I'm so much better than them just because I was just lucky enough to have a super awesome family and school that allowed me to do this. I'm just going to lay down some info in case you're interested, and really strongly encourage you to try to go to a place like the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary and really see these animals up close. I know I was surprised.

Anyway, here are some statistics for you from Diet for a New America by John Robbins

The Hunger Argument

Number of people worldwide who will die as a result of malnutrition this year: 20 million
Number of people who could be adequately fed using land freed if Americans reduced their intake of meat by 10%: 100 million
Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by people: 20
Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 80
Percentage of oats grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 95
Percentage of protein wasted by cycling grain through livestock: 90
How frequently a child dies as a result of malnutrition: every 2.3 seconds
Pounds of potatoes that can be grown on an acre: 40,000
Pounds of beef produced on an acre: 250
Percentage of U.S. farmland devoted to beef production: 56
Pounds of grain and soybeans needed to produce a pound of edible flesh from feedlot beef: 16

The Environmental Argument

Cause of global warming: greenhouse effect
Primary cause of greenhouse effect: carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels
Fossil fuels needed to produce meat-centered diet vs. a meat-free diet: 3 times more
Percentage of U.S. topsoil lost to date: 75
Percentage of U.S. topsoil loss directly related to livestock raising: 85
Number of acres of U.S. forest cleared for cropland to produce meat-centered diet: 260 million
Amount of meat imported to U.S. annually from Central and South America: 300,000,000 pounds
Percentage of Central American children under the age of five who are undernourished: 75
Area of tropical rainforest consumed in every quarter-pound of rainforest beef: 55 square feet
Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical rainforests for meat grazing and other uses: 1,000 per year

The Natural Resources Argument

User of more than half of all water used for all purposes in the U.S.: livestock production
Amount of water used in production of the average cow: sufficient to float a destroyer
Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of wheat: 25
Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of California beef: 5,000
Years the world's known oil reserves would last if every human ate a meat-centered diet: 13
Years they would last if human beings no longer ate meat: 260
Calories of fossil fuel expended to get 1 calorie of protein from beef: 78
To get 1 calorie of protein from soybeans: 2
Percentage of all raw materials (base products of farming, forestry and mining, including fossil fuels) consumed by U.S. that is devoted to the production of livestock: 33
Percentage of all raw materials consumed by the U.S. needed to produce a complete vegetarian diet: 2

The Antibiotic Argument

Percentage of U.S. antibiotics fed to livestock: 55
Percentage of staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin in 1960: 13
Percentage resistant in 1988: 91
Response of European Economic Community to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: ban
Response of U.S. meat and pharmaceutical industries to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: full and complete support

The Pesticide Argument

Common belief: U.S. Department of Agriculture protects our health through meat inspection
Reality: fewer than 1 out of every 250,000 slaughtered animals is tested for toxic chemical residues
Percentage of U.S. mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT: 99
Percentage of U.S. vegetarian mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT: 8
Contamination of breast milk, due to chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides in animal products, found in meat-eating mothers vs. non-meat eating mothers: 35 times higher
Amount of Dieldrin ingested by the average breast-fed American infant: 9 times the permissible level

The Ethical Argument

Number of animals killed for meat per hour in the U.S.: 660,000
Occupation with highest turnover rate in U.S.: slaughterhouse worker
Occupation with highest rate of on-the-job-injury in U.S.: slaughterhouse worker

The Survival Argument

Athlete to win Ironman Triathlon more than twice: Dave Scott (6 time winner)
Food choice of Dave Scott: Vegetarian
Largest meat eater that ever lived: Tyrannosaurus Rex (Where is he today?)

Source:
http://www.vegsource.com/news/2009/09/how-to-win-an-argument-with-a-meat-eater.html#hunger

Sunday

Here are some pig facts:

Pigs love getting their bellies rubbed. If you scratch them they will roll over like a puppy and make happy snorting noises which I just can't get enough of.

This weekend was great! I had so much fun, saw so many lovely people I could hardly stand it and ate so much delicious vegan food I thought I might just drift off into a thousand year coma. It's very difficult to sit down and write this right now instead of just watching instant Netflix episodes of 30 Rock until I fall asleep, but now that I've gotten started I'm glad that I made myself because I know I won't remember everything I want to say by tomorrow, and I also know that there are hundreds of you readers out there waiting with bated breath for my next update, so here goes (again):
This weekend was great! Yesterday Dave came up to see me on his way to Boston, which was, of course, wonderful, and this afternoon my mom, dad, sister and grandmother all dropped by the farm too. It was really fun getting to show everyone around and flex my touring skills. I even directed a total stranger to the compost piles yesterday. Hollah!


Last night Dave and I went to the Tinker Street Cinema and saw a film called Please Give (written and directed by Nicole Holofcener), which is really quite good. I would suggest that you all go see it straight away, but that it is very sad during some parts, and doesn't shy away from mammograms, so it might not be a film for everyone.
I would like to go to Upstate Film's other location to see the Secret of Kells soon.

Here are some highlights of the past few days

• Pete the pig had a breakthrough today. He stood up all by himself! It was incredible; he's gotten so much better even during the short amount of time I've been here. We're all very proud of him.

• Sammie the Turkey, who has had to stay inside while his leg heals, is feeling much better and was able to walk around and go outside a lot this weekend. All the older turkeys have been getting along really well ever since the new, Heritage turkeys moved in. We think it's a common enemy sort of thing. The new turkeys can fly and love to perch, something new to the staff here at WFAS in regard to turkeys. They're kind of escape artists too, and very smart.

SammieMy dad with a Heritage turkey (either Hercules of Hades- I can't tell)

• My little sister

• Patsy's hair cut
• Visiting the reservoir and the forests around Woodstock (watch out for mosquitoes!) with Dave

This upcoming week is my last full week at the sanctuary- I'll be going home to give my presentation about my time here and to graduate and stuff, but I would like to come back for the June Jamboree on the 13th and 14th and also visit and continue to volunteer here if I can. It's really hard work- I'm exhausted!- but I know I will miss it here a lot. Everyone is so nice and the animals are just the best. The sanctuary and Woodstock in general just have a sort of serene quality that's hard to explain. We went to look at the exhibit at the Center for Photography at Woodstock this morning and all of the pieces were just beautiful. There are so many talented people here and so many beautiful things all around it's hard not to feel inspired and happy.

Nemo still at work on his totem poll sculpture

This upcoming weekend is the benefit concert with Chrissie Hynde so we're all working hard to make the farm look especially nice and spiffy. You should all totally come. Tickets are thirty dollars (all proceeds go straight to the farm animals) and can be purchased here.
Thanks for reading!
Hope your weekend was pleasant,
Sarah

Peace begins on your plate!

Saturday #2!

Friday (Again)

Hello all!
Yes, I'm back in Woodstock. I had a great time at home and especially enjoyed seeing people, spending time with Torus and Atticus (our baby cows) and being home for Izzy(my little sister)'s birthday. but I missed the farm a lot and it was nice to get back to work today.

A couple of very sad things happened while I was gone. Sophie (the pig, not the girl) and Scarlet (a very sweet little chicken) both passed away on Wednesday. Phil says it's the worst part of the job, but that they were both very old (Sophie was the oldest of the pigs at age 11) and lived very happy lives at the sanctuary. Everyone will miss them terribly.

Today was scorching hot and we cleaned out the barn and picked up rocks in the pig field and sweated and got muddy and fed the cows and turkeys and chickens apples and made triple sure that everyone had water all day long. Two more turkeys moved in while I was away- I don't think they've been given names because they're just here temporarily, but they are just beautiful! Dark feathers and big brown eyes and they just love everyone but hate the other birds which is a shame.

Jean says maybe I'll be able to get a tractor lesson soon which would be pretty cool.
Today was exhausting. It was a very long drive back and the day involved lots of shoveling and the picking up of heavy things and it's important to drink lots of water or you can pass out or something. I am very tired!

Here is a picture of a very nice guy who is making a totem pole-like sculpture for the yard. It's pretty exciting and his name is Nemo which is also just top notch in my opinion.
He called this "ghetto welding".

Tomorrow promises to be a good day full of friendly visitors and yummy food! Next weekend is going to be nuts. It's memorial weekend and Chrissie Hynde is playing a benefit concert here. Also, this thing called June Jamboree at the sanctuary is coming up so there's a lot to prepare for. Also, bears continue to be an ever present threat.
Signing off,
Sarah Duff