“My first visit Watkins Glen Temple 10 years ago, around the time I became a vegetarian. It was a very impactful ride: I was lucky enough to see Julia pig and her children, and learn their stories — her children were still very young at the time. I still think about Julia often.
I started taking my daughter, Nola, to Farm Sanctuary when she was very young (she is almost 8 years old now), and she also met Julia, and later the very big kids Maggie, Diane, and Liza. Nola fell in love with them all at once. Over the years, we continued to visit Julia’s girls, and it’s always heartwarming to know that Julia is no longer with us, but fortunately she’s happy in the end, knowing the kids. Hers is safe and has the freedom to be herself. My daughter also loves the sheep and decided that Ash is her best friend (of course). If everyone could spend some time in that stable, and carry that peaceful happy energy with them, the world would be a better place.
We have always admired the exceptionally beautiful and gentle oxen that have been through a lot, yet are so kind and tolerant of our visitors. And my daughter loves to tell stories about Directed by Frank. She named her little cow doll Frank, and he slept beside her every night.
We move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 2020 and visit Acton Shelter last year when it reopened. It was a pleasure to make some new friends and we look forward to returning.
Every November we sponsor at least one turkey. This year Nola adopted Alexandra, as well as Celeborn for her cousin, and Thelma for her current teacher. Her teacher says getting Thelma’s adoption certificate led to important and thought-provoking conversations at her Thanksgiving table.
Last year, for the first time since she went to school, Nola’s teachers didn’t include turkey in their Thanksgiving conversation. She reads a book to the class about a turkey ordering a pizza (assuming it’s a vegan pizza!) for Thanksgiving and enjoying it with the family, instead of eating it on its own. . Nola was surprised and touched because usually she dreads all the talk of eating turkey. The teacher told me that because Nola is a vegetarian, she has decided to rethink her approach to class discussion in the future. I believe even small changes like this make sense.
Farm Sanctuary is a very important part of why going vegan is natural for my daughter. The thought of eating animals or taking anything from them meant nothing to her. She says the kids ask about it at school, sometimes challenging her about being vegan. She never told them what to do, but she always stood up for the animals and told them the truth. Now she has some friends who say they want to be vegetarian too!
The impact of Farm Sanctuary’s work is far-reaching and personal. I am forever grateful. “—Laura
