Do you know what "prize" awaits the Grand Champion animals from all the fairs all over the country each year? Usually, they get loaded onto a trailer immediately after the fair is over and taken to a slaughterhouse. The luckier ones get taken to a farm where they'll be used to produce offspring who will be taken from them and sent to slaughter, until they themselves are too old to reproduce, at which point - yep, slaughter. "Champion" or not, it all ends the same. 

A few are more fortunate, though. Over the years, we've been contacted on occasion by individuals who want to save their 4-H animals from this sad fate. We're always happy to help. That's why when we were contacted this year by Food Art Catered Affairs in Manchester, asking if we'd take two lambs they intended to save, we were thrilled to say yes. True to their word, the folks at Food Art rolled in near midnight on Saturday, just after the fair was over, with the Grand Champion sheep, Yoko (above), and her best friend John (right). The family who raised John and Yoko were especially relieved that John had been saved, because as a castrated boy, there was no hope that he'd be spared and used for breeding, as all their ewes had been in the past. 

We'd like to thank Food Art for saving these two sweet, gentle lambs, and you can, too! Next time you need an event catered, remember that they do great vegan catering!

These were a hit at the last potluck, and the person who made them (whose email I lost... step forward!) sent me a link to the recipe.

Enjoy!

http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=33025.0

The U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management removes wild horses and donkeys from public lands in the Southwest. The donkeys at SASHA Farm are the offspring of three donkeys who arrived at a BLM auction in Manchester in 1984. 

This is Sue, a handsome guy would would do nearly anything for a stalk of celery. Sue and his donkey friends, Ella Grey and Isadora, are probably the most often photographed animals at SASHA Farm. 

Giles was the victim of a large scale neglect case in Northern Michigan. Potbellied pigs had been allowed to reproduce unchecked, and the person responsible for their care had given up dealing with the situation. In danger of starvation, a rescue group stepped in and helped hundreds of unsocialized potbellies find new homes in sanctuaries across the Midwest. In addition to Giles, we welcomed four of his nearly-identical brothers: Angel, Oz, Xander, and Spike.

Sponsor Giles or any of the "Buffy" pigs!

Art and Van are all grown up! You can read the amazing story of their journey to SASHA Farm here and here. 

Art (left) has become unusually bold for a sheep, and he comes right up to the volunteers and visitors for attention. Van is more timid, but once he learns someone is trustworthy, he's a friend for life. We had five lambs last year, highly unusual around here, and we think it's very sweet that despite having different moms and not meeting until they were a few months old, all five have formed their own little herd. We have a new generation of very friendly, outgoing sheep!

We received a call from the Michigan Humane Society in February of 2008, asking if we possibly had any room for 25 more chickens. After hearing their story, we couldn’t possibly say no. Someone ordered two dozen chicks to be delivered to someone else’s house! (They received 26. The hatcheries always send extra to make up for the ones that will die in transit.) The person receiving the chicks, of course, had no use for chickens, especially tiny baby chicks in the dead of winter. Fortunately, rather than simply disposing of them, they took them to the Michigan Humane Society who recognized that they needed to find a safe, permanent home for them quickly.

They arrived at SASHA Farm less than 24 hours later, but shipping and all the extra transit from place to place was too much for some. The whole misadventure turned tragic for ten of them. Without stable temperatures and constant monitoring for food and water intake, they died before they reached the safety of our incubator. Thankfully, sixteen that safely and grew up to be happy, healthy hens and roosters. Hilda is one of those hens.

Sponsor Hilda and help us help more hens like her!

Perky came to us in 2008 when her human companion's health was failing. Perky is a former broodmare (meaning she was used for breeding purposes) in her mid-twenties. No longer used for breeding or riding, she's a spry retiree with an active social life. She is a gentle soul whose quiet grace endears her to everyone she meets. 

You can sponsor Perky and help us save more horses like her. 

Johan the mule used to roam 170 acres of lush pasture. No one told him what to do, and he didn't have a care in the world. So, why is he here? Well, he also didn't have a few things that are critical to keeping a mule like him safe, like good strong fences, medical care and people who would gently train him to accept the handling necessary for health maintenance and transport. 

Evelyn arrived at SASHA Farm Friday from Indiana. Someone placed an ad on Craigslist advertising her as a "summer hog roast" because she has a slight limp and wouldn't "trot well in the show ring." Luckily for Evelyn, a kind family who was looking on Craigslist for a horse noticed the ad and decided to buy her and bring her to SASHA Farm. They paid for her, by the pound!, borrowed a trailer and drove her all the way here, simply because they knew she deserved to live out her life in peace and comfort. 

Evelyn is settling in quite well, and we can't wait to introduce her to the other piglets!

Sponsor Evelyn!