Kindred Spirits Care Farm

Farm Animal Sanctuary in California

Our Mission

Our mission is to promote compassion, cooperation and connection to the earth, animals and each other through sustainable care farming. Through sustainable care farming we can help feed the world, slow climate change, build community and bring hope and healing to vulnerable people. It is a flexible, scalable and adaptable practice that is already changing lives.

How can an activity as simple as sustainable care farming have so many beneficial consequences? Part of it is in the practice of care farming itself, and part of it is how we implement it.

So, what is care farming? Care farming connects the healing power of horticultural therapy and/or animal therapy in a farm environment with vulnerable people who can benefit from meaningful time with plants and animals. The long term efficacy of care farming has been validated statistically in several studies in Western Europe where care farming is a common practice.

We take care farming to a whole new level.

1. All our farm animals are rescued and their stories of rescue, recovery and ongoing happiness give hope to people who might also have experienced abuse, abandonment or neglect at the hands of people who had caregiver responsibilities.

2. Through farm education, we create opportunities for people to meaningfully interact with the natural world and learn about food’s origin from the earth.

3. We help build community by training people not only how to help feed themselves but also to help feed their communities through organic yard farming and urban agriculture.

4. All of our work is rooted in practices designed to improve soil, air, and water as we grow food that will nourish body, mind and spirit.

What is a Care Farm?

Kindred Spirits Care Farm is a place where people can come and reconnect to the earth, animals, nature and themselves. It is a farm where we have plants and animals living in harmony with nature, doing what they do as natural creatures. Yes, there is human intervention, but we will always do things in as natural a way as possible.

We plant the plants, and harvest the fruits and veggies, but we do it all in harmony with nature using permaculture principles. All our farmed animals are rescues who, although they will have to live in fenced enclosures for everyone’s safety, will get to live natural lives and to express their natural behaviors.

Care farms are very popular in Europe. There are literally thousands of them in Western Europe, but as far as we know, there is only one other one here in the United States and they are in Oregon. Traditionally, care farms are farms that welcome people to come and heal by participating in farm activities in whatever way they can. The very act of participating, being included, being in nature, and having a meaningful task to accomplish can be incredibly healing. We want to offer this to kids, to veterans, and people recovering from physical illness and many others.

Kindred Spirits Care Farm is meant to be an inspiration and a place of empowerment for everyone. We would love to have you join our kindred spirits family. We invite you to follow us on Facebook to keep up to date on all the latest developments with this adventure.

Let’s make the world a better place by bringing the concept of care farming to the United States. Please email us at info@kindredspiritscarefarm.org for more information on how you can join the care farming movement.

Animal Rescue and Sanctuary

Kindred Spirits Care Farm provides a caring home for rescued farm animals. These animals, in turn, provide endless opportunities for visitors and volunteers to connect to other lives that have different forms, but very similar needs for love, safety, freedom of choice, and health. The rescued animals help us learn patience, compassion and a renewed wonder with the miracles of other living beings.

The animals also provide a safe space for vulnerable individuals to come and be at peace in the presence of another. Most of us, at one time or another, have felt the need to simply be with another without chatter. Others have a story to tell that is too tender to speak to a person who might judge us or try to fix us or ignore us. Animals do not judge us based on society’s values. Animals judge us on whether or not we are gentle, safe, trustworthy and calm.

If we can offer these things to the animals, they offer their true hearts in return. They don’t run off to meetings, dismiss us as childish or manipulate our pain to their advantage. This is the healing they offer to those who are wounded.

Permaculture Gardens

Permaculture is all about learning to cooperate with nature rather than to impose our will on nature. Cooperation leads to greater benefits with fewer costs and less energy expended. We work to implement permaculture design concepts in the development of our gardens where we grow deliciousness and beauty in the form of fruits, veggies, flowers and herbs. And by doing so we help connect people to the earth, plants, biology, science, natural rhythms and each other. Weeding rows of baby lettuces really can bring people together.

Volunteer Program

Non-profit farms of any size cannot survive without the generous gestures of volunteers. We welcome people who can help keep the animals happy and the gardens thriving. The benefits to volunteers are endless. Working with animals and/or gardens is therapy for the soul. It can lower blood pressure, ease anxiety, bring new friendships and even change lives.

To volunteer, please contact us below.

https://www.kindredspiritscarefarm.org/volunteer-program

Field Trips

Studies show that offering students the chance to directly experience nature in her many forms can improve their overall academic performance, self-esteem, personal responsibility, health, and appreciation of nature. Kindred Spirits Care Farm offers opportunities for kids to come and experience nature through plants and animals living natural lives. Visitors can learn about the animals and their stories and sample some of the deliciousness of the gardens.

To schedule a field trip, please contact us at kindredspiritscarefarm@gmail.com.

Giving is Caring

Whether you give time, money, advice or supplies, you give because you care and we thank you. There are so many ways to contribute. We offer some suggestions below and encourage you to get creative. Everyone has something to offer to make the world a better place. Only you know what you are inspired to give.

• Sponsor an animal – every animal should have a special friend
• Donations in honor of a special someone and/or a special event
• Memorial donations
• Corporate sponsorships
• Planned giving
• In kind gifts (our wishlist)
• Give your old car, boat or RV
• Gifts of stock
• Gifts of time (volunteer)
• Get creative!