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The Farm Sanctuary
(Tuesday, 24 June 2008) Written by greeniac121212
This past weekend, I went to visit The Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York. The Farm Sanctuary is a facility for rescued farm animals who have experienced abuse and neglect. There are currently 700 animals living at the Watkin's Glen location of the farm. For more information about The Farm Sanctuary, please refer to their beautiful website:

http://www.farmsanctuary.org/

Upon arriving at The Farm, I was suddenly faced with a slew of ideas that would be considered radical by most folks, even environmentalists who care about animal welfare/ rights.

The first thing I noticed as we parked our car in the parking lot was a large red building labeled in bright, white letters: "People Barn." Over the course of my visit, I learned about the reasoning behind this sign. It was relatively simple: The people at The Farm Sanctuary consider animals as friends and consider a barn as a home rather than a food production facility. At The Farm, there is a barn for every type of animal, so it makes sense that there would be one for people as well.

The bathroom in the people barn was a sight in itself. Inside each stall, there was a sign that read, "This is a water saving toilet. Please hold down handle until flush is complete." By the sink, there was a sign with a detailed explanation of the bathroom's environmentally-friendly features. Part of the sign said, "Cleaning and personal care items used in our bathrooms have NOT been tested on animals and do NOT contain animal byproducts." The sign also said that all of the paper products in the bathroom were made from 100% recycled paper. Framed photographs of adorable farm animals covered the rest of the bathroom walls.

On the outside of the people barn, there was another sign that said, "Please refrain from eating animal products here. At Farm Sanctuary, we consider animals to be our companions and friends, NOT a source of food. Out of respect for the rescued animals who live here, we ask that you DO NOT bring animal products (meat, dairy, and eggs) on the premises."

Inside the people barn, there were educational materials and displays, including quotations about human-animal relations. On one side, there was a statue of Gandhi, inscribed with his words: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

Our tour began with a movie about the history of The Farm and a brief description of the way animals are typically treated on farms in the U.S. During the tour, we went to each barn, where we could read signs about the animals' histories and listen to our guide tell us about the details of animal agriculture.

The Farm Sanctuary is a radical place. The people who live and work there are extreme in their views and practices. We can tell from a brief glance at human history that extremism is sometimes productive and sometimes not productive. I think, from what I've seen of The Farm Sanctuary, that it is encouraging to radical idealists and makes a difference in the lives of animals who have suffered. The Farm Sanctuary offers one- to three-month internships, which I would recommend to those who want to care for animals and converse with thoughtful humans.
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