On Saturday, November 21, 2015, I attended the Celebration of the Turkeys at the Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York. I have been a couple of times before, so I knew the routine, but I hadn’t been in the last few years because I waited too long to get a ticket. So, needless to say, I was quite excited about everything – the feeding of the turkeys, the vegan Thanksgiving dinner, the picturesque beauty of the farm, the chance to celebrate compassion with like-minded others, and, yes, the gift shop!!

This year I decided to pay attention to as much detail as I could. My observations started in the parking lot. Mostly New York State cars, but I saw license plates from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts and even one from California. The barn building where we all signed in was a rustic structure with a charming vibe. On display was information about the work the Farm Sanctuary does, facts about animal agriculture abuses, a display wall of photos and quotes from celebrities in the scientific and entertainment community about human relationships with other living beings and others praising the work of Farm Sanctuary. Hot apple cider, hot tea and coffee, and healthy chips and cookies gave us sustenance for our journey to the animals.

Despite a blustery cloudy day, we set out to once again see and interact with those farm animals that most of us might pass on the road when we see cows or chickens in a field, but don’t get to look into their eyes and know them the way we do our companion animals. 

The feeding of the turkeys, of course, is the main event. We all sat on bales of hay and watched trays of cranberries, lettuce and squash being placed on the low lying tables being set for the feast. The guests were not us humans all seated around on bales of hay, but the turkeys. It always strikes me that this event is such a powerful symbolic scene. On Thanksgiving, so many turkeys are killed to provide that essential? part of the celebration. But today we were reversing that to feed the turkeys, not eat them. A new tradition of compassion witnessed by men, women and children who want to see a change in how we eat, care and live. I especially love seeing the families with young children – those children are experiencing other ways to see the farm animals and learning to treat them with respect – experiences that will travel with them into adulthood and hopefully influence their choices. 

Lastly, this event is a reinforcement for the choices that I have made – it makes my commitment stronger. Seeing 350+ people take the time to attend this event, support the Farm Sanctuary, some traveling many miles – all for the purpose of gathering to honor and share with like-minded others, the compassionate lifestyle. Seeing the enthusiasm of so many for this lifestyle gives me hope that this movement to respect the lives of farm animals and their right to not be abused and treated like commodities for human consumption will spread and prevail. 

Happy Thanksgiving!– as I celebrate with my family both vegan and non-vegan, I will take the opportunity to share some vegan approved food with everyone and be thankful for those that have taught me, helped me and supported me in my journey towards the compassionate life.

Feed the Turkeys

Last Saturday went to the "Feed the Turkey" celebration at the local Farm Sanctuary - Traveled there together with a small group of animal rights activists. The day started off with a visit to the Farm to see all the rescued farm animals - cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys and more. The air was cold but the sun was shining and the beautiful views of

the surrounding farmland and rolling hills were beautiful and calming. The main event was the feeding of the turkeys. The food is piled neatly on large trays - cranberries, lettuce and assorted greens and placed on low lying tables. Once all is in place, the turkeys are let out of the barn to partake of their feast. Check out this picture:

After the turkey feast is over, there is time to continue to visit with the animals, take some refreshments at the Main building or visit the gift shop. Warm cider, vegan cookies and apples - Yummy on a chilly day! 3 of us also had fun discovering a secret 'well-heated' video room where we watched a great factory farming animated short called "The Meatrix". If anyone would like to see this (google Meatrix), it communicates the info about factory farming in an entertaining and clever way.

After the farm visit, we all went to a very upscale restaurant for a vegan meal. The banquet room was large and very festive. The food was delicious - yummy appetizers, tofurky, field roast, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, gravy. The dessert was a pumpkin truffle and a chocolate dipped strawberry. It was so nice to be able to eat every offering without having to ask what was in it!!! There were speakers with interesting stories and info and many conversations with fellow animal lovers and vegans. What a rare treat it is to be spending a day with others on the same path to the compassionate life. No animal suffered in the success of this day. I hated to see it end. Here are a couple of other pictures that captured the spirit of the event.