Farm Sanctuary

As Jenn M said «Faith in humanity restored» should pretty much be their tagline.
I like to donate to this place during Thanksgiving considering how many poor turkeys are slaughtered in factory farms every year. I’m not gonna lie. you really have to be committed to make the drive up here but I truly think it’s worth it.
They offer 2 group tours every other weekend for $ 5 where they show you the goats, turkeys, cows, pigs and more! You also get to walk around the farm at your leisure until 4PM when they close to the public.
It was refreshing to be around people who were curious about their food and questioning current industry practices. I learned that pigs were actually pretty clean and loved to be petted!
Of course. I posted pics on Facebook and got made fun of for driving so far to visit a farm but unfortunately ignorance isn’t something that today’s society is lacking. This place is special. and if you don’t get it then don’t come here and go to Safeway, buy your factory farmed animal torture meat, have your BBQ’s, and live your life in ignorance.
At least I can sleep at night knowing that there are some good people out there who are trying their best to make the smallest difference.

***4.5 stars***
I’m a longtime vegan and animal rights advocate and I absolutely love the work Farm Sanctuary does. They make a real difference in the lives of many and inspire me to be a better (more involved) vegan. You can tell they truly respect the quality of life of each animal and pour their hearts into making the world a more peaceful place.
The reason I give them 4.5 rather than 5 stars is because I thought the food served at the few big events I’ve been to was pretty bad (at best, just average). I also overheard a couple other guests commenting on how bad the food was– one of which was very new to veganism. I think it’s important the food served at these events to be good (if not great) because people who are not currently vegan but flirting with the idea of adopting a plant-​based diet may be at these events. We want to impress these newbie or hopefully soon-​to-​be vegans with the taste and quality of vegan food, not give them the impression that vegan food doesn’t taste good.

Unbelievably moving and wonderful. We went on a hot August day and loved it. The tour is worth every penny of the $ 5 and is super fun. We had an old billy goat following us around, trying to get us to pet it more. Big pigs laying on their backs waiting for belly rubs. An adorable sheep that wanted to be pet, and a miniature donkey that was freaking adorable.
Worth the drive 100%. Great place with great staff.

I am an animal lover, of the «my friends think I’m a bit crazy» variety. So, for my birthday, I reserved the little cabin on the farm for a little animal-​centered get away. It was not the smartest idea to visit in the dead of summer, when the average temperature is around 95 degrees. However, this place is just fantastic. First, the accommodations: small, comfortable, cozy. There are animal rights and animal rescue books to read, a closet full of board games, a tiny tv with a copy of Vegucated to watch. The bed is really comfy (the pull out couch is NOT), there is an air conditioner, a small fridge, a big bathroom, nice towels, glasses, dishes, etc.
The cons: 1. The water in the shower smells like blood due to the high rust/​iron content. It messes up your hair (which doesn’t really matter out on the farm). 2. We really wanted to enjoy the porch, but everything was super covered in heavy duty cobwebs (as was much of the indoors). I’m not being high maintenance here, it just would have been nice if they had hosed down the furniture, porch, and windows before we arrived-​and taken care of the indoor web-​fest as well.
The day after we arrived, we got a great tour of the farm. We were able to pet, and love on, and baby-​talk (in my case) several of the animals. The tour guide also shared the stories of how the animals ended up on the farm. And, REALLY educated us on the realities of the business of meat production in our society. I considered myself really knowledgeable about these issues, but I learned several things during the tour. We were also welcomed to join other tours that day, if we wanted more time with the animals. I really wanted that, but my friends got their fill during round one.
It’s people like these (that run this facility) that are doing the real work where animal rights are concerned. They treat the animals here with reverence and respect, they explained that these rescued animals are really the ambassadors for all of the animals that are treated as a commodity, suffer needlessly, and routinely abused, then slaughtered.
I absolutely want to come back and participate in more events here, I also would love to volunteer, and help support this organization financially. So many people do not want to know the REALITY of where their food comes from. I honestly believe that if people knew the truth, they would choose to not support the meat and dairy industry. I recommend a visit here to any and all animal lovers. You will leave enlightened!

We absolutely adored our time spent among the pigs, turkeys, cows, and sheep. It’s such a refreshing, heartening experience to meet these guys and hear their stories.
We’ve supported Farm Sanctuary for years, and it was great to finally visit. I hope someday all animals are treated as friends like the ones here are.

This is a an awesome bunch of people do great things.
They are my Heroes

I just attended Farm Sanctuary’s 25^th annual Country Hoe Down. It was a wonderful and worth-​while event. Hanging with the animals was so sweet; my heart was soothed by being in their presence. It was my first time petting a turkey, they’re quite social and very beautiful. So nice to see farm animals just living their lives and knowing that no one is going to exploit or harm them. Thank you Farm Sanctuary for all that you do for the animals.

Farm Sanctuary is a welcome haven for animals rescued from someone’s lunch box or dinner plate. A great opportunity to learn more about how our food choices can help prevent animal suffering and slaughter.

My hubby and I spent the weekend at their County Cabin —
— it was pretty, clean, comfortable, and looks like it was recently redone, with new floors and huge bathroom. They stock it with books (about animals :-) and games, and it’s very quiet (except for some late night donkey braying :-) and they let you bring your «animal companion» — aka, we brought our dog. If you’re thinking about visiting, considering staying overnight. It’s very kid-​friendly, too — and kids under 3 stay free, apparently. You could easily fit a kid or two in the cabin, and they will love petting the animals, which are very calm and loving. I’ve never pet a bird before. The turkeys were great! Go! Do it!

wow! this is the most enlightened i have been in a long time. i have been a supporter of FS for a few years now, and this was a trip long overdue. our guide, sophie, was amazing. she knew every name and every story of every animal. we went in each paddock, and had personal contact with all the animals, all of which were so receptive to human contact. every one of these guys would have made a great pet. the pigs were hilarious, and full of personality. though i’ve been a long time vegetarian i was educated as to how to present the realities of farmed animals to people. FS presents this info and answers questions without bias or judgment. the animals and compassion of their caregivers are incredibly heart warming. it truly is the responsibility of every human to know where our food comes from and what we feed our families, especially when it involves suffering or death to any creature. a must see, you will be so glad you went! p. s., we stopped at the berry patch diner in orland for a bite before, not bad!

My faith in humanity is restored! I went up to the Farm Sanctuary for thier 4^th of July «Pignic» celebration, a free event with hourly tours and a vegan BBQ. It was amazing. Every animal there has a story, and your tour guides tell you all about them (and where they like to be scratched and petted!). You will really appreciate how much personality and emotion each animal has. And it’s so refreshing to know there are places like this and people that care enough to dedicate their lives to helping those who cannot help themselves.
The BBQ was so damn good I was a fat bastard and ate a veggieburger AND a veggiedog. There were also endless Alternative Baking Co cookies — a blessing and a curse. The gift shop is neat — they have tons of cooking & resource books, ice cream treats & snacks, and the usual t-​shirts and mugs. You can get involved in the «adopt a farm animal» project here, which allows you special visiting privileges and other goodies.
The Sanctuary is about a 3-​hour drive from the Bay Area, totally doable for a day. But there is a little pet-​friendly cabin onsite if you want to spend the weekend.
I adore this place. Knowing the horrors that «food» animals suffer through makes you appreciate just watching these animals be animals — grazing, lounging, just roaming around and taking it easy, living a happy life. A very joyful place indeed.

This place does awesome work to rescue animals and to educate the public about the horrid realities of factory farming. Not a petting zoo, as John S. rightly notes, but a chance to rethink everything you were raised to believe about turkeys and cows, rabbits and chickens, pigs and goats and sheep and all the other creatures whom we wrongly believe exist only to give us temporary pleasure. A moving, wonderful place — worth a day trip.

The Farm Sanctuary is awesome for a number of reasons:
1. You can get up close and personal with happy animals — not a petting zoo, but an educational experience. Every animal has a story, a personality and many of them are quite hilarious.
2. The people who work at the FS are amazingly dedicated and knowledgeable about animal rights, farming policy, dietary stuff, etc. Though this place is a working operation, you can have chat up the workers as they go about their daily «chores».
3. They have a guest house where you can stay
with all the ammenities. After going on the tour and perhaps lending a hand with some farm work, you can jump over to Black Butte Lake and go for a swim. You can make a weekend out of it. I did.
4. Volunteering — FS will let you volunteer for a day or even for a months at a time. I did this several years ago for a month. It was an amazing month of my life that I’ll never forget. They put you up in a house with several other volunteers and you work on the farm side-​by-​side, feeding animals, doing educational outreach, etc. Great time.
5. Finally, FS has events throughout the year like Thanksgiving dinner and various hoe-​downs with guest speakers, food, etc. Check any of these out and you will be impressed.
A great group of dedicated people. An amazing experience with animals on a beautiful farm. It’s a drive, but you can always stop by the Sierra Nevada Brewery in Chico on the way out (or also on the way in) as an added bonus.
Mmmm… *

laura you rock! I love this place too. i was there for their thanksgiving dinner (eric marcus spoke and he was awesome) and for forth of july. Both events were excellent. You start off the day with a tour in the farm. you get to rub the pig’s belly, kiss the cows, play with the rabbits, touch the turkeys, and just walk around this beautiful farm. after the tour, you sit down communal style and share a nice vegan meal with other visitors, while you listen to the speakers of that evening. i think each event is about 30 bucks. it’s one of their main fund-​raising events of the year. if you are low on cash, you could always get there early to volunteer before and after the event. it’s definitely the way to do it.

farm sanctuary is the nation’s largest farm animal rescue and protection organization. Have you ever given a pig a belly rub… talked to a turkey… or kissed a cow? Well now you can! You can plan visits to Farm Sanctuary in Orland, CA (about a 2 hour drive from SF). I found this link on their site:
There is also another great sanctuary for rescued factory farm animals in Vallejo called Animal Place which is definitely worth checking out as well (and is a little closer). Anyway, wish I could give this place 50 million stars for all of their amazing work helping to rescue and spread the word about farm animals! Pigs are smarter than your dog. Chickens feel pain just like your cat. Cows can learn their names just like your dog. They are peaceful, sentient beings with personalities and feelings and no, they don’t want to live in hell and die in pain just to end up on your dinner plate. Come meet some of these animals so that you are not so disconnected from them… maybe if you cuddle a pig, you might see how special they are. I don’t know, just an idea :-)