By Isabell Macrina,
Hometown Weekly Staff
As fall approaches and the temperature starts cooling down, people are still looking for those fun afternoon activities that take them into the fresh air. Unity Farms held one of their Kindness and Compassion tours this past Saturday, where they take you around the sanctuary and introduce you to the animals and their mission in rescuing them.
Kathy Halamka, co-founder and executive director of Unity Farms led the tour today and started off with the important safety talk of keeping your hand flat when feeding the animals the lettuce they provided, because even tho they don’t have top teeth a bite still hurts. With some llama scratches and watching the goats butt heads to get the last leaf of lettuce. Halamka took us into the pasture area.
Guinea fowl ran amok and caused a scene with their loud squawks but none of the horses seemed to care. Everyone cooed at a mother-son pair that had come to sanctuary, and the horses that couldn’t be ridden any longer now had a chance at a good life here.
The cows showed their true colors as big grass puppies, just wanting scratches, lettuce, and to accidentally lick your hand. Whether it’s Audrey Heifer who was rescued because she lacks the organs to have a baby, or famed highland cow Dudley responsible for the farm’s annual “Dudleyfest” every year. They were gentle giants who everyone adored and gave good food to.
The pigs that used to be pets also made their curious demeanor known with Lunchbox and Nikki who came because they got just too big for their places, and George who lost his house in a fire (he wasn’t responsible for it… probably). We were joined by rooster Earl who had just received a spa treatment for bumble foot and was eager to get some attention. The rest of the flock of many different birds cooed and called to the crowd until they threw what was left of the lettuce scraps before finishing the tour back near the main house.
The mini horses were content with keeping their distance but were still ever so adorable, and the two big pigs of the pen, Osa and Danny, were eager to squeal and greet everyone. Our last stop was at Amelia, the large gloucester pig who was covered in sunscreen but still wanted belly rubs from everyone. I was even treated to a look behind the scenes, with some of their chickens that need a bit more tlc were held and even some baby guinea fowl, which didn’t have the best parents and were kept inside until they got older.
With ten years under their belt, it is clear that the people of Unity Farms change so many lives, animal and human alike. They encourage everyone to be kind to each other and yourself, and give animals the same grace you would a person.
