It's taken me forever to get around to writing this post, because I had about a million photos and videos to go through. But I'm finally ready to tell you all about my visit to Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York!
I first heard about Farm Sanctuary in 2008, when I found some literature at Teany in New York City. It took me three years, but I finally made it there, along with my friends Andrew and Val. Farm Sanctuary's upstate New York facility, besides serving as the home to several rescued animals, also runs a bed and breakfast. My friends and I stayed in one of their sweet little cabins for two nights.
The furnishings of each cabin are pretty bare-bones: two double beds, a couple chairs, a mini-fridge. But they're clean and cozy, and there are photographs of farm animals hanging on the walls. (The bathrooms and showers are just a short walk from the cabins, and they're actually pretty swank.)
AND we had a little friend stay in our cabin with us. We showed up at night, and were greeted by a little black cat, who proceeded to follow us right into our cabin and even sleep on our beds. At first it was weird but then we realized this was her usual routine: Act cute, get a warm place to sleep.
Our first night there, we went out for dinner at Geka's Soul, a vegan restaurant with the best service ever that somehow exists in Elmira, one of the most depressing towns ever. If you end up visiting Farm Sanctuary, eat here. It would be a good idea to call ahead so that the food is close to ready by the time you arrive. They make everything from scratch, and you get tea, salad and sweet, moist cornbread with your meal. When we called the proprietor was like "Just tell me what you want to eat, I'll make it" and I said "BBQ tofu and rice," and when we showed up, boom. That's what she'd made me.In the morning we were woken up by a rooster crowing and cows mooing, which, if you've never woken up to those sounds before, is pretty great.
We had breakfast in the adorably-named "People Barn": bagels, pastries, fruit, tea and coffee. This building also functions as an education center, with tons of resources about factory farming, including some disturbing replicas of veal crates, gestation crates and battery cages.
On a lighter note, they devote an entire wall to autographed photos of celebrities who support their efforts. Including CLAIRE HUXTABLE!
It's also home to the farm's gift shop. Besides vegan cookbooks and Farm Sanctuary gear, they sell an impressive assortment of vegan snacks, so you have something to pig out on between meals. I couldn't help splurging on a FS tote bag, a copy of Vegan Brunch and some Sweet and Sara peanut butter s'mores.
BUT THIS IS THE BEST PART. Every day at 10 a.m., guests of the B&B are treated to a free one-hour tour of the farm, during which you totally get to be right up close to and even touch the animals.Starting your day off with a visit to a sun-drenched, green pasture to cuddle some cows is pretty nice.
What struck me was how much room the animals had. The New York facility is 175 acres. If you have no concept of how big an acre is, like me, just picture lots and lots and lots of grass. The lucky cow herd gets to munch and munch all day long, or lay down for a little rest.
These are very loved, very well-cared for animals. They all have names, and they're all treated like pets, not food. Even the turkeys. This is Apollo.
Here are some of the other friends we made. (We seriously could not stop freaking out over how cute they all were, and taking photos and trying to hug and kiss them all. We're nerds.)
We had a great time snuggling with these dudes. It occurred to us that to certain people we would have looked ridiculous: stroking and petting pigs as if they were the family dog. But pigs are cute, and smart, and they seemed to enjoy the affection.
This trip stirred up some passionate feelings in me. There have been a few instances where I've questioned my veganism. Society tells us we need to eat meat, after all. After visiting Farm Sanctuary, I can say with 100% certainty that I will be a vegan for the rest of my life. I can also say that I want to visit this farm many, many more times, because if I don't I'm just going to miss these animal guys way too much!
A few other tips if you plan to visit this magical place:1. I highly recommend making the journey in the fall, because the scenery is gorgeous. I mean, upstate New York in the fall, are you kidding me? Hello, so much pretty foliage! Also, we saw like a million deer. They were everywhere! It was like a deer infestation!
2. Nighttime on the farm is very quiet and peaceful, but there's not much to do, so I would bring along some stuff to keep yourself entertained, like some books and board games. There's a TV and DVD player in the breakfast room, if you want to watch movies. (Also, Cornell University is nearby, so you could try to visit the campus. We wanted to one night, but it was pouring rain.)
3. You should definitely explore Watkins Glen, because nothing beats a cute little American town. Be sure to grab a seitan deli-style sandwich at Glen Mountain Market. Their VLTS (vegan lettuce tomato and sprouts) sammie comes with chips and a pickle and is one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten.
4. Visit the grave of Hilda, the first animal Farm Sanctuary ever rescued. It will fill you with awe.
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