Let’s talk about grass, man! Because nobody eats for free.

More specifically, let’s talk about what we need to feed the animals at the Poore Farm Sanctuary.

And, less appealing, let’s talk about how we remove what’s left after the grass has been…erm…processed.

We go through about 820 bales of hay every year to feed our 28 animals here at the sanctuary. We also rely on the grass in our 4 acres of rotating pastures to give additional seasonal nourishment to our grazers. To keep the grass healthy and invasive weeds down, we need to mow and aerate the pastures.

We need a tractor. Stat. We have been managing our grazing fields with string trimmers and our manure pile with wheelbarrows. Recently, nightshade and thistle have begun to take over one side of the lower pasture, a sign that the nutritious grass is losing ground to non-edible weeds, and the manure pile is spreading out across the pasture, attracting flies and killing existing grass. It also needs to be turned and piled to compost.

And then, lo and behold, a neighbor has a tractor that is perfect for our needs! And it is new enough that it is under warranty and will last for decades. It has a field mower and a bucket! Huzzah! And it’s depreciated enough that we will save about $7k over new, even though it’s pretty much new (used for 12 hours).

But it’s hay season, which means we are investing in hay to get us through the upcoming year, which is a $9000+ chunk. And we have recently had a string of veterinary expenses, fence repairs, and we took in another big pig this spring, which necessitated some boring but necessary landscape work. And there’s all the shavings, straw, pellet feed, supplements, and the grapes and baby spinach that James insists on chopping up every morning for the flock so “everyone gets a bite.” Softy.

Our Patreon is a godsend, and we are plugging away at a foundation to support the animals here, but in the meantime, we could use a hand with the winter hay supply in light of the $18k we are dedicating to the tractor.

So, if you feel inclined, please consider assisting us with any or all of these needs. We are preparing to see a lively, hungry crew through the winter, and every bit helps. Thank you!! ❤️

I’d rather join Patreon for updates and support