dreaming in a field of clover

I am embedding a slideshow of photos from the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary taken this June while I was visiting to photograph a vegan wedding. I just got to editing them a couple days ago, and it was like finding a little treat that I had hidden for myself.

As fate would have it I am here now, after another vegan wedding, sitting cross-legged on a bed in one of the lovely guest rooms. Some kind of allergen has caused flooding in my nasal networks, making breathing through my nose nearly impossible.

Tomorrow at 10am I will be practicing my pranayama breathing at a Jivamukti yoga intensive. They are being held every day this month at the Wild Woodstock Jivamukti Ashram, a “76-acre forest preserve in the Catskill Mountains. It is a sanctuary for deer, black bear, raccoons, opussums, coyotes, birds, fish, frogs, snakes, insects, trees, flowers and numerous species of fairies and elemental beings.”

The founders of Jivamukti, Sharon Gannon and David Life, are scheduled to be there. They are supporters of Woodstock Sanctuary and Sharon even rides her bike here sometimes. Sharon also wrote the book Yoga and Vegetarianism: The Path to Greater Health and Happiness. I have photographed them at events but this will be my first class studying with them, so I should really be in bed right now. I studied Jivamukti in New Orleans and did a Vegan Radio podcast about the experience, which resonated with a lot of our listeners.

I could wax poetic for hours about how amazing Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary is, but I have pillows to drool on and dreams to dream. For now I will just say it is nirvana here and I bid you Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu.

Turkeys like to eat their greens

Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary traditionally holds its annual Thanksliving event in November to coincide with the turkey massacre we know as Thanksgiving. They rent a huge banquet tent and heat it up nice and toasty for the hundreds of guests, who get to eat a wonderful catered vegan meal and listen to interesting talks by renown animal rights activists and vegan advocates. The highlight of the event is meeting the animals on the farm and feeding the turkeys a feast that contains squash, cranberries, lettuce, and other yummy whole foods that any turkey would enjoy. As you can see in the photo, the turkeys really enjoy this part of the event. The only down side is that in Woodstock NY when it is the last week in November it is usually pretty cold, it gets dark early, and it is even likely to snow.

This year the organization decided to have the event a month earlier so that there was a better chance of good weather. It was a great plan, since there would also be luscious fall foliage as a backdrop, and some extra daylight to enjoy. Leading up to the event it looked like it was going to rain and be crappy, but luckily Mama Nature came through and although it was a little overcast it was lovely, and the heaters inside the tent kept it warm enough where a working photographer would be fine in a tee shirt.

Turkeys forming a heart shape to show their appreciation

The event was well organized this year, and although I heard rumors of some near misses to me it seemed smooth like vegan chocolate syrup pouring into a soy mocha latte. The ever weird and witty comedian/comic/board member Dan Piraro MC’d the event. He projected strips from his syndicated comic Bizarro onto the wall of the tent and made random deadpan comments about them, weaving us all into his surreal twisted worlds as soymilk sprayed out our nostrils.

The featured speakers were Nathan Runkle of Mercy For Animals, John Phillips of the NY League of Humane Voters, and sanctuary cofounder and director Jenny Brown. Also in attendance were Sharon Gannon and David Life of Jivamuki Yoga and Joshua Katcher of The Discerning Brute. The amazing and effervescent band Ida played a couple sets as well, on a stage that seemed to be made of hay bales.

The highlights for me were getting to visit with old human and animal friends, eating the hearty vegan food, being brought to tears once again by Jenny Brown’s keynote, and winning a Comedy Central DVD set in the raffle. The vegan pumpkin cheesecake by Vegan Treats was freaking amazing too… all in all I think it was the best Woodstock Thanksliving so far.

duck by new duck pond	giving a turkey some love
kissing pigs	Ed Coffin from Vegan Drinks Philly
Chocolate Cake and Pumpkin Cheesecake by Vegan Treats	Jenny Brown and Doug Abel receive award from Ulster County Legislator Brian Shapiro
Dan Piraro talks with his mouth full	Sarah Peters and Gena Hamshaw volunteering
Dylan shows off his fancy steer tongue	Zaac chasing me around the kitchen with mushrooms
Hiding a lollipop from the turkeys	John Phillips of the NY League of Humane Voters

Farm Sanctuary is the original farm animal sanctuary in the U.S. founded in the mid eighties by a couple of vegan activists who made money selling soy hot dogs at Grateful Dead shows. One fateful day they rescued a sheep named Hilda from the Lancaster Stockyards “dead pile” and needed to find her a home. In the years since Farm Sanctuary has rescued thousands of animals, operates two sanctuaries, and has grown into one of the largest animal rights organizations in the country.

For a vegan the place is truly paradise, seeing farm animals living their full lives with dignity and the chance to be happy. I have been to photograph the sanctuary in Watkins Glen NY many times over the last decade. It is my retreat to nature. The animals give me inspiration to lead an ethical life. I try to render them photographically in a way that will give the viewer a direct experience of their being. Hopefully my photographs will influence people to choose compassionate lifestyles centered around a vegan diet.

The Farm Sanctuary Hoe Down is a chance for vegans and vegan curious people to get together. People like me come from all over the place to build solidarity and to celebrate our veganity. There are speakers and workshops, farm tours, food, and plenty of other activities to participate in during the weekend. Most participants sleep in tents on the farm, but some choose to stay in hotels nearby. On Saturday night there is a big dance party with more food as well as beer and wine. It is really fun to see people let loose. I get the added benefit of being able to put on a hula hoop performance that freaks people out every time.

I did not photograph the dance this year, I like to be able to put the camera down and enjoy myself. I did photograph the daytime activities as well as some farm animals. I hope you will enjoy the photos in this post. If you would like to see more my photographs of people and speakers are hosted on my flickr account and the photos of animals are hosted on my Pictage account where they can also be purchased. Please leave some comments on this site for me!

Jenny Brown, co-founder of Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, with a Rooster

I have been friends with Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary’s founders Jenny Brown and Doug Abel since a bit before they started working on the sanctuary in 2004, and have been blessed to watch it grow into the wondrous hippy hipster refuge for rescued critters that it is today. It somehow still feels strange for me to go to the events at the farm when the animals we call people outnumber the people we call animals. The time I spend there photographing the animals is typically peaceful and meditative as I try to imagine the world through their eyes and understand who they are. There is plenty of commotion; grunting pigs, chickens and roosters chasing each other around squawking, goats bleating and maybe a cow’s ruminating bellow sounding above the crowd. And of course there is Jenny Brown making her rounds chatting with the animals and orchestrating the day to day chores involved in running a farm animal sanctuary. Still, with the mountains all around and the immense importance of what is being done here, it feels somehow quiet and relaxed.

By contrast, the June Jamboree is an event bristling with families and activity, live music and amazing vegan food being served by celebrity chef Isa Moskowitz. There are lots of people I know, social responsibilities to attend to, foods to sample, pictures to take and potty breaks. For some reason I tend to spend less time with the animals when there is an event going on (except for the ones with opposable thumbs). It is heartwarming to see kids and animals bonding, and wondering if they will grow up to be compassionate and wise. I photograph these interactions because I know they will be used to bring people and donations to the farm, even though it feels a little intrusive sometimes. Usually I just put on a big lens and stay in the background, but sometimes I have to come in close with my wide angle to see what’s up.

I had originally hoped to attend this event with the Vegan Bus, but as it turned out the bus was in the shop getting new brakes, and so my friend Meredith drove me down along with my friend Scott and her friend Wendy. It is fun to be in a car full of vegans and the two plus hour drive through the Berkshire Mountains and into the Catskills went quickly. It was Wendy and Meredith’s first time visiting WFAS, and they were both moved by the experience. Scott seemed to enjoy himself as well, didn’t you Scotty? I thought so.

Anyway, here are some photos of the trip, hope you enjoy them and will be encouraged to visit, donate, volunteer, or send some love.

See all of the photos on my flickr account.

pigs are magnificent, intelligent, and beautiful. anyone who tells you different has an agenda.

this poem is my gift to you
in this prelude to the new swine flu
we all feared, but who really knew?

who knew these sweet and noble beings?
live confined in their own shit and vomit
on concrete beds beneath artificial light?
thank god they can not think and feel
like we do.

well who really knew?
it did not say so on the pinkish styrofoam
or even on the news.

if i said i knew
you would hang me from the highest tree
for lying to your children.

if i said i knew
you would put your hands around my throat
and choke the words inside of me.

in this time we have to dance tonight
in this sweet twilight of an era
i will say that i forgive you
and tell you that i love you
and that is the truth.

this way has been passed down
from mother to baby
father to child
like faery tales of santa clause and jesus
we flash our funny little teeth
and pretend to be carnivores
something about killing someone else
makes us feel immortal
something about someone else’s flesh
can taste like heaven for a moment.

the world is alive
her strangled seas
her burdened air
her sweet pigs
most noble and loyal of creatures
sweet sweet pigs.

who knew the consequence of commodifying sentience?
pigs so different from us on the outside
but to a virus perhaps not so different
from the impoverished worker
who had to kill mothers and babies
over and over until he was de-humanized

who knew that even a penny of our purchase
went to the man who came home with a pandemic?
it didn’t say so on the cellophane
dripping with blood
it only said cook to a proper temperature
and everything will be all right.

These photos are from my recent visit to Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary with my wondrous girlfriend Monica. It was her first time visiting the farm, and she was in vegan paradise! We picked a good weekend to go, as there were some new rescues who are both extremely lovable and ridiculously photogenic.

Anne the baby goat

One of the Valentine piglets

A man in western New York purchased 4 young pigs from an Amish farmer to raise for slaughter. He kept the pigs in a small, unheated garage, and one morning discovered that one of the pigs had given birth during the night. Twelve tiny piglets lay next to their mother, wet and covered with excrement. Eight were already dead and four others lay shivering and barely alive.

The Rehabilitator, Shanon Rumbugh, received the call on New Year’s Eve and she rushed the piglets home. She tirelessly nursed them back to health—but it wasn’t an easy road. Once they were stable, the original owners had the gall to ask for them back to raise for slaughter along with the others.

baby chicks march 2009

As happens frequently around Easter, we received a call from a school teacher looking for a home for 5 just-hatched chicks — the living, breathing result of a classroom project. These fuzzballs quickly grow into larger hens and roosters who have a lot of space, temperature and care requirements, and can live for over a decade.

As soon as the novelty is over, assuming the chicks or ducklings can survive the unnurturing classroom environment, the teacher or parent has to find a “home” — more often than not the end of the road for those animals. The takeaway for the kids is less about biology and more about the disposability of life. If you’re a parent or student who hears of an upcoming hatching project, please encourage that teacher to consider more humane alternatives to hatching.

Jenny Brown, Doug Abel and the baby goat named Anne

Monica, Ann and I

Check out www.WoodstockSanctuary.org to learn about ways you can help out and to see more of my fabulous photographs!