It takes a village

Here at Butterfly Field Farm, we have what I would consider a smallish sanctuary, 47 rescues and fosters and 10 pets who were not rescues. With Tara and myself still working full time and raising 10-year old twin girls, we would not be able to do this without help. Our volunteers assist us tremendously with the physical side of the sanctuary. Between our volunteers that have a love for animals or our Liberty University students that enjoy volunteering, they make the daily chores that much easier for us. They help with mucking barns, creating new pens from dense brush and trees, to feeding and manure maintenance. But they also do something we do not always have time to do, love on our residence. Brushing them, walking them and talking to them, all our volunteers help our residents feel loved. It also takes our donors; without financial help we would not be able to give these beautiful souls their best life. Donations pay for food, shelter, vets and farrier costs that keep our residents healthy. It takes kindness from others like our neighbor the vet tech who is always there for us when we need an opinion when we see something that concerns us. Without her, we would not always know what problems are serious and require a vet’s attention, and what problems we can fix ourselves. She has been invaluable in our growth. Even the feedback we receive on social media motivates us to continue on this path. It also takes our visitors; their input helps us to understand that we are on the right path. Our residents are always excited to see new faces and meet new people, especially children. Seeing their faces light up when they touch a farm animal for the first time or hear comments like “I have never petted a cow before”, help us to know that we are changing perceptions. And if we can change people’s perception of these beautiful beings, we are making the difference we want to make.