Welcome to Martha’s Farm Animal Sanctuary!
When my husband John and I discovered the property overlooking the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley in 2013, it was love at first sight. The ranch was the perfect place to fulfill our dream of having an animal sanctuary.
I have always thought that farm animals, which are commonly considered agriculture or part of the food chain, have especially hard lives, and even more so as they grow older. With land to share, we thought we would start a rescue and focus our energy on helping farm animals. We named the ranch after my mother, Martha, an inspiration and true animal lover, and thus, Martha’s Farm Animal Sanctuary was born.
Martha’s Farm Animal Sanctuary now provides a safe, serene, and spacious home to dozens of farm animals that need to be rehomed. My husband and I live on the property and the animals are all here with us. Under our care, they are treated with love, compassion, and respect, much like an extension of our family. Currently, the sanctuary is home to a multitude of cows, goats, pigs, donkeys, chickens, sheep, roosters, cats, dogs, and ducks - and we still have space to grow!
In addition to the farm animal sanctuary, on our ranch we grow a polyculture of produce: there are stone fruit orchards, varieties of Greek olive trees, chestnut trees, and lavender fields. As an added bonus, there is an arroyo with fantastic hiking trails and brush for the goats.
The revenue from our ranch products help to support the sanctuary as does the sale of Pacafone, a lightweight, handmade, vegan phone pouch that allows you to comfortably and fashionably carry your phone with you all day long. Inspired by Martha, who often misplaced her phone, Pacafone is a ranch invention and each one is made by hand on our property.
These revenue streams are helpful because caring for farm animals is an act of love, not profit. We are always looking for new ways to support Martha’s Farm Animal Sanctuary’s cause. We recently started a local artisan farm stand, Three Dreamers, to sell our products on Sunday’s, and a portion of the proceeds benefit the sanctuary.
The biggest expense at the sanctuary by far is medical care, especially surprise needs and vet emergencies. Other expenses include food (cows eat a lot!), shelter, farriers, and transportation.
With your generous donations, we can continue to grow and fulfill Martha’s Farm Animal Sanctuary’s mission to provide a safe and loving environment for the farm animals in our care.
On behalf of our entire family of people and animals, I thank you sincerely for your support.
Nikki