In the countryside of Verona is a farm sanctuary where compassion is revered, children are nurtured through human-animal bond and respect and kindness always come first.
From emus, ducks, chickens and turkeys to llamas, sheep, pigs, goats, cows and more, Heartland Farm Sanctuary is a farm animal sanctuary currently home to more than one hundred rescue animals.
Heartland is also home to humane education programs, where children are able to interact with the animals, learning how to best care for and nourish them. Through long-term programming opportunities, bonds are formed and life-long lessons are taught.
“We stress that, although we may look different on the outside, we are all the same on the inside,” Heartland Farm Sanctuary states on its website. “Children will become sensitive to meeting animals’ needs for safety, nourishment and forming bonds with others. Particularly fun and educational is learning how different animals communicate, and in the process children become more aware of their own communication skills and their impact on others.”
Communications director Jamie Monroe and programs director Maggie Bayerl share more about this special farm.
How did the organization get started?
Jamie: Founder Dana Barre started the sanctuary with two rescued baby goats, Clark and Diana. She was always into animal rescue and noticed that there were plenty of resources for dogs and cats, but nothing for farm animals. She was invited to Camp Paw Print through the Dane County Humane Society, to which she brought the two baby goats. It was there that she noticed how the campers lit up and responded to the animals, and thought the sanctuary could also be a way to help people. So she founded the sanctuary in 2009 and doors opened in 2010.
Can you explain the Humane Education Program and how that came about?
Jamie: Humane Education has always been a big part of our mission, but it’s really evolved since our full-time programs director, Maggie, was brought on.
Maggie: Something that was important to me right away was how to make connections with our humane education participants, how to keep them active and engaged with us. So I have really focused on discovering meaningful ways to keep participants engaged in our community after participating in our programs. We have opportunities from camp to enrichment club to experiential therapy programs and volunteering.
What’s the biggest impact that children receive from their visit? Any story stick out in particular?
Maggie: There are so many — every day I see our mission play out. One story that sticks out is about a long-time camper. Sometimes people come here when they don’t quite fit in anywhere else. One participant struggled in school and he turned towards the farm as a sort of safe space for himself. This student really connected with one of our goats, Waylon. And Waylon can kind of come off as a bully. At first, he was kind of cold and intimidating. Then we learned more about Waylon’s background. His original owners were not very nice to him. They would taunt him by pulling on his horns and roughing him around. Waylon wasn’t really a bully, he was just self-conscious. This student met Waylon and really connected with him. He noted that he had a lot of Waylons at his school and that Waylon taught him to question the things that his bullies might be going through.
How do you think children take the mission of inspiring compassion and apply that outside of the lessons they receive at the Sanctuary?
Maggie: One of the big things we see is kids come here and they interact with the animals and realize that everybody loves and receives love differently. They learn from the animals that it’s okay if the way you give and receive love looks a little different. And they learn how to support the animals in the way that they need. Some of the animals need their space, some enjoy the attention. It’s a great lesson they can take back to their own interactions with other people.
What other life lessons might we learn from the animals at the Sanctuary?
Jamie: Everyone has a story. Every animal has a past. The same goes for all of our visitors, campers and tour participants. It’s so important that there’s a place where compassion is revered. We will meet you where you are.
Maggie: One of the beautiful things about Heartland is the animals can be exactly who they are, and everybody loves them. And that makes me feel like, “Great, I can show up exactly as myself every day, and people will love me too.”
How can community members get involved?
Jamie: Donate! As a nonprofit, we rely on donations. We do not receive state or government funding, so donations are very important to us. We have an option to donate monthly, which is really appreciated. We also need volunteers. There are volunteer opportunities for animal care, barn chores, programs, office work and groundskeeping. We also do tours every weekend seasonally and open barns. Lastly, we have our annual Thanksgiving for the Turkeys coming up on November 16th, so we would love people to join us for that!
– Megan Kulick
Photos by Perri Moran and Heartland Farm Sanctuary.