Sweet Peace Farm Sanctuary (2025)

26/07/2025

One of the ways that we provide enrichment to the 45 ducks under our care is to give them dedicated garden spaces for foraging, digging, napping, hiding, exploring, and everything else that waterfowl like to do in grassy overgrown areas. We start out in early spring by scoring the ground, throwing seeds of native grasses, covering them with straw, and closing the gate. If we weren't able to close it off, the ducks would rip the ground up and nothing would grow! By letting the area rest, in mid to late spring there is a lush oasis ready for foraging, and 45 little beaks and webbed feet immediately get to work. Typically the ducks eat the grasses up right away, and plantago takes over. In the winter it all dies back and we can start again!

All of our waterfowl live in aviaries, and this is a measure we've taken to completely eliminate the risk of predation. Is it extra work providing enrichment, cleanliness, and seasonal garden spaces rather than putting them out on their own? Yes! But it also means that we can readily observe them for medical issues or social problems, and nobody has to endure the excruciating experience of being eaten alive by a hawk or raccoon. We are proud to say that no predation has ever occurred at our sanctuary.

I want to ask other rescues and sanctuaries: If you wouldn't allow a dangerous life for a goat, cow, or pig, why should we allow it for birds? Giving animals lives free from boredom and harm should be the goal regardless of species. For all animals under our care, it is worth it to see them thriving in a space that’s safe, stimulating, and theirs.

19/07/2025

Can you spot the difference between these two photos? Some may have fur and others have feathers, but they all have the same fundamental rights to experience lives free from harm and full of joy, companionship, and safety. 💚

The dogs and ducks pictured here are both domesticated animals and actually aren't that different. Both species want to make their own choices and value autonomy. They both form special bonds, attachments to one another, and value their unique place in a group. They both want to spend time feeling safe. They both love trying new foods and having new experiences! They both cannot survive happily unless provided food, safety, and veterinary care by humans. And finally, this may shock you, but neither of them can fly!

To be completely candid, they are also both exploited by humans and overpopulated to a massive degree. Like I said in a post we made earlier in the season, we cannot help all ducks due to the sheer numbers of people irresponsibly hatching and buying, and the same goes for dogs. So if you are wondering, yes, we do not breed Sammy and Ella – and we also do not breed Bean and Sprout, or any of the other animals at our sanctuary. We hope one day that all animals are given the reverence and respect that they deserve, and that every domestic animal has a home.

12/07/2025

Meet the newest member of our goose flock, Breezy ☁️🍃

This sweet goosey girl was found wandering the streets of Baltimore. Being a domestic goose, the city was no place for her, let alone that she is only a few months old and had no friends to help her survive! We don't know how long she was making it on her own, but she has a feather condition called angel wing that is a result from poor nutrition as a gosling. Ducklings and goslings can both develop angel wing when they are fed an incorrect amount of protein in their diet, which causes their wing bones and feather follicles to deform while developing. Unfortunately this is not something that can be corrected, but it only really matters for birds that have to be able to fly to survive and live in the wild. Being a domestic goose that was bred to be large, heavy, and dependent on humans, getting up off the ground is not something that was ever in the cards for her anyway!

A good Samaritan found Breezy and helped her to a vet's office, who then began to try to find a good home for her. Breezy is still working on her integration and forming bonds with the five other geese here: Jelly, Dewy, Boba, Stormi, and Rainn. We are excited for Boba to finally have another female friend, and we’re hopeful that Breezy will soon feel right at home, honking proudly among her new flock and waddling confidently into this next chapter of her life in safety and sanctuary. 💚

07/07/2025

Apparently today is World Chocolate Day 🍫 – and what the heck does that have to do with sanctuary cows? When I see Spud peacefully sunbathing in the field, after a quick bout of cuteness aggression from wanting to squish his big sleepy face I am occasionally reminded that virtually nowhere else on the earth would he be allowed to enjoy life this way.

Spud is a Jersey steer, a breed of cow most commonly used for dairy. But since he was born a boy, he can't produce milk, and he's considered a waste product. Male calves that are born on dairy farms rarely ever even make it to adulthood, because they are either made into veal on the farm or sold at auction to meet their ends elsewhere. But Spud's life took a different turn – after his owners used him as a pet for their kids for a year, they demanded that he be sl@ughtered. Being able to live slightly longer was incredibly lucky for him. It was only because of a nearby animal advocate that he was able to be negotiated out of the farm and brought to our sanctuary. He will live his full 20+ year lifespan with us. And that is a fate that an incomprehensibly small number of cows from the dairy industry, male or female, ever get to experience.

Every purchase of chocolate that contains milk means that money is going into the hands of people who impregnate cows, take their babies, and sell the breastmilk that was intended for them. This practice is required to make a profit. It happens on every dairy farm no matter how local or "humane". And it is incredibly damaging to all involved: the animals, the environment, and our bodies.

From huge brands like Hershey's, Reese's, and Lindt, to small brands like Schmilk, Chomp, Raaka, Lovo, and so many more – there are endless options for plant-based chocolate that use oat milk, cashew milk, or coconut milk to make their treats. If you're already buying chocolate, it's not hard to find an alternative to products that condemn sweet friends like Spud to a horrible fate. Please choose plant-based! 💚

02/07/2025

Happy 4th birthday to us! 🎉🍰 Sweet Peace has officially been operating for 4 years now. Today we celebrated by spending part of our day at the vet having Geraldine’s sutures in her eye checked. This is her first appointment post-surgery and she’s healing great! We also brought a newcomer named Alpine who we rescued from a local park last week.

Alpine is a Brown Chinese goose, and she had been trying to survive on her own in the wild for quite some time. It’s all thanks to a volunteer who had been feeding her and monitoring her behavior that we were able to get out there and facilitate the rescue. As you can see from her feet, she has not had an easy go of it. Domestic ducks and geese both have extremely poor survival rates when abandoned in the wild. Whether it was frostbite, a snapping turtle, or another predator that she narrowly escaped, her foot is permanently deformed — and this will affect her ability to swim efficiently and likely cause arthritis or other complications as she gets older. She was intended to have all of her toes, nails, and webbing to function properly. In the meantime, she is recovering in quarantine and we are waiting on a test to find out officially what her gender is! Good things only from here on out, Alpine! 💗

21/06/2025

Gorgeous little Winnie would like to take a moment to pose by the honeysuckle and remind everyone that rescues and sanctuaries are not dumping grounds for roosters, drakes, hens, or any other type of bird that was hatched and is now unwanted. Every year around this time we get daily requests (and sometimes even demands) that we take in roosters and drakes. The story is the same – "we hatched birds and got this rooster, and we can't keep him". Or, "we bought this clutch of chicks/ducklings and didn't want the males". Or, "my school hatched a bunch of birds and now we need to find them somewhere to go". Or even worse, "if you don't take him, we will k!ll him".

You may not have considered the repercussions of your hatch or your purchase, but we have to. Every rescue and sanctuary only has so much space, funds, and energy to work with. If we threw everyone's birds in together, even the ones whose lives were threatened, we would not be able to provide responsible care to the animals we've already committed to. And the worst part is, there is nobody that has any room anymore. We have to tell everyone that even considering long-distance transport, there are basically no responsible rescues/sanctuaries with space for unwanted birds.

This is *the worst* time of year to be a farm bird. People are buying, hatching, selling, abandoning, dumping. Please plan for the entire lives of the birds that you acquire. If you are getting babies, please plan for every single one of them to end up male. There aren't enough nonprofits in the world to provide responsible care to every oops rooster.

24/05/2025

Just look at those striking green eyes! 💚 Meet Precious, the newest resident of the Sweet Peace cat room. At 10 years old, Precious had a loving home until her owner moved into assisted living and she had nowhere to go. Now, she’s looking for her final forever home – a calm, gentle place to rest and feel safe again.

Precious is a quiet, sweet soul who gets along well with other cats, always uses her litterbox, and spends her days peacefully lounging in a cozy bed or cat tree. If you have a soft spot for older kitties and room in your heart and home, Precious would love to meet you. She is a healthy girl and her years of loving care show in her wonderful personality. Please send us a message if you have any questions or you're interested in meeting her, and we will get you her adoption application!

07/05/2025

We share with broken hearts that our matriarch Babette has passed away. She was 22 years old at the time of her passing, which is an incredible feat for a sheep and a true testament to the love and care she received in her life. We found her laying peacefully in the sheep barn looking out upon the pasture, and necropsy revealed that a major artery had likely weakened with her increasing age and suddenly erupted. 💔

It was a comfort to hear that she had a quick passing and there was nothing to prevent it, but there is deep sadness in knowing that our flock will never be the same without her. Babette was an energetic, sassy, hungry girl up to her final days. She had an intensive medical history during her four years with us, including a uterus removal from developing hydrometra, an MRI and jaw surgery, and daily medication as well as special mash meals and acupuncture treatments for her arthritis. It was an honor to provide both geriatric care to this level and the individualized care she needed to thrive, and to have kept her happy and comfortable for more special years than we dreamed we'd have. Until we meet again, Babs. 🕊️

01/05/2025

🐽 Throwback Thursday! I feel like this could almost be one of those "toxic vs. healthy relationship" type glow-up posts?? Grand Slam left his toxic situation in New York last summer, moved, made new friends, started eating healthier, moisturizing his snout (with mud), and look at him now... Slammy makes self care look easy.

Though the photo on the left is after he started getting some TLC here at the sanctuary, part of that glow-up process involved getting his overgrown hooves and tusks trimmed, addressing the infected wounds on his body, and starting a strict diet so he could actually move comfortably! Poor Slammy was limping on multiple legs but now has a very healthy gait to match his healthy new bod 💖 We love you Slam Jams!

22/04/2025

🌎 It's Earth Day! And it's so easy to see how beautiful the world can be when you visit a farm sanctuary. Seeing animals live freely, native plants growing, and knowing that we're doing our best to make an impact for the better... it reminds me that another way is not only possible, it's already happening. Compassion for animals and the planet is a revolution of love. The question is, are you part of it?

True Earth care includes all earthlings. Each animal is an individual like you and me – and regardless of where they came from, they each have a story and a subjective experience that is unique to them as a person. Every step away from meat, dairy, and eggs is a step toward a kinder, more sustainable world, one where everybody is included. We are animals. We are them. They are us. The language they use or the number of feet they walk on doesn't change that. If you want to be part of the change, there's no better time than now. Every choice matters. Please make the compassionate one. 💚

15/04/2025

It's Spring! 🌸 And Spring means GRASS! 🌿 Our ruminant friends have finally been able to enjoy a respite from the hay and mud through our rotational grazing plan, which lets our grass-eating friends have access to fresh green good stuff on a regular basis. When I started the sanctuary I knew that I always wanted pasture space available for our ruminants to maximize their life enjoyment and eat what they love the most. Rotational grazing helps us keep the land healthy too – by giving pastures time to rest and regrow, we prevent overgrazing and support soil health, biodiversity, and happy bellies all at once!

Watching the sheep and cows munch, nap, and loaf on lush spring grass is one of the many joys of the season. This is what sanctuary means: fresh air, open pasture, and the freedom to just be. 💚

05/03/2025

You may have gathered from my previous posts that our very special co-founder Sweetpea has passed on. In the wake of her departure was an agonizing emptiness, but also the opportunity to transform the world for another being. At the end of her life, Sweetpea had met Sammy, a senior pitbull recently returned to Good Sprout Rescue and Sanctuary — who became her hiking and exploration buddy as we celebrated her final days on earth. Sammy was a companion to her throughout her battle with cancer and our journeys outdoors, up to her very last trail walk. But Sammy, too, was battling something. Finding himself in the rescue system yet again, humans had failed him for at least the third time, and he was struggling with severe anxiety and PTSD symptoms that would make any rescue unsure if he was adoptable to the general public at all. Under most other circumstances, Sammy would have been let go from our earthly realm, knowing that he would become a liability if he fell into the wrong hands.

With that being said, we decided to welcome Sammy as an official canine sanctuary resident. Fostering him here after Sweetpea’s passing was not intended to be permanent, but the two of us were connected by our love for her, and we healed one another in a time that we both gravely needed it. Sammy has seen a veterinary behaviorist, received a dental to remove painful broken teeth, and is now on a new medication regimen — alongside lots of exercise, love, and patience with his triggers — and it turns out that the right environment for him is at Sweet Peace. For a dog with very few options, his gentle personality and favorite pastime being snuggling under blankets would make anyone fall in love. He has been through a lot in his life, but we are committed to giving him as many chances as he needs to succeed. Our sanctuary is the final stop for Sammy. Welcome sweet boy 💜

Sweet Peace Farm Sanctuary

26/07/2025

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12/07/2025

07/07/2025

02/07/2025

21/06/2025

24/05/2025

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