Eric and I have become accustomed to the cycle of life and death on the farm. The huge loss of an animal friend became slightly easier for me when... The post Worn Wooden Stairs appeared first on Gretta's Goats ..read more

  The Trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let go of things – unknown Fall on the farm equals new beginnings to me. As the... The post Trees As Teachers appeared first on Gretta's Goats ..read more

August went by in a flash! We were happy that we made it through with just one stretch of super hot and humid days. Whew! One way we keep the... The post Crazy for Grazing appeared first on Gretta's Goats ..read more

We are beyond excited that Healing Herd Therapy Farm is officially a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation! We were able to launch a website a few weeks ago to explain who we... The post The Power of Awe appeared first on Gretta's Goats ..read more

“The earth laughs in flowers.” Ralph Waldo Emerson   “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. It’s what the sunflowers do.” – Helen Keller I feel pretty lucky to have found farming later in life. It is work that I am passionate about and fills me with meaning and purpose. It also suits my personality. I love to work outdoors most of the day and be active. It helps to calm my racing mind and burns off some of my hyper active energy! I know that I would not still be farming today without all of the people who supported and encourag ..read more

Since I started my Animal Assisted Therapy program in September, I have been writing a lot about the healing power of nature. I have been reading numerous studies about how being in nature with animals is a powerful combination for our mental health. This past week, I came across an interesting study that touches on the benefits of nature for our physical health too. I always thought that physical health should also include our mental health (as our brains are connected to our bodies!) None the less, this is all really interesting stuff to me as I begin to make plans for the therapeutic portio ..read more

There is a David Viscott quote that says, “the purpose of life is to discover your gift. The work of life is to develop it. The meaning of life is to give it away.” I think my gift has always been to be of service. I spent my late teen years, twenties and thirties working as a Blind Rehabilitation Specialist and teacher. My favorite memories of that time was working closely with families in their homes who had just given birth to a baby who was blind or visually impaired. I felt a big sense of joy when it seemed I had an impact in making their life just a bit easier. That work brought me to ..read more

This past week the focus of my Animal Assisted Therapy program was the topic of Animal Welfare. I love the weeks during the program when the subject matter seems to go into a direction that I am already familiar with! My connection to the assigned reading and writing seems to flow much faster this way. I think about animal welfare daily on my farm so the topic is one I usually have a lot to say about! What I did not realize was that the concept of animal welfare was first conceptualized by the Five Freedoms which was initially proposed in the UK’s “Brambell Report” to address livestock husband ..read more

One of my favorite poems is written by the poet Mark Nepo. The poem is about the art of netting. This concept of netting is about how the “net” helps to distribute the weight and suffering of life between two people. I think it is a beautiful poem about friendship, authenticity, and the need for community. I think about “netting” almost everyday and how I have been lucky enough to be on the receiving end of someone holding the net for me and in return have been the provider of the net for others. The art of netting has taught me the value of staying present and truly listening to someone else ..read more

The farm is typically open on father’s day to the public for farm classes and goat hikes. It is super fun to see so many families celebrating their Dad or Grandpa on the farm. Some folks have made it their Father’s Day tradition. Others we have welcomed many times before for various events on the farm. It fills us with joy to see so many familiar faces and that we have built a farm community where people visit regularly and find peace and fun in the farm too. Thanks to those to chose to share the day with us and the goats. Even with the joy and busyness of the day we both found our thoughts d ..read more