Apple, a beautiful Holstein, was raised on a beef farm. We do not really know how many calves were taken from her to be raised for beef nor the heartbreak that she and her calves went through as they were separated. But in 2013, the landowner decided to sell the property, and she and the rest of the herd she lived with were destined for slaughter. Luckily, a longtime SASHA Farm volunteer became aware of this and in turn made SASHA Farm aware. Donations from volunteers and other friends helped give the herd their freedom. This volunteer, Katie Eory, became Apple’s first sponsor, while her boss’s son sponsored and named two of the other herd members Emma and Webb.

When these Holsteins arrived at SASHA Farm, Apple’s daughter, still a calf, was named “White Heart” because of the white heart on her forehead, which she obviously inherited from her mom. Apple and White Heart gradually warmed up to their loving caretakers despite having little positive human contact in their lives before. Soon they were loving every new day at SASHA.

Apple was pregnant when she arrived, and six months later gave birth to her son, Billy Ray (named by a volunteer in memory of her father). When Billy Ray was born, Apple naturally became protective of her new son, and big sister White Heart helped to take care of her baby brother by standing close and watching over him. It has truly been a life changing experience to watch this family living together, loving and caring for one another. They are a family unit, and they will spend their lifetimes here, safe and free at SASHA Farm.

Mr. Rogers is a magnificent looking Guernsey, all brown, with rather small horns. He was born at SASHA Farm on August 20, 2010, one week after his mother Bella escaped a transport truck packed with cows on their way to be slaughtered. Bella survived the crash and ran off. Monte Jackson and Bob Harvie from SASHA were called in to help, and they picked her up near Grand Rapids, MI. She joined the SASHA Family the next day, very thin and hardly able to walk. At the time she was pregnant, but no one was aware of her pregnancy.

About a week later, longtime volunteer John Rogers walked into the cow barn, right after she had delivered a male calf! He says, “I missed it by minutes. I sponsored the calf and gave him my surname – Mr. Rogers.” Bella, only 10 years old, died shortly after the birth of her son, totally spent – a victim of factory farming. Mr. Rogers lives on at SASHA, free and safe, in memory of his mother Bella and all the other factory farmed animals who have not been so fortunate.

Please consider a plant-based diet so that all the beautiful Bellas out there can live the lives they were meant to live.

Henry meeting a SASHA chicken, & Henry’s sponsored animals, Meadow the pig & Babs the sheep

Henry Plummer will be 12 years old in just a few days. He’s been helping the SASHA Farm animal residents for almost three years now by raising funds for them with his birthday fundraisers. We were overjoyed when he reached out to SASHA Farm again this year.

DONATE TO HENRY’S FUNDRAISER HERE

This young man is an incredible person, wise beyond his years. Vegan since conception, and living in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Henry is a protector of all wildlife and has set an example for his friends to not harm or frighten them for their own amusement. He also explains to others (adults and children alike) why a plant based diet is such an essential choice to help our planet survive, and to stop the cruelty towards all animals.

When he visited SASHA Farm over two years ago, he became the proud sponsor of a sheep who came to SASHA from a hobby farm, where most of the animals were living in crate-like structures, were underweight, and without food and water. SASHA Farm, along with another sanctuary, came to the rescue of these forgotten animals. Now Babs has a name, thanks to Henry, plenty of food and love, and her life couldn’t be better. The following summer, Henry sponsored a survivor from the Livingston County, MI cruelty and neglect case, a pig whom he named Meadow. Now Meadow has completely forgotten the days when she was abandoned and starving, and is loving her life and her friends at SASHA Farm.

Please help SASHA Farm continue to be the forever home for so many forgotten or needy animals by donating to Henry’s 12th birthday fundraiser. You’ll make one twelve year old boy and 275 SASHA animal residents very happy! Thank you to Henry and to all our SASHA supporters for making SASHA a safe and loving home for so many animals in need.