Blake and three other cows arrived at VINE Sanctuary weak and skinny, having barely survived near-starvation at a small-scale dairy operation. Blake was clearly the leader and care-taker of the group, not only being the first to venture into new territory but also going out of her way to groom and otherwise nurture the others. Fennel is Blake’s favorite (the two are either a couple or best friends), but she also looks out for Rosetta and Addison.
Blake upon arrival -- she has since regained weight and strength
Blake and her crew are just a few of the hungry animals here at VINE. Everybody’s well-fed now, of course, but many carry with them the emotional scars of past starvation. All have very healthy appetites. The costs of buying bales of locally-grown hay and sacks of locally-grown, organic chicken scratch (not to mention seeds and supplies for the pastures and crops we grow on site) add up.
You can help! This April 21st, VINE will be participating in the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale, and we are encouraging our supporters to join us in promoting veganism by selling home-baked goods to benefit the sanctuary.VINE staff and local friends will be doing the baking and selling for bake sales here in Springfield and in Brattleboro, VT. We need supporters elsewhere in Vermont and around the country to stage their own bake sales, with proceeds going to Blake and the other animals at VINE.
Between VINE and the folks at Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale, you’ll get all the help you need. The WVBS website has tips for setting up a bake sale along with links to recipes and other good advice. We’ll set you up with a flyer to which you can add place, date, and time or we’ll add those for you! The flyer was designed by our new local events coordinator, Jennifer, who also will be happy to give you one-on-one consultation and advice as you plan your bake sale. To sign up, just leave a comment or send us a message at sanctuary (at) bravebirds.org
Ready… set… bake! (for Blake)
The Woldwide Vegan Bake Sale sponsor to which I’m contributing chocolate cupcakes is plowing all proceeds into its annual vegan festival, which many yet-to-be-vegans attend, if only out of curiosity. Each attendee who is inspired to mooooove away from exploiting animals will end up saving Blake’s “sisters.” And some of them will, I’m sure, contribute to a farmed animal sanctuary. Do Blake, Rosetta, and Addison give their seal (lick?) of approval to that idea?
Smiles from Slippy’s sponsor
At the very least, the occasion should get some attention to the cause. Lots of vegetarians and vegans hereabouts.
I’ll be in touch with Monica Flux with the results.
Best of Luck in caring for the sweet deserving creatures.
Rosalie