Spring has sprung at Farm Sanctuary in Acton, CA. On Saturday, May 13, 119 of our wonderful supporters gathered at the sanctuary to celebrate family in all its forms. The balmy 90-degree day included open sanctuary time — during which our guests got to meet our rescued residents and witness a rare sight: farm animals’ loving bonds with their birth and found families. Guests then enjoyed a vegan high tea with sweet and savory treats, a keepsake mug, and a create-your-own mini garden station!

Our friend Ruby Roth joined us, an award-winning artist and the world’s leading author-illustrator of vegan books for kids! She signed books and led a storytime session for our younger guests beneath a shady tree. Ruby’s work shows us how changing our habits can change our lives and connects the dots between personal choices and the public realm. (You can learn more about Ruby’s work at www.WeDontEatAnimals.com!)

No day of celebrating would be complete without great food! Our good friends at Bakers Bench LA, Maciel’s Plant Based Butcher Shop, GT’s Kombucha, Sweet Laurel, Whipt, Ben & Esther’s Vegan Jewish Deli, and Karma Baker generously made sure that our guests had plenty of vegan snacks throughout the day and during our vegan high tea. We could not have had such a rewarding day without their help!

One of the most engaging parts of the day was hearing co-founder and president Gene Baur’s heartfelt speech. Not only did Gene educate attendees about the history of Farm Sanctuary, he also discussed the importance of a familial unit within the lives of farm animals. By speaking through a lens of kindness and compassion, Gene gave our non-vegan attendees new ways to think about their relationship to animals and our food systems.

We also want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with us! The impact of this event extends far beyond one day. Thanks to your attendance, we raised $20,640 to support animal care and humane education programs and advocate for reforming our modern food system.

Our final thank you goes to our fantastic staff and volunteers, without whom this event would not have been possible. Our volunteers helped with parking, registration, and ushering guests to and from animal areas during open sanctuary time.

Volunteers are integral to the success of events like these and help us in so many ways! Learn more about our volunteer program here.

We are so grateful for the love and support we receive from our community, and we look forward to seeing you again! Our Acton, CA sanctuary is also open year-round for tours, so you don’t have to wait for the next event to experience the power of sanctuary in person.