A summer tradition at Farm Sanctuary’s beautiful Watkins Glen, NY shelter, Hoedown Weekend is beloved for its inspiring speaker lineups, music, dancing, the rare opportunity to camp on-site at Farm Sanctuary, and quality time with our rescued animal residents.

This year, Hoedown also marked the launch of our Community Action Network (CAN), a new way for activists to come together to help farm animals from wherever they live.

The festivities started the night before Hoedown Weekend, on Friday, August 1, as we welcomed our dedicated Friends of Hilda Club members for a special evening to thank them for their vital support. Learn more about this special giving circle named for our first rescue, Hilda sheep.

As Hoedown began on Saturday, tents lined our scenic grounds. All attendees enjoyed the peace of the sanctuary, but many attendees chose to camp, further immersing themselves in nature by sleeping under the stars.

Renowned presenters inspired guests with moving talks throughout the weekend, from plant-based pioneers to groundbreaking food system advocates. 

• Miyoko Schinner (chef, author, entrepreneur) spoke about how food can bring people together and her reflections on building more just, compassionate, and sustainable food systems. 
• Dr. Pat Brown (founder, Impossible Foods) discussed how to reward farmers for doing good for the environment and create pathways that help cattle ranchers transition to trees, plants, and crops.
• Melissa Hoffer (climate chief, Massachusetts) explained legal opportunities to shift resources in support of equitable, sustainable food systems and the ways in which factory farming harms us all. 
• Michael Werner (filmmaker) shared his collaborations with Farm Sanctuary’s research team and showed a sneak peek of a film exploring the incredible inner lives of farm animals—with footage recorded at Farm Sanctuary! 
• Henry Crews (exec. director, Green Rural Redevelopment Organization) spoke about Farm Sanctuary’s relationship with the Black-led non-profit and the importance of building cross-movement relationships. 
• Angel Jones (COO, Green Rural Redevelopment Organization) highlighted the importance of plant-based foods to combat diet-related diseases and shared their commitment to partner with Farm Sanctuary to shift 40 million meals to plant-based by 2030.
• Gene Baur (president & co-founder, Farm Sanctuary) spoke about the magic of sanctuary and its impact on our animal residents, guests, and followers across the country who have been inspired to take action on their plates and in their communities.

During open sanctuary time, guests met many of our farm animal residents, got to know these remarkable individuals with stories of rescue and refuge, and learned ways all of us can make a difference for animals like them.

On Saturday evening, we continued a Hoedown tradition: the dance party! Music and dancing kept the fun going as like-minded friends of farm animals celebrated together and reveled in the joy of sanctuary.

Flavorful vegan meals and refreshments were enjoyed throughout the weekend, from a continental breakfast on Saturday morning through a farewell lunch on Sunday. All of us at Farm Sanctuary are thankful to our friends at Treeline Cheesemakers for their generous donation of delicious plant-based products for Hoedown.

This year, we unveiled our Community Action Network (CAN), an empowering remote volunteering hub. Through CAN, activists nationwide can work with Farm Sanctuary staff to help farm animals in their own communities.

Join CAN today to access resources, share ideas, and take meaningful action in your community!

• On Sunday, more than 60 percent of guests signed up for our Community Action Network, ready to help make change for farm animals in their areas. Sign up here!
• The Green Rural Redevelopment Organization (GRRO) announced its commitment to shifting 40 million meals to plant-based by 2030, saving 4 million farm animals, in honor of our ongoing partnership.
• All of our inspiring speakers this year are engaging in ongoing conversations about how to continue working together with Farm Sanctuary and our partners for animals, people, and the planet.