WAVERLY, NY (607NewsNow) — Caring for over 100 rescued animals and growing and distributing thousands of pounds of organic produce, Happy Compromise Farm + Sanctuary aims to cultivate healthy ways of living for humans and animals alike.
Starting in Oregon in 2020, the move to the New York came out of a necessity as wildfires threatened Happy Compromise’s original location on the West Coast. An area with a low threat of natural disasters, the Southern Tier of New York looked like a good place for a fresh start. Bringing 100 animals across the country in 3 days was no small feat, but it proved to be worth it.
Turning a property in Waverly into a one-acre community farm and a 50-tree fruit orchard, co-founders Eryn Leavens and Oliver Gawlik took on the job of rebuilding as a pair and have since expanded to a small, hardworking team of people who help run the farm and sanctuary.
“We have an amazing, small team and we pretty much work all the time. The farm isn’t completely year-round as we usually open in April and keep it open until November or December, but planting and seeding starts January 1st, so there’s always something to keep us busy,” says Leavens.
No machinery, no till, and all work done by hand, Happy Compromise rescues animals that have been abused, neglected, or were up for slaughter and gives them the chance to live out their lives without confines of labor.
The community farm yields thousands of pounds of fresh, organic produce that can be found at the Free Farm Stand. A no-charge, self-serve stand, instructions and recipes can also be found within the structure to help people get the most out of their food.
“Nothing is second rate, nothing has gone bad, we want people to have access to the best food they can get. Some of the produce is stuff people haven’t seen before like purple cauliflower and carrots, which confused some at first, but now they’re the first to go. We want people to have the opportunity to eat fresh foods because they’re necessary to a healthy and balanced diet and aren’t typically found at places like food pantries,”
Happy Compromise also offers flower bouquets, seeds, plant starts, a library, and a pet pantry, all completely free of charge.
In the midst of SNAP benefit delays and increasing food insecurity and food deserts, Leaven hopes that people don’t soon forget the effects of taking away people’s access to food.
“Although SNAP benefits are resumed, there’s no way to be sure that they won’t fall again, eligibility issues won’t arise, or that other obstacles won’t come up. It’s important to look to the future and care for and plan for our communities every day to make sure we do what we can to look out for one another.”
To learn more about Happy Compromise Farm + Sanctuary, visit their website here, their Facebook page here, find them on Instagram and Tik Tok @happycompromisefarm, and Youtube @HappyCompromiseFarmSanctuary.
All photos courtesy of Eryn Leavens of Happy Compromise Farm + Sanctuary.
