Ian Somerhalder Foundation Book Club discussion

ISF Sustainable Agriculture Farm & Animal Sanctuary is happening!


Ian says in a recent interview: "I'm acquiring a couple hundred acres in Louisiana on the Bayou where I grew up.

"We're going to literally build this incredible animal sanctuary for all these ostracized and abandoned animals with behavioral issues. Now that this whole bullying thing has become so prevalent in our society, we're going to start taking the bully aspect of the youth. We can bring them down to this sanctuary; we can teach them compassion with these other animals that also have behavioral issues, that have also been abandoned and have all these issues with life.

"We'll literally watch them learn compassion together," Ian explains. "I think it will be really, truly an amazing sight to see, building this really incredible youth education camp. It's also going to double on the other side of the property as a completely green sustainable agriculture farm. It is going to be this utopia of progression, education, and sustainability, literally; and if anything, just a little taste of what our world could really be like."

[Interview by Carina Adly MacKenzie, May 17th, NYC]



Excerpt from another recent interview with Ian about the Sanctuary:

"You're teaching these kids ... (anywhere from 8 to 25) what is it that makes them tick? What is it that makes two days go by where they don't even realize that time has gone by? Is it a scalpel? Is it a microscope? Is it a guitar? Is it a shovel? What is it? & allow them to run free & really find out what it is. On top of that living on this green sustainable agriculture farm where they are learning & the farm actually produces. It's all about building a Tree Free paper industry. We have to stop cutting our trees. So we can grow things that sequester carbon & produce oxygen that we can also make everything out of: from toilet paper to plates, to everything, this is what it's about, that's the future.

"A Free Sustainable Energy Grid I think is what we need."

[Interview by Tree Living, April 22nd, Santa Monica, CA]



So, I don't know what everyone thinks about this, but like the Book Club itself, there just really isn't anything wrong with it in my opinion! =D

I'm actually beside myself excited. I feed & care for a barn yard of critters all day here & am amazed to hear people talk about it with this much enthusiasm. It is awesome! I love my job more than anything else & I love the animal & human lives that are effected in the process. Humans & animals have the power to make each other so happy in the right circumstance. I am excited to learn more about the plant agriculture side of it all too. I don't use gasoline, so when I have done veggies I drive a horse drawn plow/harrow. I have many friends who farm local produce, grains, fruit & sell at the Farmer's Market. My uncle in New Hampshire went to Cornell for agriculture & farmed 200 acres by himself with his family. They grow all sorts of things & sell to their local grocery stores & restaurants. My cousin is doing a lot of the work now through UNH with grants on bio-fuel; studying acres of Sunflower varieties for oil to power the tractor, etc. Pretty amazing stuff!!!

What do you think?

I agree I think this is an awesome idea.....it has always been a childhood dream of mine to have a place where unwanted animals could go and not have to be needlessly killed. Then you add in the aspect of helping kids and that makes it even better. I can't wait to see this happen. I will definetly be making a trip to visit.......so excited

I think it is a really good idea, and what i like most about it is that it combines many different things.
Everything is connected and why not? This will be a great example for people how to live their lifes with love for every living being.

Hi Marjolein mijn vriend! I'm so glad to see you here! Yes Veronica, it is nice to see a new place open up & make people aware of this need. Especially with the economy as it is many people are either giving away or neglecting their livestock & pets. Other people have put them on their priority lists & are taking better care for them. I'm not sure how it is in Louisiana but there are many surrounding states who had a major drought issue last year & have reduced their herds or completely sold them off due to lack of water, feed & sky rocketing hay prices. This requires everything to be shipped in by trucks, so you start loosing money & it is not very efficient for the environment. Who knows what has happened to those flocks? Sounds like the donkeys were an issue.

Today I have someone coming to pick up a car load of manure. I have found that giving away free manure & compost prevents me from having to do all of the mucking out & benefits the people with gardens or roses to keep them fertilized. They get to see & interact with the animals while shoveling it out! The real way to do it is to have a balance. I'm just one person & I don't have the strength to farm plants as much as I would like to or would be sustainable. My animals live in the forest & so I buy hay, much of it is local grass hay, though some is imported alfalfa or timothy from Oregon. My chickens eat free range, but I supplement with hen scratch which comes from who knows where before the feed store.

An old man here who I rent a horse pasture from says when he was a kid, they used to feed their dairy cows & Draft horses root crops over the winter. Big beets, turnips, carrots, parsnips & leave them in the ground, pulling them up everyday to feed a new load which gave the animals the sugar they needed to stay thrifty through the winter. I just found out that he is 78 years old, this week he's been moving irrigation pipes. I sure hope I am like that in 45 years. I love his 'when my granddad was working the farm...' stories. I feel very fortunate to learn what he knows when ever I am around him.

Fascinating how people used to do it all. Sometimes it feels like we are trying to reinvent the wheel. I am looking forward to learning about the new green technology side of things. I know I don't need electricity, but it sure is fun to talk to you guys! Cities use electricity just to control the chaos. Motorized vehicles, man, if only things could stay local. There are a lot of people in this world to support though.

Excited to hear more details on the ISF farm. There are many here who have horses. How do you take care of them?

Barnyard wrote: "Hi Marjolein mijn vriend! I'm so glad to see you here! Yes Veronica, it is nice to see a new place open up & make people aware of this need. Especially with the economy as it is many people are ..."
Hi, good to see you here too!!, about the horses, we made one pasture a nature pasture, there is not only grass, but also a lot of natural herbs(most call them weeds)and when the horses go there, they really get healthy. they immidiatly begin to shine and run around. We do not use pesticides on it and iam trying to get to the point that we dont use fertilizer anymore. Its a great place! In winter we still have to buy hay but we are trying to make our own hay this year. We also grow big beets, but we cannot keep them in the ground the whole winter because they freeze.
Here in belgium farmers use a lot of pesticides, and rat poison, also fertilizer and other chemicals. Its difficult to change their minds, i am trying but have not succeeded, my own mother-in-law uses poison in all forms and she will not stop it.
Hope to learn more about green sustainable farming.
Super idea Ian!!!!Thank you!!

Thrilled with it. I farm my own, and even though I will buy meat from other organic farmers, I enjoy my animals. My goats, horses, pigs, chickens are rescues basically, so they don't get eaten.

But I do believe that kids and adults are very disconnected from their food and the land, and this is an excellent way to go about reconnecting them.

As I sit here nibbling on some delicious plums coming out of my fruit orchard. :-) Yum!

One book that I recommend to anyone who wants to train their herding dog, especially if you are attempting to work them on stock is: The Farmer's Dog by John Holmes. It is amazing how he breaks it down. I found it through the Small Farmer's Journal sent out by Lynn R. Miller.

I bought 'The Farmer's Dog' looking to learn commands to teach my sheep herding dog, I think she was a McNab at the time. Flipping through the book, only a few pages at the end of the last chapter does he go into the commands. The rest of the book is all about the psychology of the Border Collie, as well as other herding breeds, both headers & heelers. It is fascinating. I just went, Wow, this is why everyone says their herding dog does the exact opposite of what they want them to do. It is actually that We are needing to step away from our accustomed role of herding the sheep to our destination & realize that the dog is in that role now. We are not getting the dog to help us herd, they are doing the herding. They run much faster & the sheep are afraid of them as a prey animal would be afraid of, or has respect for a predator. We want to step into a neutral position, have your grain can ready & stand by the gate that you are wanting the dog to herd them to or be ready to catch the individual you are wanting as it bowls into you. The header or heeler is programed to bring the stock to you. You have to now be the Lead Sheep & show the flock where we are going. As much yelling as you can muster isn't going to tell the dog what & where as much as your body language. It sometimes requires pointing or verbal, get That Chicken, or That Sheep not 'Goat'.. Sheep. =) These dogs definitely work better with complete sentences. Often if you say one word they look at you like, please be more specific. If you say it in a sentence then they are straight on it.

It is an amazing book & it really can create a break through on how much time & frustration goes into trying to manage a flock of sheep, goats, waterfowl, horses, cows, pigs, chickens. Whatever it is that you are trying to move. The dog is called Man's Best Friend for a reason. My herding dog right now, he is a Kelpie/BC & I could not imagine how difficult my daily tasks would be without him. He is bred from working cow dogs, so he is loose eyed & I have taught him not to grip hard. He can stare down what is giving him trouble, but he isn't afraid to go in, to make results. My sister's dog is BC/New Zealand Heading dog & she is extremely strong-eyed. She is a little harder to get out of her stuck position. She will snap or clack her teeth rather than grip, but it can be just as effective & sometimes the animals are less likely to overreact.

Barnyard wrote: "One book that I recommend to anyone who wants to train their herding dog, especially if you are attempting to work them on stock is: The Farmer's Dog by John Holmes. It is amazing how he breaks it..."

Wow, I knew I wasn't going crazy when I observed my GSD responding to full sentences! It only took her about a week to get the basic commands and then she took it to the next step on her own, as if she can understand everything I say perfectly. Amazing animals! I definitely want to check out The Farmer's Dog, thanks for the tip.

Barnyard, I must say that I am extremely impressed that you don't use gasoline on your farm. I have never worked a farm as you have, but I grew up on one. My father had a tractor, but your words bring back happy memories of when he sometimes used a horse to plow in the garden by our house ( too small for the turning of the tractor). I remember walking barefoot in the cool, just upturned soil behind him as he plowed. Believe me that cool dirt was pleasant because it is really hot in Mississippi. Thank you for bringing that to mind.

I'm glad when anyone discusses farming because without it, we would all be starving. I agree with Kendra that very few people today in the United States realize the importance of farming or have any connection to the land, the plants, the animals, or the farmers who produce our food.

You bring up the Ian Somerhalder Animal Sanctuary/Farm. I think it is a fantastic idea. I hope that it is accomplished quickly.

This morning at dawn, I was awoken (I sleep above the barn) by the sound of a new baby lamb. It was coming from the sales pen, which had a couple of newly arrived large doe goats & a fluffy Shetland/Mt.Welsh yearling ewe. None of them were thought to have been bred when the people had dropped them off.

Well, the ewe had definitely been exposed somehow. What was happening was that one of the big Alpine does, a past milk goat now dry, ended up stealing the lamb from the first time ewe sheep. The ewe was crying for the lamb, the lamb was crying because he was hungry & still very much covered in sticky slime goop. The Alpine doe, who has horns the length of my arm was circling the lamb acting like it was hers.

So dramatic! I haven't seen that much maternal aggression here other than with some oriental game breeds of chickens. The goat was chasing the dogs half way across the yard. Eventually got everyone separated & the ewe & lamb in with the other momma sheep.

Sometimes, even in a life of routines, you can be blindsided by the unexpected.

Today Ian says: "‏@iansomerhalder

"Im not saying Im a vegetarian but I DO mostly ONLY eat from farms that treat animals with dignity& that are harvested humanely.Cruelty SUCKS"


Good to know. Such a delicate matter in my business. As an activist I have to keep my mouth shut about forest issues around most Ranchers, though we do have an amazing local dog/cat/livestock & everything in between rescuer, Shannon Miranda's Animal Rescue He is great. The cops work with him on big rescues that they don't want to deal with, like some seriously gnarly situations 62 starving dogs And like where my little bay Quarter horse mare 'Sage' with the blaze on her face, who just got adopted, originally came from a 40 horse rescue scene This winter I ended up training a couple of equines from Shannon: a one-eared mule (the ear had been bit off by a mastiff dog) & a miniature pony (who came from a major livestock auction dealer who got charged with cock fighting has giant 'bone piles' where the bears congregate & bear hunters can come have their pick. The 1,387 roosters, by the way while the trial charges were being dropped ended up dying on their tethers of dehydration/starvation according to Shannon, never having been reported on)

Shannon is amazing, he is openly gay/Bi & he speaks out for the trees, while being raised a local & living smack dab in the most right wing part of the county, between mills & Lumber company town, & working with county sheriffs regularly. Pretty amazing, while attempting to keep a positive outlook, I guess by staying super busy.

So, some livestock definitely deserve a nice retirement home to stay healthy & regain trust in humanity. Others though are born & raised on the farm, happen to be born a non-breeding male & castrated (I've began to use a band, seems less painful & more sanitary for lambs) Half of the chicks are born as roosters & many people cannot have them due to noise ordinances in town. There are many non-vegetarians out there, like 9/10ths of my family. They need to eat & I'd rather them eat pork & bacon that my boyfriend & I butchered. We butcher 2 for someone for trade of half a pig every couple of years, nice deal since I only like feeding my little pet potbellies their diabetic diet. Or my own lamb, if I send lamb/sheep or goats to our certified slaughter house, Redwood Meats, they charge $50 kill charge, which with the market as it is, that is what I sell them as. This year I'm selling at $75/each, but nothing like a few years ago where a live animal would sell for $200. So, it is much more affordable to either sell it live or butcher it ourselves & then send it to Ferndale Meats who cuts & wraps, brines the bacon, mixes the sausage; so we are only paying for hanging weight.

Here is the other tip-toeing as an activist, the vegetarian & vegan movements. I raised pigs in 4-H, it was my dream growing up on the Goat Show fair circuit: To be 9 years old, then I could be in 4-H & raise pigs. I raised 3/year until I was 16. They sold for $600 each. The 1st one paid for the feed, the 2nd one I could keep the $, & the 3rd was for family & friends. I saved the money & that is how I got into horses. At 16 I went to NH & started training. Animal Rights would let our pigs out at the fair at night & total chaos would occur =)

I have been vegetarian & vegan throughout my life. After leaving Alaska & only eating Moose & Salmon with the Eskimos, as we dog mushed our water from the Yukon in -50 degree weather, I could not eat factory farmed meat for years, cheese, honey, none of it. Even locally raised. My body was animal-producted out. I just couldn't. My younger sister has been vegetarian since she was 8 years old, she is now 23. In the woods I ate roasted Crickets if they committed suicide by jumping into our campfire, it was like a little salmon belly, a burst of tasty oil. After 3 years of really becoming emaciated in the woods, I came out of a tree, hiked 16 miles in the snow to our 'Base Camp' where our ground support were huddled in a teepee. I came in cold & tired of eating our ration of oats. They had locally-caught-Salmon on the fire & I ate it without even thinking, other than: This is exactly what my body needs! I've never been able to gain weight easily, & so I don't feel like I require much. This is why a lot of my ration goes to these growing boys (there is a serious gender balance problem with forest activism, at least in the deep woods). They need all the food they can get because it is very physical & food causes 90% anxiety out there, which causes people to hike out. For me, the higher protein content the better, for my body type & my daily physical exertion.

Anyway, it is a delicate matter & I've been trying to avoid it like the plague with this group since there is such a mixed bag, all of which have their points & justifications. I would love to find some gray middle ground for everyone to agree on...

Buying Local. Not over-breeding. Selective culling, & in Ian's words: "that are harvested humanely"

(I am not involved with the Dairy Industry, though my family does drink milk. Locally there are not many people, only certain ethnic groups, who are into eating goat, though we have a large amount of goat dairies & a local Goat Cheese Factory) The beef cows in this county, we are always joking that they have the best views out of anyone. They live in the deep woods of the Mattole, along the beaches, in the hills. A lot of the Lumber Company land is leased to big-time rancher families. Some of their Clear-cut prescriptions they get around with is: 'Meadow Restoration' which means they can Clear-cut a larger amount than would regularly be allowed, even in UnEntered Old Growth. Not sure where the 'restoration' wording comes from.

I love knowing where my food comes from, it makes me feel a lot more independent from town. My goal is to attempt to grow more veggies this year, because that is my ticket on eating all day long. Snacking on peas, brussel sprouts, kale, berries, along the way while I am doing my rounds with the critters. That way I don't have to spend lunch indoors. =)

Barnyard wrote: "Today Ian says: "‏@iansomerhalder

"Im not saying Im a vegetarian but I DO mostly ONLY eat from farms that treat animals with dignity& that are harvested humanely.Cruelty SUCKS"


Good to know. Suc..."

I agree with your middle ground statement. In my opinion that is the only way to really get change to happen. I understand the various reasons people would want to be vegetarian or vegan: spiritual, high cholesterol concerns, animal activism, concerns about use of resources; however, I don't think people becoming vegetarians or vegans will ever solve the problem of cruelty on factory farms. First of all, I don't think the majority of people are likely to do this in the near future. Secondly, when that(telling people to totally stop eating meat) is the goal of activists, I think they automatically lose most of the audience right there. If the listener/viewer knows he or she is likely not to be able to or want to make this huge change, he or she will feel "what's the point of watching this/learning about this" or just feel bad about him/herself for not living up to this standard of behavior. Saying it is okay to eat meat if the animal is raised and killed in a humane way brings everyone into the conversation. The factory farming industry doesn't care about vegetarians and vegans; they care about their customers the meat buyers. If people who purchase meat put pressure on the producers by buying their meat from places that do treat animals with respect, then things will change. Also, as the meat eaters make up the majority, they can more effectively put pressure on government to regulate the change. I must give the disclaimer that I am definitely an eater of meat. I respect those who are not.

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this farm, in my humble opinion, can (potentially) give the gift of humanity. to not support this project is tantamount to not supporting this gift.

I was riding horses today with an 18 year old girl. I talked to her about ISF. She has read the whole TVD book series & has watched Season-1, so at least knows that Ian plays Damon. She said that it sounded like he was an Indigo kid. She said right off that ISF ought to involve Foster Kids in the programs, including the Animal Sanctuary & Farm. That the animals really help the Foster Kids because a lot of them are dealing with many issues that they often don't feel comfortable speaking to adults about. With the animals they can feel calm & divert their energy in other ways of thinking.

Nearly half of my family was adopted. I have 3 adopted sisters & my mom has done Foster Care for 25 years. Of course it is something right in front of my nose & it takes a stranger to bring it into perspective. I had a friend who was a therapist for tweens & teens in the Foster system. California has been cutting back funding for everyone in this department, and trying to hurry up the processes. Even sending kids back into bad situations because it is the cheaper option. His hours were cut in half & he was told that he needed to be finished with a kid in 2 months when they had been on a 6 month schedule. This was a teenage boy who was being violent to his foster mom. Most of the therapists quit & the ones who didn't quit got laid off eventually. My friend now is a Bee Keeper on another friend's farm.

There was/is a Foster mom who takes in teenage girls, two at a time. She boards horses at a local stable & gives each girl their own horse. They go to the stable directly from school & are responsible for that horse. They take riding lessons & it seems like it really helps them to be distracted, & happy. Riding horses as a kid certainly kept me out of trouble. I'd be out all day & come in after dark to eat a cold dinner. We have a foster brother who turned 2 last year & for Christmas I got my red pony who pulls a cart. I bought her a leadline saddle & for Christmas we showed him the pony. He was delighted. He had only seen my big horses. He said, "TINY HORSE!!!" He didn't know why we kept trying to correct him, that's a pony. He didn't know what pony meant, but he sure knew that This was a Tiny Horse! He loved his donkey rides, but certainly was in heaven with the pony. I had him watch The Black Stallion when the boy rides the horse on the beach. While watching the clip he would put his arms up like he was flying. So on the pony he'd close his eyes, lift his head & open his arms. I haven't seen him much lately, but the pony & I have been giving other toddlers rides (she is 38" tall, so no one over 5) It seems like it is very therapeutic on their muscle building, practicing balance like that. I don't have much flat ground here, the 40 acres is mostly steep forest, so riding along the road they learn how to lean forward while going up hill & lean back as we go down hill. It gets them smiling ear to ear & dreaming of a beautiful reality to counter act the confusing television I am sure they are subject to.

Anyway, ISF, looking for bullies or victims of bullying? The suggestion from an 18 year old adopted girl: don't forget about the Foster Kids of a failing system, they would love to have a second chance & a positive jump start to a new life of love & compassion.

Barnyard wrote: "ISF Sustainable Agriculture Farm & Animal Sanctuary is happening!


Ian says in a recent interview: "I'm acquiring a couple hundred acres in Louisiana on the Bayou where I grew up.

"We're going ..."

What an amazing endeavor, and needed so very much. The IS Foundation continues to amaze me with it's generous spirit and indomitable will to make the world a better place.

Barnyard wrote: "I was riding horses today with an 18 year old girl. I talked to her about ISF. She has read the whole TVD book series & has watched Season-1, so at least knows that Ian plays Damon. She said that i..."

I have taught a number of children in foster care over the years. They really have a difficult time. Some have been abused by their biological parents and then moved from foster home to foster home. Some had serious behavioral problems that caused them to be moved from home to home. Foster children could definitely benefit from the farm experience.

Barnyard wrote: "I was riding horses today with an 18 year old girl. I talked to her about ISF. She has read the whole TVD book series & has watched Season-1, so at least knows that Ian plays Damon. She said that i..."

What a great idea!!!! I never thought about that either, foster kids would benefit great from the isfanimal sanctuary!!!

Kids of ALL backgrounds is good, especially those not in the country or on a farm. There was a study posted by the UK, this past week, that 1 in 10 kids thinks eggs come from wheat! They don't recognize milk comes from cows, much less goats or other animals. It's sad and scary.

Kendra wrote: "Kids of ALL backgrounds is good, especially those not in the country or on a farm. There was a study posted by the UK, this past week, that 1 in 10 kids thinks eggs come from wheat! They don't re..."
I once talked to a kid that thought that milk is made in a factory, vegetables are assembled, and another kid thought that chocomilk comes from brown cows. it really IS sad and scary, there should be more lessons about food and where it comes from in schools. And ofcourse parents have a responsibility too.

This evening I was milking out an Icelandic ewe. I had sold her ram lamb yesterday, so I thought I would relieve her udder. No wonder he is such a large lamb, she was milking like a goat! I love these Duel or Multi- Purpose Heritage breeds. Meat, Wool, and Milk. Some goats are like that: Cashmere or Angoras with their nice fiber. With some of the old breeds it is good to cross out at times to increase hardiness (in my opinion). For example: I started with Shetland sheep, from Eureka with an old 3 legged ram (had a peg leg). Quite a cute character at 40 lbs. To breed his offspring I got a couple of Shetland rams from Hayfork in Trinity County. I ended up getting stock from Laytonville in Mendocino County. See what I mean? You run out of options if you are determined not to line-breed pretty quickly with the rare barnyard breeds. I started crossing the rams with Dorsets, until I learned more about what fiber spinners want. So I traded in my Dorsets for a flock of Icelandics from Del Norte County, who have a very similar duel coat like the Shetlands, are a bit larger, but still under 100 lbs. I like the small sizes so I can handle them myself & load them up if necessary. Easier for shearing as well. With the Icelandics & the Shetland-crosses I bred them to an Icelandic/Gotland ram which increased luster of the fleece. This year my ram was a Mountain Welsh/Shetland. The Mt. Welsh has helped increase the beefiness of the lambs.

This year I have a couple of Soay ewes, that my boyfriend bought. They are a primitive Scottish breed of sheep. They actually shed their fleeces, which in my opinion is much more survival (for the sheep if they were ever to go feral) compared to some of these girls like the Churros & Icelandics who will grow hair down to their knees within one year. They are very dependent on us to shear them as are Alpacas. Most humans are no longer reliant on their backyards to make it through the winter. We just go to the store & buy denim. The Navajos still use the long straight Churro wool to weave blankets & rugs to sell. There are many activists who help the Dine’h people & grandmothers of Big Mountain, Black Mesa who refused to relocate due to a land dispute involving Peabody Coal mines. People go down there & volunteer their time to help herd the sheep for grazing & water. Sounds like a pretty amazing example of maintaining.

I have been having a hard time with the wool market the last few years (often I can sell my Icelandic or Churro fleeces for about as much as a live animal) We'll see how this year pans out, I have already sold an Angora fleece, so maybe as the live market begins to increase again so will the wool market. It is like a juggling act. This year I have attempted to step out of the goat & sheep business & focus on Ponies & mini Pigs. They seem to be in demand & often need some touch ups before they are ready to be a useful member of society, ie; no biting or kicking kids... to give everyone a good farm experience. The ram I found for the Soays was up in Oregon. He is a Soay/Painted Desert ram. The Painted Desert sheep is a newer American breed which is actually the result of crosses decades ago between the shedding, European Mouflon Sheep (Ovis musimon, native to Corsica and Sardinia) with well known "wool" breeds of sheep. Around here a lot of ranchers are shifting from their Dorsets, Hampshires, & Romneys to a hair sheep type where they don't have to shear, which saves a lot of money if there is no wool market though while there still remains a meat market for lamb. The common hair sheep meat breeds in my area are: Katahdins, St. Croix, and Dorper. Sometimes Barbados.

If you ever need/want to study different barnyard breeds, including rare or endangered livestock breeds from around the world go to: Oklahoma State University's Department of Animal Science Breeds of Livestock resource page. It is fascinating. They don't necessarily have all of them, but they are always adding to it.

This is wonderful, and I will do everything I can to assist (financially as well). It reminds me of The Gentle Barn, where 'unwanted' barn animals are cared for. As humans we consume more than what's necessary, myself included. I've told my friends & family about the ISF, and I love that it has a book club on here. Wish I lived where I didn't need a car...

Hey Barnyard, on the Soay sheep, do their fleeces need to be sheered, or is it all natural? We've looked into the Katahdin, since they blow their coats. I'd love to get a couple of Manx Loaghtan sheep, http://www.manxloaghtansheep.org/

Yes, the Soays blow their coats. They are very small & light boned, with lean meat like a dairy goat. They have maybe 1 to 3" of fleece, enough to keep them warm in the winter. My pregnant ewe has less of a coat and she is shedding for the second time this year. The yearling is much more fluffy and has been shedding in clumps. I guess it is where the idea of 'wool gathering' came from, picking off all of the sheddings from the bushes & fence. The Navajo Churros & the Jacob sheep get 4 horns sometimes, like the Manx Loaghtan.


This morning at 5:30am in full daylight I went outside to put the Soays up in the lambing pen. I've been trying to get the pregnant ewe up there all week since she looks like she is due anytime, huge belly, and very bagged up. I didn't want to stress her out, so when they bolt I haven't pursued. The dogs were barking all night & the neigh-boer's told of a bear getting into their trash lately. The dogs were definitely barking at the bear, near the corral, out in the 10 acres where the sheep, goats, llamas & ponies live. The sheep & goats were in Firefly's corral (the stud colt) where they can crawl through a corner of the fence to sleep in the shelter (even though it has stopped raining) Thank goodness they were in there. I opened up the gate between the corral & the lambing pen & they went right in. It is nice to live in the barn so I can hear what is going on. This morning it was a giant creature crashing around. The dogs sure are great to have nearby. A nice non-violent preventative to predation. Herding the wildlife back into the forest, saying this is our domestic territory. They protect the sheep & goats from the Bear, the chickens & guinea fowl from the raccoon, and me from the tweeker mushroom hunters.

The black Soay lamb has been doing well. She is big & vigorous which helps a huge amount. I am still bottle feeding her 4 times a day at 9am, 3pm, 9pm, & 3am. She loves her momma, but I'm sure appreciates the extra milk. I named her Tryn, after Kim Falconer's character in Path of the Stray =) I call out Tryn-Tryn & she perks her ears. She is very bouncy. She does laps in the corral. Like a deer bounding. She's very curious about what her mom eats. The lambs taste what the adults eat even before they actually try to chew it. Super cute. A definite keeper.

Barnyard wrote: "The black Soay lamb has been doing well. She is big & vigorous which helps a huge amount. I am still bottle feeding her 4 times a day at 9am, 3pm, 9pm, & 3am. She loves her momma, but I'm sure appr..."
Enjoyed reading about Tryn!

Barnyard wrote: I named her Tryn, after Kim Falconer's character in Path of the Stray =) "

Debby wrote: "Enjoyed reading about Tryn! "

You named her Tryn! I love that. We get a bigger look into Tryn and Quill's life in Road to the Soul. Those two started out secondary characters but then took on major roles, virtually pushed their way into more of the story. Love writing them. :)

How cute the little lamb Tryn! She sounds like she is thriving, thanks to you!

Well, this weekend I have had an influx of ... nope not taking in goats right now... Dogs. 3 dogs; an English Shepherd, an adult Akbash/Pyrenees, and a 3 month old Akbash/Pyr puppy. Not only dogs, the list goes on: 2 Red Wattle pigs, and a Guinea Fowl from a friend's farm liquidation as they had to move off of their property. Then Humboldt Spay/Neuter Network called & dropped off 4 stray kittens from the vet's office. Oh boy. Instead of riding horses this weekend, it looks like I am up to my elbows in doggy baths!


Here is an evaluation list I have been making as I get to know Raynar, the English Shepherd.
(He came with the name Ranger, but since we already have a pony named that, he fit neatly into the 'Path of the Stray' theme)

Test 1: When evaluating a new herding dog's instincts I would rather have to teach him not to kill chickens, than have to beg a dog to want to chase. Instinct and the desire to herd are key with herding dogs, that way all you have to do is put a command on those movements. With Livestock Guardian dogs (LDGs) it is the opposite, I don't want any tendency to chase, catch, or chew on prey species.

Test 2: Can he get through a goat fence, horse fence? Does he want to follow where I am? I might be unpredictable while doing chores, & I don't want to be opening gates when I am in the middle of something. I do love it if a dog will stay in a cyclone kennel fence though (unlike my own full sized dogs who just climb them like a dog ladder & look at me like, dude, you closed the gate, that was kind of inconvenient).

Test 3: Does he really want to run circles around the stock while I am working with the herd, and will he just hang out while I am stationary? Or does he want to chase the sheep while I am not watching? As for LGDs, I want the opposite, lay around chill, that is your job. If things are not chill in the woods, then go chase the danger away. Other than that, the Guardian dog's job is to people watch the sheep, play with the other dogs, eat poop. It is remarkable at how the livestock react differently to a Guardian dog walking through a flock vs. with a herding dog where even just a look can make them tense up. I want the sheep to fear or respect the space of a herding dog & completely ignore the Guardian.

Test 4: At play, free time, and Obsessions. If he is not as neurotic or aggressive as my other dogs, that is A-plus. =) It is perfectly fine if they want to look at me for attention, fetch, or a trick training session. LGDs, are to be mellow but active. It is good to check in, though they are more than welcome to be in their own world. As long as they are not barking incessantly, bothering stock, or neighbors, they can go ahead & do what they do best = romp, walk the fence line, watch animal interactions, & sleep.


Raynar the English Shepherd has passed all of these tests with flying colors. He is a beautiful dog, & again somehow everyone (dog & human) get along with him so far (which I'm telling you is rare, especially how grumpy Dale, my Kelpie, can get). The Akbash pup is just a fluffy ball of goofiness, but he seems to be aware, and confident. He will make someone an amazing Guardian Dog.
Happy Tails.

Update: The LGD puppy along with the Red Wattle pigs went to my good friends out in Honeydew, on the Mattole River, to live in one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. =) They might try to keep the gilt (young female pig) as a breeder. I am extremely happy how it has all turned out this week. Just in time to ride horses tomorrow on the beach!

Barnyard wrote: "Well, this weekend I have had an influx of ... nope not taking in goats right now... Dogs. 3 dogs; an English Shepherd, an adult Akbash/Pyrenees, and a 3 month old Akbash/Pyr puppy. Not only dogs,..."

Barnyard, I so enjoyed reading the tests and that Raynar has passed. Love that you named him that! So cool.

Thank you for your posts that transport me to another world, one where I love to hang out.

I love reading your posts too. It is so nice of you to take in all those animals.

I personally am thrilled about the idea of the sanctuary and sustainable farm. I think it's brilliant and hope that this will catch on and more and more people will endeavor to do the same. When we all start doing things like this to protect the environment, animals, and people the world will change for the better!