HEEFS November 2017 Newsletter

HOLIDAY MAGIC!

This is the third year for HEEFS Holiday Magic and every year we are overwhelmed by the show of love and support we get from people all over the world! We all want the same thing - love, peace and compassion for farmed animals everywhere and we are doing our very best to make sure that happens. But we can’t do it alone.

With a goal of raising $100,000 this holiday season, we know we’ll be able to supply all of our residents with the food, shelter, warm bedding and medical care that they need.

Be a Secret Santa

Being a Secret Santa to one of our residents will help make sure that their needs are met all year long. Secret Santa gifts start at just $10 and every dollar donated will go to helping your Secret Santa animal. Read all the Secret Santa wish lists.

Virtual gifts make a real difference at HEEFS

If you don’t know what to get that special animal lover in your life, or maybe you’d like to offer a kind teacher or a special friend a holiday gift that will keep on giving for months to come, HEEFS has a whole selection of virtual holiday gifts you can purchase. Each one comes with a certificate* detailing how your virtual gift will benefit our residents. Check out our virtual holiday gifts.

*To meet the holiday postal deadlines, certificates can be mailed until December 15th, after which time they will be sent electronically for printing at home.


GOING, GOING . . . GONE!

We've been wanting to remove the centre trough from our main barn ever since we moved in! Being a concrete structure, we knew this was going to be a big job! But our wonderful volunteers stepped up and together we took it down.

The centre trough was used for water or feed from way back when this was a working farm. We knew that we would never need a trough like that, but we knew we could sure use the space.

So, a few weeks ago, we decided it was time. Out came the jack hammers and axes and away we went! It took many hours and a lot of very dedicated volunteers to bring it down, but down it came! We can now comfortably add a row of stalls along the right hand side of the barn knowing that this centre aisle is clear for easy access to every resident who call this space home. 

We can't say thank you enough to everyone who came out and worked so hard on this very difficult project!


VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Meet Sue!

Like all of our volunteers, Sue has had a lifelong love of animals, but she always thought that volunteering would be a difficult process. Then she found out about HEEFS through social media and she knew this was the place for her. Becoming a regular volunteer was extremely easy and now Sue volunteers one scheduled day a week, and she also tries to lend a helping hand whenever she has some spare time. 

"Volunteering at HEEFS has been a life-changing experience," says Sue. "I've met the most amazing people and made some incredible friends." Sue loves spending time with her "special Catherine" and enjoys snuggling up with the "big heads" - the cows, Escalade and BJ. "I love all the animals," Sue told us, "but the birds and a couple of roosters seem have some very special love for me!" 

When Sue is not at HEEFS, she loves doing anything crafty. And we have Sue and her incredible talent to thank for creating our very special Bear Care sign as a tribute to our sweet Bear when he started needing some extra love and attention. Now Bear Care is the name of our residents' healthcare program and the sign is still proudly displayed in our barn. 


GET TO KNOW MOOSE!

Moose was born in 2011 and came to live at Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary in 2015. He arrived with his best friend, Yammy. They had both been through several foster care situations before they found their forever home with us. 

Our resident chatterbox, Moose is always happy to share barnyard gossip or just tell you about his latest adventure. And if you show up with a bucket, you can expect Moose to poke his nose inside to see if there might be some treats in there for him! It's super easy to become friends with Moose - all you have to do is show up with some of his favourite kale or pumpkin.

Meet all of our residents!


TRY THIS TODAY!

Raspberry Almond Chia Pudding

Serves: 4 ramekins
Prep Time: 15 minutes, ready in 30 minutes

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon (15ml) raspberry preserves
2 cups (500ml) unsweetened almond milk
4 Tablespoons (60ml) maple syrup
2 teaspoons (10ml) almond extract
1 (6 oz) container of fresh raspberries, reserve 4 for garnish
10 Tablespoons (150ml) chia seeds
4 Tablespoons (60ml) almond butter, divided in 4 for topping
Toppings: sliced almonds, berries, coconut flakes, cacao nibs. 

1. Add the raspberry preserves, almond milk, maple syrup, almond extract and fresh raspberries into a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Add the chia seeds and blend until combined. 
2. Pour the chia pudding into 4 ramekins. 
3. Top each pudding with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) of almond butter. Add one raspberry and your desired toppings to each pudding. Allow the pudding to set up for about 20 minutes. If you are making these ahead of time, refrigerate the chia pudding and add the almond butter drizzle and toppings just before serving.

Check out all the delicious recipes at Esther's Kitchen!


Gone But Forever In Our Hearts

We've added a new In Memoriam page to the Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary website. On this page we will forever remember and honour the amazing residents whose time at HEEFS has passed.