Project Lebenshof. Some things have (unfortunately) changed so much in my private life that I'm completely on my own. It's not even financially feasible for me.
But things are changing. More and more companies from the "livestock" industry are getting out of the business and transforming their former operating sites into life farms. There are also more and more associations that run organic farms financed by donations. At the moment I am working a lot with the Obenhack family's Schlitzerland organic farm in the Vogelsberg district of Hesse. The family also farm according to organic guidelines. I like the concept so much, I couldn't do it better myself.
And where do I come in? At the end of the day, it's always about money.
Animal rescues are risky and cost a lot of money. Because it is usually sick animals that are rescued, they need veterinary care, medication and attention. Anyone who has ever received a bill from their vet for a large animal (e.g. a horse) knows what I'm talking about.
And that's just the beginning. The real chunk comes with the running costs for accommodation, care, food, veterinary and medical care... A bottomless pit.
Of course, that's a long way from my own farm, but I would take over if I had my own farm. And it's not really about me, but about the animals. And I have quite a few of them now. 😊
A sow saved from the butcher, a dairy cow lying half dead in a neglected barn, a sheep lying more than half dead in a ditch, a sheep rejected by its mother and destined for the butcher, okay I'll cut it short, a lamb and twelve chickens. These are the new additions.
Sounds so little, but there are still all those who have been there before, from Oran Utah to Sun Bear. And the now 14,000 square metres of rainforest in Canada and Peru. So from that point of view, I don't have my "own" farm, but I'm not completely idle. The real chunk comes with the running costs for accommodation, care, food, veterinary and medical care.