Heifer International

[Tonya]

Yesterday, I had to repair the DSL lines at a Heifer International farm. I'd never seen or heard of it before. The farm was so tidy and beautiful. They had cute bamboo tiki huts for the geese and a beautiful pond. They had donkeys, horses, cattle, geese, lambs, sheep, chickens... They bring troubled children from the area in, educate them and teach them how to care for the animals and run the farm. They donate the food to hungry people all over the world. It had lots of benches outdoors set up in a classroom like setting. There were two cute old men that lived on the property and were volunteers. They were puttering around the farm, mending fences and whatnot. They gave me a tour of the place and told me all about it.

It was really a pleasure to work there yesterday. Here is their website.

http://www.heifer.org/

[Karen]

Heifer was one of my mother's favorite charities. They operate worldwide on the principle of "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him how to fish and he eats for a lifetime." It is a wonderful organization that helps struggling people and villages wherever needed with, say, a gift of a heifer. The family raises the heifer, learns to make cheese from her milk, may use her manure for fertilizer or sell it to others to do so, and, when she has her first calf, that calf goes to another Heifer Project family. After that, the original family can keep further calves, sell them for profit, or whatever. But it's amazing to see what a difference one animal, and the training and education, can make for a family.

How nice you got to see them!

[catnapper]

Does your heart good, doesn't it? You see all of the bad things throughout your week and then you come across something like this. I like to think there's more good stuff out there... just hiding form our sight

[G.P.girl]

i've never been sure exactly what it is, but th ehighschool i'm goign to next year supports it they have sweaters you can buy with the custest little cows and sheep adn goats adn chickens in them

[mugsy]

What a great organization. I'm jealous that you got to see it Tonya. Too bad you couldn't take pictures.

[Corinna]

I'm jealous too I have been supporting bunnies to countries for about 2 years now.

[Tonya]

Can someone please expain this to me?

2 GUINEA PIGS can help Peruvian families add protein to their diets and earn income



Do they eat them?

[Tonya]

Yeah, it seemed like an ideal thing to do when you are retired. The old fellows were telling me that they get free room and board and a little money for food in exchange for taking care of the place. It looked so nice! I'm used to seeing farms that are cluttered and just for economical purposes. This farm was actually attractive and tidy. I felt almost like I was at a zoo.

[Karen]

Originally posted by Tonya
Can someone please expain this to me?

2 GUINEA PIGS can help Peruvian families add protein to their diets and earn income



Do they eat them?

Yes, in Peru, Guinea Pigs are a traditional food source. That's where they come from, did you know that?

[Tonya]

No, I didn't! I had no idea guinea pigs were considered food. Thanks for answering my question.

[Karen]

No problem! At church today, it was announced that people from my church are visiting the Heifer Project farm in Rutland, MA in a few weeks! If I manage to go, I'll take pictures!