Nibbles with Nelly

BBQ Jackfruit Sliders with Avocado Coleslaw

Today was a great day here at the Blue Barn Farm and Sanctuary! I decided to make an all-time favorite for dinner. It's easy, delicious, and totally plant-based! Who would have guessed that adding BBQ sauce to sautéed jackfruit would be such an award-winning combination? I'm normally not a huge fan of meat substitutes. When I first read about BBQ jackfruit sliders, I thought, "No way is this going to hold a match to the meat-based alternative". Man, was I wrong! Not only is it better for me, the planet, and of course the piggies, but it tastes so darn fantastic. I knew right away I had to share this with you all.

Now, I don't know about you, but when I have a BBQ slider, I need some coleslaw piled on top to really set it off. Have no fear: we hooked it up! Thanks to the Minimalist Baker, I found a recipe for Avocado Slaw that was out of this world. Okay, I know I sound ridiculously excited about this, but I can honestly say that these were some of the best sliders and slaw I have ever had.

All together, I think it took me about a half an hour to make a meal that will definitely be repeated. For the sliders, I used a couple cans of organic jackfruit in water (not syrup or brine), added some BBQ sauce, and Miyoko's cultured vegan butter (another favorite staple in my cooking), sautéed it all together for about 15 minutes. As the jackfruit gets cooking, you can easily break it up in the pan, creating the shredded effect that is crucial to these little badboys. Depending on your preferences, you can make your own BBQ sauce, add onions, garlic, or whatever else you like to have in your sliders. I would sautéed that stuff first, then add the jackfruit, and continue cooking over low/medium heat for another 15 minutes or so.

While that's happening, I chopped up the cabbage and shredded the carrots for the slaw, and mixed them together. The dressing was super quick. Squeeze a lemon, and use the juice with a tablespoon of maple syrup, salt and pepper to taste, along with a mashed avocado to create a tasty and refreshing slaw that compliments the sliders perfectly. Depending on how thick you like your dressing, you can add a splash of water to the avocado mash and whisk it before tossing the cabbage/carrot mixture with it.

When everything was ready, I piled the jackfruit on top of some yummy organic multi-grain rolls (look for GF if that's a dietary concern for you), and scooped a healthy serving of avocado coleslaw over the whole thing. I also put some fresh chunks of avocado on the side, as well as poured a little puddle of extra BBQ sauce for dipping. Oh my goodness! I can hardly wait for you all to make this, and tell me what you think.

Thanks for stopping by the Blue Barn Farm and Sanctuary! Leave us a comment. Let us know how your BBQ Jackfruit Slider adventure turns out!

What's Cookin' Wednesday.....On the Weekend.. My Self Care Involves Cooking. How About Yours??

Well, the weekend is here and while I can’t pinpoint the reason, this week was- well, kinda hard. I felt myself melting down on Thursday and knew I was in need of a reboot.

Here at Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary, I know that I don’t have NEARLY as much going on as all the sanctuary heroes and heroines out there…we are just itty bitty in comparison. But whether you run a sanctuary or not, life can just be challenging and it’s important to know what we need to take good care of ourselves- am I right on that? I’m a firm believer that if you don’t take good care of yourself , you just can’t be much good to anyone else. Eventually, you’re just gonna run out of gas.

This is what out of gas looks like, in case you were wondering…

So today, instead of doing my usual solo deep clean of the barn, I did enough to get us through to tomorrow, when helpers will be around if I can’t catch up on my own. I opened the gate to the pasture, bid the piggie crew farewell and went inside the house to get right to it..

And don’t you worry about the piggies…they were JUST fine….

So just curious, what does good self care look like to you?

For me, I nest. I clean, organize, do the laundry and FOOD PREP (See, there’s going to be some recipes in here).

So today, after getting the laundry going and the house nice and tidy (relatively speaking), I hit the kitchen. Although it’s been a mild winter, it’s still soup time around here. My body was craving veggies so I paged through OH SHE GLOWS until I found the right fit.

Today’s choice was 10 Spice Vegetable Soup with Cashew Cream and a loaf of whole grain spelt bread in the bread machine.

They were both delicious, nourishing and good for both body and soul.

Since lunch was covered, I decided to get some breakfast options started.

My current favorite is another Angela Liddon recipe- Banana Bread Muffin Tops. I sub in applesauce instead of oil and add some coconut shavings. Mmmmmmm…..so good. These are usually my on-the-go-breakfast since my mornings are pretty full with animals these days. They are so satisfying and filling and EASY.

AND, I can say I’m eating a cookie for breakfast. WIN WIN WIN.

And the last thing on the list today was raw “granola”. This is super yummy over coconut yogurt, chia pudding or mixed with berries, bananas & almond milk (my favorite).

No recipe here. I just throw dates, coconut, and seeds of any kind (today was pumpkin, hemp and flax) into the food processor and blend. Store in the frig and you’re good to go..

And that was it on the food front for today. I wrapped up the laundry, did a little workout , showered and checked some things off my to- do list. My mind felt quieter. My space felt lovely, and that soup tasted GOOD.

I’m now ready to face the work of this weekend- barn clean up, bunny enclosures, hay/straw pick up and board meeting. Cross your fingers!

Hoping to hear how YOU bring yourself back to center and if you have a moment, what you think of today’s recipe choices! Thanks for following along and for choosing kindness, compassion and empathy every day.

With Gratitude,

Melissa

If you can’t find your zen in the ways mentioned above, snuggling a pig can always help too..

what's cookin' wednesday- Vegan Pot Pie

Life’s getting pretty exciting here at the Blue Barn Sanctuary. Our first animal residents have arrived- 5 foster piglets and two bunny sisters, who will be permanent residents. Needless to say, we are BEYOND excited! (And SOOO busy!!!- ohmygosh!)

This guy right here, has my heart…omg…

And then there’s THIS girl….forget about it!!!!!

After a few days of being on the go with this crew, I needed some comfort. And of course, I chose to go the route of food- why not?!?!

So I dug out one of my favorites from Eat Like You Give a Damn- the Hungry Vegan Pot Pie- always a win.

I used spelt for the biscuits and added in some extra veggies and holy cow, was it satisfying.

Cook up them veggies!!!

Add those biscuits….

And dig in…..for DAYS!!!!!

So while this was a bit of work, it fed me for days- totally worth it and SO satisfying…

I couldn’t find this recipe posted online (just buy the book- they’re good peeps!), one of my other favorites, The Minimalist Baker, has a mini version that I need to check out.

So here it is from The MB: if you get to this one first, let me know how it is in the comments!!!

Until next month, thanks for making some plant based choices in your diet and helping kindness, compassion and empathy grow.

With Gratitude,

Melissa

what's cookin for the holidays?!??

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas here at the Blue Barn. The tree is up, the holiday cards are all addressed and the menu is being created for Christmas Eve. Truth be told, we don’t do a lot of presents over here (I asked for the bunny stall to be completed as my gift from Santa- it looks like he’s going to deliver- woohoo!!! bunnies!!!!) Oops, I digressed…. As I was saying…the menu is just about complete.

Christmas Eve appetizers and sweets have been the tradition in my family for years. Crossing over to plant based versions of my favorites was not the easiest road. A lot has changed over the last twelve years, however, and delicious options for holiday foods are EVERYWHERE. So this week, I am sharing some resources so that your holiday meals can be just as delicious as ours.

First, I’m going to share one of my greatest plant based successes…Vegan Baked Brie. My mom made the BEST baked brie ever and we would polish off not one, but TWO of them by the time the holiday came to a close. That was a hard dish to say good bye to, truth be told. My conscience felt great, but my taste buds were a little sad…until last year.

We made a cashew based brie, topped it with homemade pear preserves and wrapped it up in phyllo dough and smothered it in Miyoko’s butter….O>>>M>>>>G. SO good!

If you want to try it out for yourself, I found an updated version that you can try here..

While we do snacks, many will opt for a sit down, family style dinner. We thought this made that option look pretty easy- the menu is done for you. No need to collect from lots of different sources. One day, I’ll be re-visiting this site to give these recipes a go. Let us know if you give any of these a try this holiday!!

Brussel Sprout Salad, anyone??

While we are going to load up on our veggies this Christmas eve, one non-negotiable is dessert. There MUST be sweets. While we will have a few different options, I found my choice from one of my faves, The Minimalist Baker. She’s listed a fabulous resource guide for the holidays and I’m going to be leaving it for you riiight…HERE.

We’ll be giving her Peppermint Black Bean Brownies a whirl…I’ll let you know if they actually make it to the table (cuz, you know, SOMEONE might eat them first)

OMG (click click click!!!!)

Hope that helps with your holiday meal planning!

We wish you the most joyous and peaceful of holidays- however you choose to celebrate. And thank you for considering more compassionate choices on your holiday plate!

With Gratitude,

Melissa & the Blue Barn team

what's NOT cookin' wednesday......PLANT BASED SNACKS!!!!!

Let’s be real, sometimes there’s just too much to do to cook a meal. We are starting to feel that more and more here at the Blue Barn Sanctuary. We are getting smarter with meal prepping and sometimes, especially on work days, meals come in the form of healthy, plant based snacks.

We took a survey from the experts last week….OUR FOLLOWERS!!

Here is the rundown of favorite snacks of our Blue Barn friends…

1. NUTS!!!!! In so many forms…. Cashews and pistachios(Thanks, Traci!) were favorite choices and almonds were certainly not forgotten. Whether they are raw, roasted or smashed into a delicious butter (almond butter on a almond flour tortilla, Anne?? Carrots dipped in peanut butter, Sue? OMG!!!!)- they are a healthy and an oh-so- satisfying snack.

2. In a world of processed foods, I LOVED that fruits and veggies were not forgotten. Barbra got me craving crispy Brussel sprouts, Jeannie had me thinking about cauliflower and Kim and Tina had me hankering for a cold, crisp apple. And Shenz- kale chips?!?! YASSSS!!!!

   All are in season right now and I suggest and you go get yourself some and ENJOY!!

3. Sometimes ya just want to have some good ole dip with some chips or veggies, right?? Hummus was definitely a popular answer (Thanks, Sam and Tracey!) and you just can’t go wrong. Whether you make it from scratch or buy it off the shelf, it’s full of great taste and goodness. If you’re craving something cheesy, Emily’s bud Adam has perfected the cashew with his Nacho Cheeze Dip (creamy and yummy AND cruelty free- what?!?!?) . We are DEFINITELY giving this one a try!!!

4. The last great suggestion we had has been a staple in our house for months!! You can always find jars of smoothies in our frig for an easy snack or “to-go’ meal. Our current favorite is spinach, banana and pear (with almond milk and hemp seeds) but Heidi has us craving banana cacao…mmmmmm…that’s next!

The list can go on for daaayyyssss…..but hopefully this will get you started and offer you some fresh ideas!

Do YOU have some favorites??

Let us know down below so we can try…

Enjoy these foods that will tickle your taste buds and make you an incredible kind and compassionate being. Nice job, there…

Until next time, we hope to be seeing you around the Blue Barn- where kindness, compassion and empathy grow.

With Gratitude,

Melissa

what's cookin' wednesday??-----ENCHILADAS!!!!

Let’s spice things up with a little Mexican food tonight!

The air is getting chilly here at the Blue Barn Sanctuary and we ready for meals that will warm us right up.

Hold on to your hats, folks, this meal was NOT prepared in a crockpot!

Don’t worry- it’s still pretty easy.

We’re keeping it short and sweet today as we share a new favorite by our beloved Angela Liddon- Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas.

All you need is some time to chop (and maybe warm up the tortillas so they look prettier than mine- they all cracked) and you’ve got yourself a delicious meal.

All the basics that are easy to keep on hand…

This recipe was really easy and super filling. Just chop, sauté, roll and bake and you are in business.

Is it me, or are black beans and sweet potatoes the BEST combo ever??

While mine weren’t pretty, it had NO impact on the taste….YUM!!!

Are you a green sauce or a red sauce fan? We are hooked on green over here…

We cheated and put a little “cheese” on top- have you tried Violife? OMG!! i’m not much for fake cheese but this has changed my mind. So melty!!

And there you go….dinner…

Here’s the recipe I followed from Oh She Glows….But then I found THIS!!!!!! Next level enchiladas?!?! What?!?

Excuse me, I need to go do some cooking…

Until next time, keep on making those good choices for a kinder world. And make sure you let us know how you liked these in the comments below.

We will see you next week at the Blue Barn Sanctuary, where kindness, compassion and empathy grows…

With Gratitude,

Melissa

what's cookin' wednesday....for breakfast??

Folks were up early over at Blue Barn Sanctuary this past Sunday morning. We were hosting friends from the Northwest Dog Project, and they were heading over to do a day of work. (Thanks, guys!!!)

Have you ever had a day that you KNEW you needed to fuel yourself just right to get a good start? You needed a filling and nourishing breakfast and it would be a BIG plus if it was warm. Oh, and you didn’t want to stand over the stove cooking….

This was one of those days.

There was a chill in the air, a lot of work waiting for us and we were HUNGRY!

Let’s have some breakfast!

I always liked oatmeal, but unless I really sweetened it up and added a lot of extras, I found it kind of….ummm…

Meh???

Do you agree?

But it’s soooo good for you, right??

So when I brought home the Eat Like You Give a Damn cookbook, oatmeal took on a whole new meaning…

It’s SWEET!!- from bananas and blueberries.

It’s hearty, because it’s baked with some extras, like almond meal (helllooooo, extra protein and fat to stick to your ribs- but in a good way) and extra nuts or seeds if you care to throw them in..

It’s a perfect combination and it’s….you guessed it….EASY!!!!

Ding Ding Ding!!!

We have a winner!!

Throw it in a bowl, mix it up, pour some of this, sprinkle some of that, bake, and we are DONE!

mmmmm…..blueberries….

The best thing is that it makes a lot, so you can share it, reheat it the next day, or pig out and not feel guilty. WIN WIN WIN

We did a combo this past Sunday. I personally ate a BIG ole bowl and then we shared with our super awesome Board Member, Tait.

We’re hoping he lends his two cents on how it tasted so you feel inclined to try it out yourself.

We didn’t find this recipe out there online so we are going to give you a general run down of how to make an oatmeal bake (and then encourage you to purchase their book to get the real deal, because, well, it’s AWESOME)

Here goes:

Slice up some banana and spread it across the bottom of a glass baking dish.

Mix ~2 cups oats with a tsp baking powder, 1/3ish cup almond meal (or ground nuts of any sort), some salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, whatever floats your boat (a lil bit of coconut sugar goes a Long way here)…Sprinkle this over the nanners.

Pour about 2 cups or so of non dairy milk (throw in some vanilla to make it extra yum) and pour it over the mix.

Sprinkle with blueberries (we use frozen and we use A LOT)

Bake at about 375 for 35/40 minutes. The thicker you make it, the longer it takes (test out the middle)

Let sit for 5 minutes or so and then …..DIG IN.

So there you have it! A perfect way to make a compassionate choice, first thing in the AM. Starts your body…and your karma…off to a great start!

We look forward to hearing about YOUR Oatmeal Bake here at the Blue Barn Sanctuary- where kindness, compassion and empathy grow.

Wait…what’s that??? Do you smell enchiladas????

Oh, hold on…that’s not til next week

Stay Tuned!!!!!

With Gratitude,

Melissa

a little pumpkin spice and everything nice- what's cookin' wednesday

Fall is upon us at the Blue Barn Sanctuary and we’ve been incorporating all of our fall favorites little by little.

mmmmm…..pumpkin….

We brought in the last of our pumpkins a few weeks ago and after a few solid days of procrastination, I found the motivation to bake them , puree and freeze it up.

SO …..VERY……WORTH ……IT!!!!!!

That pumpkin didn’t last very long, however, because I took one of my favorite recipes out of storage.

Yep, it’s from Oh She Glows and Yep Yep, you can make it ONE bowl (no, not a crock pot this time).

So it’s EASY….DELICIOUS…..and……. CHOCOLATE..

WIN/WIN/WIN

What’s even better is that the chocolate is mixed with….wait for it….

PUMPKIN SPICE!!!!!!!!!

homemade pumpkin spice mix….who knew!?!?

So here is the recipe to our very favorite muffins that we hope you will enjoy, too.

Some selling points:

• -they are chocolate (do you need more??)

• -they are made with whole grain flour (I use oat and/or spelt)

• -you can lessen the sugar and they still rock

• they are plant based so no animals were harmed in any way to make them

• they are chocolate

So go make them, and then, you know, EAT THEM!!!

And know that you are making one more awesome, compassionate choice in your life.

Here’s that recipe…

One Bowl Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Muffins

they often look a little weird (and sometimes we just make 10 vs 12). don’t let any of that scare you. they are AWESOME.

Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Thanks for cooking with us and letting kindness, compassion and empathy grow!!

With Gratitude,

Melissa

what's cookin’ wednesday ?

Happy fall, ya all!

It’s our favorite time of year here at the Blue Barn Sanctuary- the air is getting chilly, the harvests AND the rains are coming in and it is time for SOUP, my friends!

We are firm believers that making plant based choices not only show compassion for our planet and the animals, but for our bodies as well. With the rains come the colds, fevers and flu so now is the time to fill your body with the good stuff! (and don’t forget to drink your water and get your zzzzzz’s ; )

Last week we harvested the last of our carrots and decided to make them the focus of our main meal. Ginger Carrot Red Lentil Soup anyone??? Trust me, you want to try this one…

They may not look so pretty, but believe me, they were TASTY!

One of our favorite parts of this recipe is that it is fast and easy- you guessed it, we make it in a crock pot! So all we do is chop some veggies, throw them in, and let them simmer all day..

Ginger, garlic, turmeric, smoked paprika, a little salt and you are set to simmer….

This recipe came out GREAT. Sweet, savory and super satisfying thanks to the hardiness of the lentils. Want to try it?

You can find the recipe here..

Give it a try and let us know what you think in the comments below or on Facebook & Instagram.

And while you’re at it, tell us how it feels to add one more compassionate choice to your day…

We look forward to hearing what you think here at the Blue Barn Sanctuary- where kindness, compassion and empathy grow.

With Gratitude,

Melissa

Phase II of the Fence Project is Complete

We had an awesome group of volunteers out at the Blue Barn Farm Sanctuary today helping to finish the second phase of the fencing! The weather forecast was calling for 90% chance of rain. It rained all night, stopped just before we got started with our project, and didn’t open back up again until we were all sitting on the porch admiring this beautiful creation you see in the picture above. Dare I say it was as close to a perfect day as we could have asked for. It was fantastic!

The only sad part was that Sherri’s face got covered by an arm, we didn’t think to take the group photo until a couple of people had already left for the day, and we can’t see Ryan’s stripped softball pants and odd socks in this picture. Otherwise, it was a total winner!

The initial portion of the back pasture is all fenced in, the section in front of the small barn is now complete, the first stretch of the privacy fence is finished, and we are ready to begin the next phase. We’re going to post a “Before-and-After” video. The transformation is breath-taking, but there is still a lot to do.

This is the part where we put the ball back into your court. We need another round of donations to move forward with the plan. You have been so wonderful sharing all your love and support through this journey. Now that our 501c3 paperwork has officially been delivered (YES!!! Thank you Melissa!!!), we can do super cool things like create a “Donate” button on our Facebook page and website.

It will be pretty easy to use once we have it up. You will just click the button, choose your level of support, enter your information, and the money will go directly into the Blue Barn Farm Sanctuary bank account. For now, please connect with Melissa directly, or one of our board members to discuss our current options for receiving donations.

From there, we can use your heart-felt generosity to cover things like emergency vet bills, straw, food for the animals, water troughs, rodent-proof feed containers, and a million other things that are essential for rescuing farm animals. We love you! We couldn’t do it without you! We are feeling your dedication to growing kindness, compassion, and empathy! Thank you from all of us here at the Blue Barn Farm Sanctuary!

what's cookin' wednesday- Taco Lentil Soup

When the weather cools off, it’s guaranteed that we’ll be eating soup 2-3 times a week. No better way to balance the cool, rainy days out here in Oregon.

What’s even better than soup is soup that’s made in the crockpot!!! I’m a morning person so if I can throw it in first thing and come home later to a delicious meal all ready and waiting, I”M IN!

So here’s a favorite that falls into that category. It has it all- fresh veggies, lentils AND beans and lots of yummy spices.

Green lentils, black beans, sweet bell and hot peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic and more…

We made ours with fresh veggies from the garden and topped it off with cashew sour cream and pickled hot peppers (there’s NO WAY those will make it all through the winter..).

It’s easy and delicious and I’m guessing will get us through many a rainy day at the Blue Barn.

Interested? Check out the recipe at The Ambitious Kitchen !

So make yourself a batch, grab yourself a bowl, and feel good about one more compassionate choice…

Enjoy!!!

Mmmmmm….

With Gratitude,

Melissa

what's cookin' wednesday- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins!!!!

Hey friends!

It’s the first addition of “what’s cookin’ wednesday” and we’ve got a good one for you!

If you’re like us, your garden is going OFF right now and it can be hard to keep up!

We’ve been eating A LOT of squash (and sharing lots with some cute piggie friends, too!) but we still have plenty to spare.

Almost too pretty to eat- but not quite!! YUMMMM!!!!

That’s when I start grating it up and adding it to baked goods- mmmmm….

One of my favorites comes from Angela Liddon of OH She Glows fame. If you are not familiar with her, I HIGHLY recommend you check her out. We make her soups and stews all fall, winter and spring long (okay, fine…I made them this summer too). ALL of her recipes are delicious and she has plenty of baked goods that are tasty and nourishing.

This weekend, I grated up some squash and made her Oil Free Chocolate Zuccini Muffins.

O>>>>M>>>>G.

Needless to say, they are gone (they were history by Monday), but that doesn’t mean YOU can’t enjoy some. They are healthy, wholesome and SO delicious. (and did we mention they are plant based and a compassionate choice?? yes, that too).

Let us know how they turn out in the comments down below!!!

Happy Baking!!!

Something New!! What's Cookin' Wednesdays

Hey Blue Barn Friends!!

Cooking is always something we love to do around here at the Blue Barn. It’s one of the biggest ways we can show compassion each and every day- by choosing to put plants on our plate instead of supporting animal agriculture. 

Garden harvests make plant based eating even easier over the summer months- and WOAH ! look at those colors!!

We realize that it’s hard to plan and cook meals - especially if plant based meals are new to you. The struggle is VERY real.

That’s where we come in. 

We’d like to make plant based eating (and compassionate decision making) easier for you…

So here’s what we’re gonna do…

Every Wednesday, we will share a recipe, product or restaurant (or two or three or four….) that you can use as a resource for compassionate living. We’ll do our best to mix it up and make it easy breezy(most of the time).

Looking for just the right recipe for your end of the summer cookout? Leave it to us!

Want to figure out how to navigate the holidays? We’ve got your back!

Not seeing something you like? Just give a mention down in the comments!

Maybe with a little help from your friends here at the Blue Barn, making kinder choices can be just a little easier.

While we’re on the topic (sort of ) of summer, let’s get to this week’s choice

PICKLES. 

Crunchy. Sweet. Delicious aaaaaaaand…….EASY. We like easy. 

We added some red onion and carrots we harvested from our greenhouse. Given the choice, we’ll always add some color…

We whipped these babies up for our Piggie Painting Night just the other week and they were a hit (and so was painting- join us next time, why don’t ya??)

Follow this link to get you the recipe and soon, your frig can be filled with these tasty garden treats as well. 

Hope you enjoy and we’ll see you next week!!!

With Gratitude (and veggies),

Melissa

Ask, and You Shall Receive

Mojo had a photo shoot with Melissa, celebrating our gratitude for your out-pouring of generosity.

WOW! You are all so fabulous! The Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary is being graced with the bountiful giving from our friends, family, and followers. We could not be more pleased, and humbled. It warms our hearts to experience such an absolute showing of support. Here is the best part: more in-kind donations are arriving every day! AHHHHHH!!!

Pretty soon Melissa and Ryan are going to run out of space on their porch.

On top of being blissed out by the love and generosity of our supporters, we are also continuing to work on getting everything ready for the animals. We spent Sunday morning working on the next stretch of fence, and cleaning up the newly fenced-in pasture (from all the construction). Then we moved into the small barn to prepare the indoor space for the soon-to-be residents.

I am beyond words when I look back at the pictures from just a few months ago. Where there was once just pasture, there is now a complete fence behind the small barn. By the end of our next fence party, we will have the fence in front of the small barn just about finished, too.

We are definitely feeling the love! Keep those donations coming in, my friends. After this next step of fencing is complete, we will be putting a major focus onto readying the inside of the small barn. Here is a peek into that next phase…

As challenging as it can be just living a “normal” life, imagine adding “opening a farm animal sanctuary” to your to-do list. Exactly. This is why Melissa and Ryan can use all the help they can get toward spreading their message of kindness, compassion, and empathy for all beings.

Together, we are making this happen! Check out the Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary Wish List if you aren’t sure what we are still needing. You are amazing! Keep doing great things!

The Piggies Are Coming!!!

I’ve heard it said at least a hundred times, “If we wait until we feel really ready, we might miss our chance.” Well, there was a major need for housing for over 200 rescue pigs, and we are close enough to being ready so that we decided to offer some of them shelter at the Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary. The news came shortly after last Sunday’s fence party.

We had another wonderful day for continuing construction! Thanks to all the beautiful souls who stepped in and offered up their afternoon for a noble cause. There is nothing quite like sweat equity to make you feel vested in an interest! All of this hard work is paying off, and just in time, too. We received the official word a few days ago from our fearless leader, Melissa. Piggies are in the very near future! Whoop-whoop!!! With any luck, our next blog post will be about our newest residents.

As soon as we have more details, we will be sharing them with you. We are thrilled, and elated beyond words about this rather quick development in the Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary journey. If you read Melissa’s previous blog post, you can see how things don’t always go as planned. This time, however, the change of plans is a good thing.

We have a BOD meeting next week, and I’m sure there will be more to write about after that. For now, know that your love, donations, and compassion for our project are definitely being felt, not just by the people involved, but by the animals soon to be living the life they deserve. A life of safety, sunshine, fresh air, and friends to pass the time with. YOUR generosity is making all of that possible!

Please consider making another donation to support the cost of feeding the not-so-little piggies who are on their way to calling the Blue Barn home. For more information on how to donate to our “Feed the Piggies” fund, send Melissa a message.

Dreams really do come true!

Thanks for stopping by, and helping to spread kindness, compassion, and empathy. We couldn’t do it without you!

With much love and gratitude,

Amy

Six Months In....

Hi Everyone~

Melissa here. Our fearless blogger , Amy Ehn, is out spreading her awesomeness across the US this week, so I thought I’d drop in and say hello.

So, hello…And thanks for stopping to read as we find ourselves six months in from the day our board submitted our Articles of Incorporation to the state of Oregon.

Wow… what a roller coaster it has been…

I’ve been contemplating the journey these past weeks and truth be told, was not feeling super accomplished. Granted, I’ve been hit with wonderful bursts of creativity and crossed items off To-Do lists a mile long, yet then thrown down into the trenches of the blahs and “this is never going to happen” mentality. Not so fun.

This week, I sit comfortably somewhere in between and have reflected on all that has happened and can feel pretty okay about the process.

I thought some of you may like to hear where we are at…

What we’ve got:
We are officially a corporation.

We have a rockin’ board that fundraise, build fences, share ideas, come to meetings and lend ENDLESS amounts of support (Thanks, BBB members!)

We should have our Oregon license to solicit funds ANY DAY NOW (yessssss!!!)

We have four fabulous ladies that proudly call themselves our fundraising committee (and we are seeking more- hint, hint) and we will be securing our donor software next month to track all of our donor and volunteer activity.

We actually had two volunteers come build fencing that were no family or friend relation to the Pfefferelli’s or the board - THAT is something to celebrate!!!

We had over $3000 donated by board member Amy Ehn (that she fabulously fundraised) that is the reason why our privacy fence and piggies pastures are half way completed!!! (Stay tuned- I think a party in the pasture will be happening upon completion)

We have connected with the Rescue Freedom Project and will allow us to rehome lab piggies when we are ready (and bunnies too!!!!!)

Can we say “Bunnies & Books Program”????

We have made connections with some yoga teachers (we are looking for more, please) so we can start doing Blue Barn Yoga by donation.

We are planning a Blue Barn Painting Party for late August or September- it’s going to be FABULOUS.

If Pigcaso can do it, so can we….

We are getting a new logo designed and it looks AWESOME.

After a meeting this Friday, we should be ready to submit our 501c3 paperwork so we can officially fundraise!!

Areas of Challenge: (like how I framed that?)

Turns out the application for 501c3 is written in a language that has take me QUITE some time to translate. Hence the six month application process. The good news is I understand what I’m submitting and I’m confident that it will be accepted the first time around. So there’s that. (Finger crossing couldn’t hurt here)

Upon investigation, we learned that just because a property has two barns and acres of pastures, doesn’t mean it can legally have a lot of animals or allow visitors for a business (nonprofit or otherwise). HUH- go figure…Soooo…..after a lot of phone tag and messaging, I am meeting with the county to see how creative we can get. And if we can’t, I have Plan B ideas swirling in my head that are being discussed and explored . Don't worry- we will still have animals, but we may have to change the structure and put some of our longer term goals to the front of the line a little quicker..But that, I feel, is another blog post…

So for now, know that baby steps are happening and when I give you our one year update, you can expect that we’ll be hitting you up for $$$ (because we got 501c3 approved, of course!) and there will be a few furry or feathered creatures taking up residence in the Blue Barn. I look forward to telling you all about it!!

Until then, we will be out there helping animals any way we can and asking you to do the same…

With Gratitude,

Melissa

Step By Step, Little By Little

Last week we had another spectacular day for working on the fencing project at the Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary. With the help of some great volunteers, we successfully finished another section of the fence, as well as set the posts for most of the area where the piggies will be living! There were a handful of new folks who came to support our mission of providing a loving space for rescued farm animals to call home. We couldn’t do it without you! Thank you so much for coming out to sweat with us, share a meal, and dream about the future of kindness, compassion, and empathy here at the Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary.

If you like getting dirty in the name of rescuing farm animals, and you are good with drills, saws, shovels, and post-hole diggers, this opportunity is for you! Stay tuned for the announcement of the next fence building party!

What about folks who simply cannot wait that long, or would prefer to not get super sweaty? Send us a message, and we will keep you in the loop on ways you can start helping out right this minute. We have a long list, so don’t be shy! Every one of us has the capacity to make a difference, and no effort is too small.

With love and gratitude from the Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary

Part 1: Finished!

To most people, this probably just looks like an ordinary part of a fence. To the folks at the Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary, this looks like freedom. When it’s all finished, this fence will provide a safe, loving home to animals rescued from a life of torture and neglect. You might even say this fence represents kindness, compassion, and empathy.

A very special thanks to all of you who generously donated, making this fence a reality! We wouldn’t be here without your thoughtful gifts. Keep doing amazing things!

Want to know how?

We’re having another fence building party this Sunday, June 9th to continue our progress. Be part of the Blue Barn Team, and make a difference. We are only asking for a few hours of your time to go towards changing somebody’s life. That’s an excellent trade, if you ask me. Come over to the the Blue Barn on Sunday and help us out. You’ll be happy you did.

Join the Crew!

In one week, Sunday May 26th, we’ll be putting more of the fence together. We thrive with the support of our volunteers. Be a part of the Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary Crew, and come help us get the property ready! Once we have the fences up, we are that much closer to welcoming some very needy and very cute rescued farm animals to a place of safety and kindness. Send us a message to get more details!

Tangible Results

It is official, my friends! We have posts installed for the new fencing at the Blue Barn Farm & Sanctuary! It was a long day of digging in the soil, hauling rock and bags of concrete, sawing lumber, drilling and hammering, positioning timbers, and running string lines. Did I mention we had fantastic weather, too?

At the end of it all, we are looking at this beautiful dream coming to life. Our next order of business is putting the boards up on these posts. If you are going to be in town, and want to help out, Sunday May 26th is the date. Mark your calendar, and let us know we can count on you.