ABOUT OUR FARM
What we have to offer
We are a small family-owned farm, which means personal full-time care for our horses and other animals as well as consistent dedication and availability for our programs and offerings. Our charming barn was built in 1940 and originally used for milking cows and stepping into it is like stepping back in time. Our farmhouse was built in 1879 as a part of a much larger operation spanning hundreds of acres. Today it is a multipurpose property, we have lots of fun, exciting and helpful events, and offerings but our passion and true purpose with this old farm is to bring happiness and healing, not just for our family but for others in need and all who come to Shoofly.
We offer horse boarding, birthday parties, business events, and FREE Farm Visits every Saturday from March through November!
Our Story
Finding Purpose and Peace
How we got here
In 2016, though our lives were already chaotic having 5 children, our entire world was turned completely upside down when our oldest daughter developed a systemic case of a very rare nerve condition called CRPS. She was bound to a wheelchair and among a slew of problematic symptoms, she was experiencing the most pain a human being possibly can (CRPS is the most painful condition on the McGill pain scale) all over her body on a daily basis. There was very little help and hope for her but we fought to find a diagnosis and treatment. Eventually, with treatment, her CRPS went into remission, and through intense physical therapy, she was able to walk once more. We thought that was our trial or story but in 2017 her brother, just 1 year younger, had been complaining of nightly and crippling headaches. His is an even longer story but eventually, a tumor was discovered attached to the interior of his skull. The tumor was benign however they were unable to fully remove it due to its location and, with the potential to grow back he faces a rocky future and as of now, just like our daughter, a still painfilled life.
Why We Do This
To say the last few years have been rough would be a severe understatement. Managing a family of seven is tough enough but add to it three children with extremely rare and fully unresolvable conditions and you go into survival mode. As the main caregiver and having a front-row seat to the rapid decline of my family's health it didn't take long for me to develop PTSD, a condition which at first absolutely crippled me. With treatment and above all, the peace and spirit felt here at Shoofly, the illness of my mind has been helped. All of those issues and diagnosis of the past few years made life somewhat unbearable. And yet we made it, or I should say, are making it. Our problems are not resolved, in fact, we battle them every day but this farm and the animals on it have given us what western medicine has failed to do, it has restored our hope, eased our pain and stress and we know it can do the same for others. It has brought the peace and comfort we have so desperately sought and it continues to help us grow and become better human beings and truthfully just our best selves.
Our Vision and Mission
We know what's it's like to feel down and out, to need a break and respite, especially to those families whose children have a chronic illness, disabilities or other conditions that not only limit the child and family but place a severe strain on everyone involved. It's hard, we've been there, we still are but, we recognize we've been given a gift in Shoofly Farm. There is peace and healing, there is a respite to your aching heart and soul and, though only temporary, we believe and hope the effects of being in this place with these animals will last long past the pain. We did not go searching for this farm, it found us and it's too big of a blessing to keep to ourselves. When we bought this property in 2018 our mission became VERY clear and it was to share the unique and healing spirit this old farm had to offer with anyone willing to give it a chance. So we invite you out to Shoofly to partake of its goodness, it's joy and yes it's healing effects, come take your rest and enjoy a bit of the best life with us.
