The following post is an archive of our GoFundMe campaign which began in 2020.
Hello everyone,
I feel the time has come for this update and this step, but it still is very difficult for me to find the right words. There has been lots happening all around us, first a long time of businesses and places being closed and now some of them are slowly reopening. We at the farm had more and more enquiries if or when the farm would reopen again. We know how important the farm is for many of you and how much you are looking forward to a visit. There has been lots of discussion and talk between all of us here, we’ve been weighing different options, trying out ideas in our minds, rejecting them again and starting all over. For the time being we came to the conclusion that the farm should remain closed, possibly for the rest of this season. The well-being and health of the public, the volunteers, the staff and the animals is our highest priority during these times and that’s what we’ve based all our decisions and plans on. Being and keeping everyone safe at the moment and in the future is our and everyone’s responsibility. We were unable to come up with a good solution and practical plan that would allow us to open the farm to the public or volunteers and still keep the required physical distancing and hygiene rules in place. The farm is usually such a busy place with lots of touching opportunities, and we don’t want to take any chances of spreading the virus by people visiting the farm. We are very aware that some of you will be disappointed, and we are very sorry about that, but we really hope that most of you will understand and accept our position.
When we started this campaign, we had no idea how long the closure of the farm would go on for and we still don’t know. It is a new situation for all of us. We’ve now decided to plan further ahead (as much as the situation allows) and to accept the possibility that the farm might not open at all this season. We have to keep in mind to try to save enough money to bring the animals through the winter. We will keep watching the health situation, follow the rules and advice of the authorities, adapt our approach where possible and hopefully we will be able to learn from the experiences that other places are making.
It is with a heavy heart that we’ve decided to keep the farm closed until further notice and we don’t know for how long that will be. In order to keep on providing for the animals, we are raising the goal of our fundraising campaign to $72,000 CAD as this amount will cover the basic cost of feed, hay, sawdust and vet care for a full year. It does not cover the staff costs, but for the time being we are so lucky to receive some help through the wage subsidy program. We didn’t come lightly to the decision to raise the goal of our fundraiser and we were really hesitant to announce this step because this community, all of you, has already helped us so much. But we had to accept the reality that we can’t make it alone. We need your help. We are also aware that many people are having financial difficulties, so again we are really happy about all the support we have been and are still getting, but we really wish that only those of you donate who can afford it. It would be great if you could also help us by spreading the word, sharing this with your family and friends. As the history of our campaign clearly shows, every donation helps, big or small, it all adds up.
Some of the animals will still stay here in Beacon Hill Park and you might be able to see them through the fence. We will keep you up to date on our social media sites and I will be posting updates on the campaign regularly. If you have questions, comments or want to see a specific animal virtually or like to learn about them just let me know. I’m happy to hear from you and I’m happy to help.
I really hope you understand our reasoning and that this announcement doesn’t cause too much disappointment. And with your help we hope to be there for you again in the future.
Best wishes to all of you and stay safe,
Claudia
