My! Where to start? We don't think we talk surprisingly when we say "what the hell was that!" in reference to 2020. We may as well mention the elephant in the room and say COVID! Regardless of individual opinions on the matter, we think we can all agree that it has controlled our lives to some degree or another. Some will have experienced tragedy throughout its existence whilst others will have experienced hardship and ruin. Of course, there are some that would not have been affected at all by COVID, but the mere fact it was there and accompanied by rules, laws and lockdowns has seen a very odd and stressful timeline. 

We have seen Australia burn as the most extreme bushfires to hit our country would roar burning an amazing 47 million acres, killing many and stripping the earth of wildlife and trapped animals. The other side of the planet would burn also with California to Washington State erupting, again torching millions of acres.

We would see the Royal Family in turmoil with Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle "quitting" the Monarchy! Sports stars, such as Kobe Bryant and celebrities, such as Eddie Van Halen would leave us unexpectedly.

Locally, sports would be cancelled, put on the back burner and seasons played out under shortened variations, fan-free venues and zero handshake finishes.

Beirut would explode with the accidental detonation of 2750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate while Twitter hacks became real and COVID vaccines were created, tested and created again. 

For most 2021 cannot come quick enough as hopes are high for a much better year.

Here at Furever Farm we have been busy each and every day of 2020 tending to animals and saving wherever we can. This year has had an effect on us financially, with major interruptions to planned activities. We have postponed and cancelled fundraising events throughout the year as restriction came in and out preventing us from moving forward. Naturally, this has had a major impact on our finances. Raising funds is paramount to the running of a sanctuary. We saw our major fundraiser Open Day completely cancelled as it fell right in the thick of the COVID disaster. Oh, how we were disappointed this year could not go ahead. The line-up of vendors was our best yet as we were set to announce the marvellous Staazi & Co to join Live A Little Gelato, Continental Bakery, Sparrow & Spoon Cakes and Booknook & Bean. We also had a quiz night practically planned, only awaiting a venue when restrictions forced our hand. We must add that we don't consider these events to be "cancelled" but rather postponed. Keep an eye out in 2021 for an early Open Day and we are determined for the quiz night to go ahead. 

It was that kind of year where every avenue we thought of to replace events would have, in one way or another, required freedom from tight laws. In the end, we held the basic online events with auctions and parties but there is so much more we await doing. Whilst we were limited, we were not about to stoop to rorting or ripping off any of our beautiful and loyal followers. We simply could not play on events to further our own needs. We think that our supporters will know that we would never rob our animals of a single cent of what we raise. Throughout all of the year-long hiatus, we were kept going by wonderful donors and sponsors. As well as our generous donations online, via various means, we were also gifted some amazing things. The year saw us gifted a huge hay shed with stables and sick bays attached, brand new! What an amazing and inspiring act. This has seen us able to bulk purchase hay and keep it dry, tip-top for the animals as needed. The stables have been utilized well with both sick animals and weight loss ponies. Another of our dilemmas in the past has been the storage of our donated fruit, veg and bread. Two amazing people would fix that when they donated an awesome 20ft refrigerated container AND the phase converter required to run it. Now, our food for the animals remains fresh, cool and ready for longer. We have had friends and supporters build our animal shelters and aviary companies donate new enclosures for our chooks! It's things like this that really humble and reminds one as to the giving nature of people out there who care. 

2020 saw the continuation of dedicated team members and the coming and going of others. Team members are paramount to the running of the farm. Without them, the workload is simply too extreme and we truly appreciate and value our volunteer family. We thank our team every year as we look to progress at our current location with the view to an eventual bigger property in the future. Loyal members are invaluable, a price could not be put upon them and we will simply call them gold! Included in this mention are outside team members. Those who do things to aid the farm in one way or another. Our fundraising team has grown as we look to recruit even more members. We thank those who put in efforts trying to help raise funds for the animals, all in their own time. Likewise, our great webmaster James Byrne of Hilltop Digital, who donates all his time to maintaining and adjusting our website. Oh, did we mention he designed it too? Please, look James up if you're in the market for a webpage!

We ticked off some of our wishlist in 2020, mainly due to the generosity of kind-hearted people. As we tick into the new year we look forward and work towards attaining further wish list items. Most important to us are those things needed for the animals, particularly animal health and wellbeing. We look to purchase 'cattle panels', large enclosure panels that we can build a small yard with off of the Daisy May Paddock. This will enable us to work on cows or larger animals safely and securely as well as providing a training yard for animals, such as horses, with trust issues. Secondly, and in conjunction with the panels, we aim to purchase a 'crush'. Yes, a dubious name by any standards but basically it is used to safely work on large and heavy animals. An animal can be led into the unit calmly and then closed inside preventing it from excessive movement enabling vets to sedate, operate, suture, scan, anything that requires these sized animals to remain relatively still. It also cuts the danger of working with large animals. 

On the farm with the animals, highs and lows have been thrown up as well as emotions and roller coaster rides as per normal. We have seen animals come, animals adopted and, sadly, animals pass. With each year generally a lot of hens or roosters will grace our lives. This year was no different as we welcomed Licorice, Bronny, Pigeon, Dom, Jobe, Ted, Bob, Saffron, Wilma, Chance, Susan, Chocolate & Coffee. Other animals include Avicii the Dorper, Henry and Gracie the goats, Thyme the lamb, mother and son duo, Ambrose & Chester the alpacas, BB the Ram and last but not least, Milka the mini-Cow. Of course, we have had a few more animals join us but have moved on to better lives.

Adopted during the period of 2020 include (in order), Sweet Pea the Calf, Grace the sheep, Beatrice & Bonny the hens, Snowball the kitten, Archie & Maeve the sheep, Ju-Ju the hen (sadly since deceased), Matilda & Hope the lambs, Sam & Flo the sheep (forever married!), Poppy the pig, Banjo the lamb, Johnny & Morgan the lambs, Bobby, Joaquin & River the calves, Lorry the lamb, Rusty & Maxi the cows & Fleur, Bellatrix, Lavander, Luna & Molly the hens. We do hate saying farewell to our babies but we have always said that we do not own them, we are simply their temporary mum and dad, their carers whose job it is to make sure they are looked after, kept healthy and treated when necessary, fed, housed and loved until their furever parents come for them. We shed a tear each and every time we bid farewell to an animal but we also smile inside knowing they are going to live the most full and loving life where they will be given one on one treatment for the rest of their lives. We have spoken of our strict adoption process in blogs and posts before, something we never apologise for nor relax. It is the animals lives at stake and we make sure they go to the most perfect homes. 2020 proved this once again as all adopters keep in contact and welcome us to visit should we be in their area. 

Every year there is a sad aspect of rescue. It is inescapable and something that you are always told to be ready for. Naturally, you are never ready for the deaths. It would be a merciless and deranged person who was not affected by the passing of those so dear and close to them. It's not the fact that we invest so much time in the animals, their upkeep, their livelihood and wellbeing but rather that we love them. You are with these animals every day, sometimes every minute of your time outdoors. You class these animals as family, they are our kids and we, like human parents, love our kids emphatically. Never the less, each year we must go through the heartache of losing our kids. Some are simply old; they have lived their lives to the full and time has caught them in the end. Some will suffer shortened lives because of incurable disease or illness, cancer comes to mind. Others will have their life taken from them in the most cruel and brutal fashion leaving all concerned bewildered and numb. This year, 2020, we pay tribute to and remember;

Ginger the Rooster - January 2

Princess the Hen - January 2

Dame Helen the Hen - January 30

Gem the Hen - February 14

Robert the Rooster - February 14

Isa the Hen - February 14

Annie the Hen - February 14

Fluffy the Hen - March 18

Benson the Lamb - April 12

Pom Pom the Rooster - April 18

Poppy the Goat - April 22

Archer the Lamb - April 26

Lilah the Lamb - April 30

Charlie the Steer - June 24

Lilly the Lamb - July 2

Phoenix the Lamb - July 16

Belle the Hen - August 26

Ebony the Hen - November 4

Lambert the Sheep - December 15

May you all rest in peace sweet babies. You will never be forgotten and will remain a part of everyone's life forevermore. 

As you can see, the passing's in one year are a lot. When you have a combination of animals neglected or a poor start in life, accidents and pure bad luck the numbers will grow. With each death this year the heartbreak gets tougher. You feel each and everyone so strongly as your relationship is engrained with these special souls. It hurts. It hurts for a long time but we continue year after year because we pledged within ourselves a long time ago to never give up on animals. Our hurt is worth their pleasure. At the time of compiling this blog, we learned that two of our adopted babies passed away due to snakebite, as our Lambert did. Two more names could be added to that list in Lorry the Lamb, so young at only 4 months old, and one of the three calves adopted to the same family, Joaquin. Rest beautifully sweet babies and may your parents rest with the joy of the company you gave them.

So, as we prepare to bid farewell to the year from hell, we anticipate entering a year that throws up fewer challenges and enables us to return to some normality. Of course, we must be realistic. COVID and all of the accompanying side effects are not going to disappear come the stroke of midnight on December 31. This pandemic is still going to be with us, overstated or not, and rules and restrictions still in place. But we will be used to it more than we ever have been. We truly believe also, that as 2021 progresses the situation will ease, slowly. But as for life on Furever Farm? Nothing will change as we morph from one year to the next. We will get up on January 1 and continue everything we have been doing for the 365 days prior. We will continue to do it to the best of our ability, we will promise to put the animals first and foremost. Our lives are secondary in importance as we care for the voiceless. We can make decisions, choices, mistakes and go on learning each and every day. The animals here are in their last chance at achievable freedom and we will never rob them of that. Every decision we make will affect their 2021. We promise to get it right, and if we stumble, we will correct it.

Thank you all for your support, following, love and strength throughout the year. You are all our Furever Farm Family and we wish you all great New Years. Here's to 2021.

Darren, Hayley & the Furever Farm Team.