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Animal Advocates to Gather for Old Fashion Fun at Farm Sanctuary's Country Hoe Down

Watkins Glen, NY - July 14, 2005 - Farm Sanctuary, the nation's leading farm animal shelter and advocacy organization, will host their annual Country Hoe Down August 6-7, 2005 at the Watkins Glen, New York Shelter. Designed to raise awareness about farm animal issues and campaigns, this event offers unique educational opportunities for animal advocates of all experience levels. Through engaging presentations by noted animal protection speakers and interactive training workshops, all guests will have the chance to learn what they can do to make a difference for farm animals.

While here, Hoe Down guests will be able to enjoy the country fun of a hayride, visit with the many critters of Farm Sanctuary, partake of a variety of delicious vegan foods, and swing their partner at a good, old-fashioned, foot-stomping barn dance.

The Hoe Down's featured speakers will be Jamie Cohen, a member of Farm Sanctuary who has played an instrumental role in farm animal rescue and protection; Karen Davis, Founder and President of United Poultry Concerns, Inc, a nonprofit organization that promotes respectful treatment of domestic fowl; Tom Regan, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at North Carolina State University and one of the most influential philosophical writers/thinkers in the animal rights industry today; Attorney David Wolfson, one of the leading experts on farm animals and the law in the United States today; and Gene Baur (formerly Bauston), Co-founder and President of Farm Sanctuary.

The Country Hoe Down fee is $75 per person for the full conference and includes Saturday and Sunday lunches, and Saturday dinner and barn dance. Free rustic camping is available on the farm and hotel accommodations are only a short drive from the shelter. Registration for the Country Hoe Down is required and the deadline closes on July 29, 2005.

Directions from Watkins Glen:
Follow Route 409 West (up hill on Fourth Street) and turn right onto Route 23/28. Stay on Route 23 as it branches off to the left (one mile). Continue on Route 23 for eight miles, then turn left onto Aikens Road. Follow Aikens Road for two miles until you see the Farm Sanctuary Visitor Center on the left at 3100 Aikens Road. Look for Farm Sanctuary signs along the way.

About Farm Sanctuary
Farm Sanctuary is the nation's leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the "food animal" industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at www.farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.