Current Press Releases

Country Hoe Down Draws Animal Advocates of All Stripes to Farm Sanctuary

Annual event includes new features like yoga on the farm and wild edibles walk.

Watkins Glen, NY - July 30, 2007 - Yoga poses and edible plants spice up the 2007 Farm Sanctuary Country Hoe Down. Held Aug. 4 and 5, the annual event is designed to provide practical advice, inspiration and fun to animal advocates from around the world.

This year's Country Hoe Down will showcase standard features like charismatic speakers, catered vegan meals and a boot-stomping barn dance, while adding some never-been-done-before draws including a morning yoga session on the farm, a wild plant-identification walk, square dancing, and vegan ice cream sundaes. The weekend event will be held at Farm Sanctuary's 175-acre New York Shelter, home to more than 1,100 pigs, cows, turkeys, goats, sheep, chickens and ducks.

Farm Sanctuary, the nation's leading farm animal protection organization, welcomes a diverse group of speakers to this year's Hoe Down. On the itinerary are: Gene Baur, president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary; Susie Coston, Farm Sanctuary shelter director; George Eisman, founder and president of The Vegetarian and Vegan Association and educator and author; Amie Hamlin, executive director of New York Coalition for Healthy School Food and Founder of Club Veg: Vegetarian Education Group; Emily Levine, veterinarian and ethology expert; and Will Tuttle, educator, composer, pianist and writer.

"Every year, our Hoe Downs provide a fantastic opportunity to network with other activists and have a great time doing it," said Michelle Waffner, Farm Sanctuary education manager. "We are incredibly excited about our new programs this year and the added dimension to our event they provide."

The Hoe Down will be held on sanctuary grounds at 3136 Aikens Rd., Watkins Glen, N.Y. Registration fee is $75 and includes a catered dinner Saturday evening and catered lunches Saturday and Sunday. To register, call 607-583-2225 ext. 221 or go to www.farmsanctuary.org.

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.