Henry the one-eyed turkey stands just inside the pasture gate, proud and handsome with his white feathers fanned in display. He may look regal, but he also appreciates a rub of his gnarly red head.
At 3 years old, Henry is a senior citizen: most turkeys raised in Iowa and elsewhere spend the first 20 weeks of their lives crowded together in confinement buildings, then are packed onto trucks to be sent to slaughterhouses. You’ve seen those trucks barreling down I-80, glimpses of white feathers inside.
Extreme weather altered Henry’s life path: A tornado hit the building where he and 30,000 other turkeys were housed, destroying the building. The owner of the building called Shawn and Jered Camp of the Iowa Farm Sanctuary to see if they wanted to rescue any of the birds out of the wreckage. Henry was one of those birds who was rescued and given medical treatment with the removal of a diseased eye. Now Henry lives in a pasture at the Iowa Farm Sanctuary, greeting visitors who venture into the pasture with him.
Henry is just one example of the animals who’ve been rescued and now live peaceful lives on 40 acres in rural Oxford. The Iowa Farm Sanctuary, a nonprofit organization, provides a safe haven for rescued farm animals and a place for humans to get to know these animals and appreciate the sentience of the livestock that share our state with us.
Henry the turkey serves as a species ambassador at IFS, along with around 150 other animals — chickens, ducks, turkeys, pigs, sheep, goats and cows. I got to meet some of those animals on a visit to the farm in late spring when Shawn Camp gave me a tour of what she lovingly calls “the misfits pasture,” a lush, green pasture filled with animals of different species and different abilities.
As soon as we entered the pasture, Herbie the Holstein came up to greet us. Born with a cleft palate, Herbie needs supplemental bottle feedings to provide him the nutrition he can’t get from grazing, and which Camp is happy to provide.
Herbie is always accompanied by Sheldon, who was determined to be too small to slaughter for veal when he was a little brown calf, and who is now Herbie’s loyal companion. Both of them enjoyed the pets and scratches we gave out and gave us sloppy cow kisses.
Three goats hobbled up cheerfully, also looking for attention. Ollie, Cookie and Kaleb arrived at the farm after suffering extreme frostbite that caused all three to lose portions of their ears, tails and hind legs. Despite missing hooves and, in one case, a leg, the three goats move about the pasture and play with one another without much trouble.
“We had prosthetics made for them, but we’ve observed that they prefer to get along without them,” pointed out Camp.
Animals come to the Iowa Farm Sanctuary in several different ways.
“About 50 percent of the animals here we get through donor surrender,” Camp explained. Sometimes farmers call IFS to ask if they’ll take in animals that are injured, sick or born with abnormalities like Herbie and blind-from-birth cow Flower. The organization works to build relationships with these farmers, many of whom give financial support and in-kind donations in gratitude. The farmer who brought Flower to IFS donates funds to cover her care.
The other 50 percent of the animals arrive because of some kind of emergency situation. Those emergencies vary: An animal might have a medical issue that its owner cannot afford — or doesn’t want — to treat. Pigs or other animals fall off of semis in the process of being transported. Sometimes an entire semi hauling animals will overturn. And there are, unfortunately, cases of neglect and abuse.
In many cases, rescued animals may need medical treatment. IFS staff are frequently on the road to take animals to get expert veterinarian care. Whether it’s surgery for a pig with twisted intestines, plasma transfusions for a sick goat, or parasite treatment for a pair of sheep, medical care can be expensive — but the staff want the best for the animals they rescue.
Once they arrive at the farm, the animals, many of whom have special needs, find a safe haven where they are fed and given care. Staff refer to them as “residents” — “like people who live in a care facility,” says Camp. “We don’t own them, they don’t own us. They live here.”
Although Iowa is considered a farming state — there are 3.5 Iowa turkeys and 16 Iowa pigs for every Iowa human — many Iowans have never seen a domestic turkey or pig face-to-face. That’s because of the way farmed animals are raised today.
Rather than being out in pastures to forage for food, most turkeys and pigs today are kept by the thousands in large, densely packed confinement buildings where their food is brought to them. But they’re denied opportunities to interact with their environment and each other as they would in a pasture.
The animals are bred to grow quickly so they can be quickly brought to slaughter, even if that means physical problems like sores on turkeys’ legs from being unable to carry their increasing weight, or broken hooves on pigs for the same reason, not to mention the need for more antibiotics to slow the spread of disease in such close quarters.
The farm industry argues that this approach to raising livestock saves money and makes food more plentiful. IFS and other organizations see results of industrial farming every time they rescue animals with disfigurement, disease or a fear of humans due to their previous situations. And all Iowans have heard of the threat to waterways caused by concentrated animal manure produced on industrial farms.
Still, the staff at IFS don’t scold people who run industrial farms. “Wagging a finger at a farmer isn’t going to get us anywhere,” Camp said. But signs are posted around the Iowa Farm Sanctuary with lists of facts that contrast the care animals get on an industrial farm with the care they get at the Farm Sanctuary.
On one sign: “A pregnant sow is housed in a gestation crate for the duration of her four month pregnancy, an enclosure so small she cannot even turn around.” On an adjacent sign: “Pigs build nests. They prefer to sleep in cozy locations and will collect nesting items like straw and cloth.”
Rescue and care for the animal residents is only part of the mission of IFS. Offering people the opportunity to visit the farm and get to know the animals is just as important.
“When they visit, people get to see survivors of the farming system and make connections with these animals,” Camp said.
Every Sunday afternoon through the summer months, the Iowa Farm Sanctuary is open to the public for “Sanctuary Strolls” when visitors can meander along the unpaved walking trail that circles the 40-acre farm and meet animal residents living in the various pastures. Picnics — vegan, of course! — are encouraged. Entrance fees, which go toward the care of the animal residents, are $10 for adults and $6 for children.
For people who can’t visit, the stories of each animal resident, along with photo portraits, can be found on social media and on the IFS website. You can find out about Henry, Herbie, Flower and other animal residents there — and, if you’re moved by their stories, you can help support the farm by making a donation, pledging yearly support or signing up to sponsor your favorite animal resident with a monthly gift.
This last option has proven particularly popular. “Monthly sponsorship is a very personal way to connect with an animal,” said Katie Valentine, assistant director of operations. “The donor will get a certificate, updates about the animal they are sponsoring and will be recognized on the website.”
The dream of the Iowa Farm Sanctuary is to inspire humans to develop compassion for these sentient beings, and to do what they can to promote better lives for all farmed animals. Farm visits and stories are a powerful way to do that.
“If we just rescued animals and didn’t tell their stories, we’d just be saving the ones here,” points out Camp.
How can I eat more ethically — especially if I’m not quite ready to go vegan?
Rather than trying to navigate the confusing and sometimes misleading barrage of labels (“humane-certified,” “pasture-raised,” “free-range”), Camp recommends a simpler approach: start by simply reducing the amount of meat you eat.
“If you usually eat meat every day, try meatless Mondays,” she says. “Dabble in vegan options: if you’re going to have a cheeseburger, try an Impossible Burger with vegan cheese. See how you like it. And go from there.”
The Iowa Farm Sanctuary website has a page dedicated to great vegan recipes. Check it out for your next Meatless Monday: iowafarmsanctuary.org/vegancooking.
This article was originally published in Little Village’s 2024 Bread & Butter special issue.
