I'm Cheri Ezell-Vandersluis,
my husband Jim and I
reside here in Mendon,
Massachusetts
in the United States
at Maple Farm Sanctuary
and we take care of more
than 100 rescued animals
that have either been
abused, abandoned
or unwanted.
And we also try
to teach people about
a non-violent vegan way
of life.
Gracious viewers,
welcome to
Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants.
Today’s show features
the elevating story of
vegans Jim Vandersluis,
and Cheri Ezell-Vandersluis,
and their love-filled
Maple Farm Sanctuary,
a caring refuge for animals
since 1998.
The Vandersluis family
practiced dairy farming
for many years
on the very same
48 hectare plot of land
on which the Sanctuary
is now located.
Like all dairies,
the operation
repeatedly cycled through
the heartless processes
that are associated with
meat and milk production.
My husband is a third
generation dairy farmer
and the property
that we reside on
was owned by his father
and his uncle.
And there’s
a lot of history here.
Many, many cows
went through these doors
giving their babies,
their milk and their lives.
After meeting each other,
Cheri joined
her goat milking business
with Jim’s dairy farm.
Deep within both felt
a profound connection
with animals, but at the time
blocked this love
in their hearts
because their actions
were leading to the deaths
of goats and cows.
My grandparents
came from a farm family
in Canada.
So I learned
at a very early age
about dairy farming
and the consequences
to the animals,
but being very young,
I simply became
conditioned to the fact
that milk and meat
came from these animals
and the disconnect
came very quickly
even though I loved animals.
I always had a dog.
I always would be
picking up stray animals
and nursing them
back to health.
So animals were always
a part of my life.
Jim always told me
how much he loved the cows.
But again there was that
disconnect in the process
where you can't become
close to these animals,
because ultimately
they are sent to death
one way or another.
We raised the animals
humanely;
we loved these animals.
You talk about
humane farming,
we were about as humane
as you could get, but
once that throat is sliced,
it’s not humane.
It’s cruel, it’s painful;
they’re full of fear.
Cows are very serene
and giving animals.
Mothers develop
a lifelong bond
with their calves
and will do their utmost
to protect their young.
However on dairy farms,
they never get a chance
to be with their offspring
as the babies are
immediately taken away.
She gives birth
and the moment
she's given birth,
the calf is taken away
from her which is
a very sad moment
because the mother
will call for her calf
for up to two weeks
and the baby
will call for her mother
for quite awhile.
That's how they bond;
they call to one another.
The moment
the baby hits the ground,
then the mother knows
it's there.
They begin
talking to one another
and they bond.
The grass grazing goats
are peace-loving animals
known for their
intelligence and love
of companionship.
Baby goats are
called “kids” and are
very trusting and playful.
A kid is very close
to their mother
and loves to try and leap
onto their mom’s back.
Cheri and Jim
raised the kids
like their own children
and struggled
within themselves
when selling
the baby goats for meat.
The moment we put
the goat in the sling
to be weighed,
the baby would look at me
and the eyes
would just tell me that
I was betraying them.
And the scale was one thing.
We’d weigh them
and then we’d take them
out off the scale and then
I’d lay them down
on their side
and then the customer
would hog tie them.
The moment they
started to be hog tied,
they would look into my eyes
and start to cry.
And you could see the fear
and the mistrust and
the questioning, it’s like,
“What are you
doing to me?”
I’d let them
take the baby goats
and I would start to cry
sometimes and
I’d have to walk away.
The first few times
we watched the customers
simply pick them up
like a piece of luggage
and throw them
into the back of their truck
or throw them
into the trunk of their car
and slam the trunk shut
and I could hear
the babies crying.
One day,
Jim and I got to the point
where we were standing
at the gate where
the goats would leave and
we had just hugged tight
a couple of our little babies
that weighed
about 30 pounds
and they're going off for
someone's Easter dinner.
And they were crying
in the trunk of the car
being driven away
and Jim and I
looked at each other
with tears in our eyes.
And almost
simultaneously we said,
"I can't do this anymore."
And it was our epiphany
and it was then that
we began our journey of
"How do we
stop farming animals
and how do we
start helping animals?"
After this brief pause,
we will have more
from our interview with
Cheri Ezell-Vandersluis.
Please stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television.
We've had a few rescues
where they were
female goats
and they came pregnant
and I got to deliver
some babies again.
There's nothing like
having the babies delivered
and letting them stay
on their mum and seeing
that relationship grow
Welcome back to
Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants.
Today’s show features
the uplifting story
of the peaceful
Maple Farm Sanctuary
in Massachusetts, USA.
With their compassion
awakened,
Cheri Ezell-Vandersluis
and Jim Vandersluis
wished to end
their involvement
in animal agriculture.
During the first stage
of the transition process
in turning the farm
into a sanctuary,
the couple was unable to
care for all the goats
on the farm at the time,
but luckily, with
the assistance of several
local animal sanctuaries,
they found a solution.
I called an animal rights
organization
and I told them
what we were doing and
he said “Don’t worry,
you’re doing
the right thing,”
and they give me a list
of animal sanctuaries.
And I found Omani Farm
Animal Sanctuary
in Pennsylvania (USA)
and they said
that they would take
half of our goats.
That eased
our financial burden
because it still cost money
to support the goats but
we wanted to keep some,
but not farm them.
So they came up one day
with a rented trailer and
I had my list of the goats,
because
I had family groups,
they’re all in family groups
and they came up
and they took
various family groups
and they went down
to Pennsylvania (USA)
and the rest stayed here.
And that was tough also,
but at least I knew they
were going to a good home.
As a result of a profound
transformation
of consciousness,
the couple also made a
complete lifestyle change,
which included a new diet.
The emotional transition
in the beginning
was very rocky.
And I guess
it was because of
what we did already do.
And then that reflected
on what we wanted to do
to make things better.
And reflecting on all that,
we saw how violent
everything was.
There’s so much violence
in getting food to our table,
and we wanted to live
a non-violent lifestyle
and so there was
that emotion of wanting
to be non-violent.
It was in our heart;
it seemed to come naturally.
And we felt that
eating vegan was so right;
it was non-violent,
it helped the animals, and
it helped people’s health.
You don’t need the drugs
that they seem
to hand out left and right
to bring your
cholesterol down and
your blood pressure down.
You just eat vegan
and you don’t need
that medication.
You don’t need the stents
and you don’t need
the bypass surgery.
And it was coming to
all of those realizations
that just helped us
finally settle down
into this lifestyle and
that’s what we try to teach.
Now let us meet some of
the lovely residents of
this tranquil animal refuge!
This is Little Bet,
a lamb that we rescued
that came from a farm
that just had triplets,
and one was very weak
and they were going to
just let her die.
So I asked
if I could take her,
and the same
with the two little goats.
They had been born
a week before Little Bet
and they too
were very weak.
So we asked them
if we could take them
and raise them up
because again they were
going to be left to die and
we were lucky enough
to get them and
we kept them in the house
and now they’re growing up
and doing quite well.
The two llamas,
Milkweed and Pago were
going to go to slaughter
and we rescued them,
and they have been shorn,
that’s why they have
such short coats.
And Dragon was rescued
from slaughter,
and the Jersey cow
over there Habibi,
I bottle raised Habibi
and now she’s
living out her life here
and not worrying about
going to production.
These ducks,
the original duck is
Cuddles which is the one
with the most orange bill
and he was actually
purchased at a fair
as a duckling.
And the people couldn’t
care for him anymore
so they brought him here.
He was very in tune
with people;
he didn’t really know
he was a duck
and we went and we
rescued two female ducks
for him to have
as companions.
And when they came,
they knew they were ducks
and they were
chasing after him
just to be with him.
But he didn’t know
he was a duck and
he was scared to death
to be with these two ducks,
but now he’s quite devoted,
and he’s adjusted and
now they’re very happy.
They wander
around the farm
during the day and they
come in the chicken door
in the barn at night
and sleep in the barn.
We sincerely appreciate
Cheri Vandersluis’s sharing
the wonderful story
of her leaving
animal agriculture
and bringing joy and love
to the world
through caring for animals.
Vibrant viewers,
please join us again
tomorrow for
the second and final part
of our uplifting talk
with Cheri Vandersluis
on Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants.
For more information on
the Maple Farm Sanctuary,
please visit:
Thank you for joining us
today for our program.
Coming up next is
Enlightening Entertainment,
after Noteworthy News.
May the entire world
be awakened now
and quickly adopt
the compassionate,
life-affirming
organic vegan lifestyle.
Esteemed viewers,
welcome to
Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants.
Today’s show features
the second and final part
of an interview with vegan,
Cheri Ezell-Vandersluis,
who runs the love-filled
Maple Farm Sanctuary
along with her husband
Jim Vandersluis.
The Sanctuary has served
as a caring refuge
for animals since 1998.
Jim’s family
practiced dairy farming
for many years
on the very same
48 hectare plot of land
on which the Sanctuary
is now located.
Like all dairies,
the operation
repeatedly cycled through
the heartless processes
that are associated with
meat and milk production.
After meeting Jim,
Cheri joined
her goat milking business
with his dairy farm.
Deep within both felt
a profound connection
with animals, but at the time
blocked this love
in their hearts
because their actions
were leading to the deaths
of goats and cows.
Following an awakening
of compassion
in their souls,
Cheri and Jim took
the life-affirming step
of closing down
their dairy farm
and turning it
into a sustainable refuge
to house and care
for the area’s abandoned,
abused and homeless
farm animals.
We’re not killing
anything anymore.
We’re growing food
for everyone,
for all people,
for the children
that are starving,
for everyone!
And we’re becoming
non-violent and I think if
they thought about it enough,
the dairy farmers
and the beef farmers
might begin to embrace
such a culture,.
The couple,
now a mommy and daddy
to some 100 animals
living free
in their animal village,
are both vegans.
When Jim and I
made the decision, I knew
I was going vegetarian first
and then vegan, but I
didn’t expect my husband,
who really didn’t know
much about that,
to make that big change.
But much to my surprise
he said, “Why are you
going to cook
any differently for me?
I want to be vegetarian too.”
So first we started
being vegetarian,
but very quickly
we switched over to vegan
because of all of
the dairy product issues.
We were so closely
connected to the dairy issue
that we knew
we couldn’t continue
with the dairy also.
So it was a very quick
transition from
vegetarianism to veganism.
Both Jim and I
have felt much better,
as far as our stamina,
and our mood.
It’s almost like
being more peaceful
and I think that’s
in combination with
what we’re doing
and what we’re eating.
There’s just a peace
about it.
We do feel healthier
most definitely!
Jim’s family has had
a history of heart disease
and he was kind of
worried about that
but I’ve checked
his blood pressure
and it’s right down there
and he seems to be
in good health.
He says he feels better,
he’s lost weight and
he feels more comfortable
at that weight.
But all in all the diet
has made us feel better
in many different ways.
Cheri Ezell-Vandersluis
encourages all those
involved in
animal agriculture
to embrace a bright
and promising future
by leaving the industry and
taking up a constructive
and loving occupation
that does not involve
hurting animals.
I know we’re not the only
ones who have changed.
I know that there are
a lot of dairy farmers
out there and beef farmers
that are afraid of people
like us that say,
“Veganism is the way to go.”
They’re really afraid
that we’re going to
destroy their business,
their lifestyle.
And I’m not personally out
to do that.
I want to see them
improve their lifestyle.
I want to see their land
be improved upon.
I don’t want to see
all the chemicals sprayed
to get rid of all the flies
that are
all over the livestock,
the beef cows out
in the feed lots.
I don’t want to see
all the feed lots;
I don’t want to see
all the slaughterhouses.
We don’t need all of that.
If all that land could be
transitioned into
growing food for humans,
then we would truly be
making progress.
It would still
support the farmers.
Other farmers have done it.
And if we can do it,
other farmers can do it.
They can still farm.
They're working
with the Earth.
That’s what farming is
all about, the Earth,
and being good stewards
of the land.
And by having dairy cows
and beef cows, we're not
being good stewards
of the land.
We're destroying the land.
We're chopping down
rainforest.
We're putting up feedlots
and spraying chemicals
to get rid of the flies and
we're killing ourselves.
So, I just hope
that the livestock folk just
look at what they're doing
and think a little bit
that maybe we do have
some good reasons to go
towards a vegan based diet.
After these brief messages,
we’ll meet some of
the intelligent and lovely
animal co-inhabitants of
the Maple Farm Sanctuary.
Please stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television.
We still grow hay for
the sanctuary animals.
What we produce is not
sprayed with chemicals
and we don't use
a chemical fertilizer.
We take the feces
from the animals here,
compost it and then
spread it back on the land.
Welcome back to
Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants for
our program spotlighting
the Maple Farm Sanctuary
in Massachusetts, USA
which once was
a dairy farm,
but now serves as
a safe refuge for animals.
Cheri Ezell-Vandersluis
and Jim Vandersluis now
live with peace of mind
because they have changed
their profession and
found their life mission,
which is helping to
protect our vulnerable and
innocent animal friends.
Jim bought the farm
to carry on the tradition.
And the tradition
has changed a little bit.
He gets to love
the animals now.
He gets to care
for the animals.
He doesn't have to
worry about them
going to slaughter and
having miserable lives.
We get to reach our heart
out to these animals
and love them
and care for them and
do the best that we can
for them right now.
But we get to love
the animals a lot more,
that’s the important thing.
We get to embrace them,
we get to talk to them
and not feel guilty that
“I’m forming a bond and
it’s about to be broken
in a week.”
The bond stays forever.
Jonathan Calabria,
a yoga instructor and
a Maple Farm Sanctuary
board member, believes
in peaceful living and thus
follows a vegan diet.
He tries his best
to get the word out
about why
this compassionate way
of eating is so wonderful.
I really thrive on this diet.
And I don’t believe
I’m special; I don’t believe
that I have this
special genetic makeup
allows me to be vegan.
I’m a pretty regular guy
brought up
on a very heavy meat diet
and now I don’t feel a need
for that at all.
He now introduces us
to a new friend
from the haven!
Hey, this is Pidge,
she’s a real sweet chicken.
And she really loves
to be held.
She doesn’t usually
get outside, so she is
feeling a little nervous.
But she can still see
her sanctuary, you know.
Hey, honey, it’s alright.
Yes. Beautiful bird.
Cheri took us around
to meet some of the other
joyful residents of
the Maple Farm Sanctuary.
Kali the Brown Swiss calf
is one of
the most recent arrivals and
is a truly cheerful youth.
Receiving plenty
of tender loving care
in her new home,
Kali is now
one of the happiest cows
in Maple Farm.
She’s full of life
and warmth and
comes running for petting
whenever there’s a visitor
to the Sanctuary.
She’s just the light
of our life right now.
She is the most gentle
Brown Swiss Cow.
She’s doing really well
and she’s a happy girl.
She loves to play.
Jonathan the pig is
a splendid fellow
who loves the Sun.
He has a warm personality,
is quite jolly and
is good friends with Kali.
He was brought
to the Sanctuary when he
was only four months old.
Jonathan is a pig
that we originally got
in very serious condition.
He had an umbilical hernia,
and we had to
have him have surgery.
The vet donated her time
to help Jonathan out
and saved his life,
and he started out
maybe this big,
and now you can see
how large he is and
he still continues to grow
and he’s quite a happy pig;
he’s quite the boss pig.
Other members of
the Maple Farm family
include Smokey the cat,
Ivan the Icelandic horse,
Cassie the cow,
Lucky the miniature pony,
Tara Anna the sheep,
goats Sid and Chloe,
and many more.
The different species of
animals at the Sanctuary
live in harmony
with one another.
Most of the people that
come to the sanctuary
are animal lovers, and
they’re very interested
in what we do.
And they want to visit
with the animals and
experience the animals.
Some want to learn
about the animals.
Some are willing
to muck out the stalls,
bless their hearts.
And feed them treats.
And there are others that
help to chop up the produce
that we get
from Whole Foods
and get that for the pigs
and the goats.
And we have
some elderly animals that
need to eat the softer foods.
So these volunteers help
with all of that.
Even if they’re vegan
or vegetarian,
they still haven’t had
the experience with the cow
or the goat or the calf.
They haven’t had that
one-on-one experience.
So it does help make
the further connection.
Before we say
our farewells
to our friendly host and
the warm residents of
the Maple Farm Sanctuary,
let us find out what
Cheri Ezell-Vandersluis’s
vision is for the world’s
animals and people.
My hopes and dreams
are that we can all live
in peace and
that there is no violence
and that we are no longer
consumers of the flesh
and that we are
only consumers of that
which we were meant to eat,
which are plants.
We salute Jim and
Cheri Vandersluis
of Massachusetts USA
for making the noble and
wise decision to switch
from dairy farming
to operating
a caring shelter for animals.
Their selfless heroism
and ongoing efforts
to save lives
are truly inspirational.
For more details on
the Maple Farm Sanctuary,
please visit:
Compassionate viewers,
thank you for joining us
today for Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants
on Supreme Master
Television.
Coming up next is
Enlightening Entertainment,
after Noteworthy News.
May all hearts
be awakened so that
the animals are treated
as brothers and sisters.
For this year's
World Environment Day,
the United Nations
has chosen the theme
“Many Species.
One Planet. One Future.”
As animal agriculture
continues to devastate
our ecosystems,
this theme highlights the
importance of embracing
the compassionate
plant-based diet
in order to secure
our planet's future.
Agriculture alone has
changed the landscape
of the planet more than
any other driver.
So I would advocate
getting off of the meat diet,
that it really
is not sustainable.
Learn more about how
a vegan diet promotes
this year's World
Environment Day theme,
Wednesday June 2,
on Planet Earth:
Our Loving Home.