The Ching Farm Animal Rescue & Sanctuary has been featured in several press releases, journals, and articles. Please click on a story to read more about it. All articles and images are copyright to their respective listed sources.
Deseret Morning News, November 2, 2007
(Link to original story)
Donate jack-o'-lanterns to rescued animals
Sanctuary animals adore the slightly scorched treat
By Wendy Leonard
Copyright © 2007 Deseret News Publishing Company | All rights reserved
Forget canned food and nonperishable items. Ching Farm Animal Rescue and Sanctuary is conducting a food drive for used jack-o'-lanterns.
The carved and partly scorched pumpkins are being gathered to be used as food for rescued farm animals, who basically adore the stuff, said Faith Ching, owner of the nonprofit farm.
"I have one cow named Ferdinand who loves them the most and just bites right into them," she said. "It's a real treat for them."
The pumpkins can be stored for months outdoors and will be used as a "treat" for the animals to supplement their regular diet, which costs the owners nearly $4,000 per month to feed them all.
"Every little bit helps," Ching said. "The animals like a little variety, just like people."
She began rescuing animals from shelters nearly 10 years ago, starting with her two cats and later a couple of pot-bellied pigs. She now has about 100 animals, including horses, cows, emus, chickens, turkeys, ostriches, goats, ducks and geese, and more — all housed at the farm, which is located near her home on five acres in Herriman.
The food drive for pumpkins will give her pigs, cows, goats, sheep and others something tasty to eat, and it will give residents a useful thing to do with their rotting decorations, otherwise headed for the landfill.
"They're just trying to use as much of it as they can because so many jack-o'-lanterns go to waste," said Doug Jennings, spokesman for Wild Oats' 400 South store, where used pumpkins are being collected for the farm.
Pumpkins can be taken to the store, located at 400 South and 645 East, until Wednesday. They will be delivered to the farm and stored in the garden area until they are mashed up and used for food, mainly for the 20 pigs, who have all been rescued from being slaughtered for food themselves.
"They are individuals just like your cat and dog at home and they should be treated that way," Ching said.
Schmidt's Produce in Herriman donated the remains of its pumpkin patches to the farm as well, giving them fresh vegetables to feed to the animals through the winter months. Ching said they can always use more, including the unground wheat that gets rotated out of food storage supplies in many Utah homes.
For more information about the farm and opportunities to volunteer, visit www.chingsanctuary.org.
Copyright © 2007 Deseret News Publishing Company | All rights reserved
Catalyst, August 2005
(Link to original story)
Animals Animals: Ching Farm Sanctuary and Rescue
All the best boys and girls of the farm
By Sunny Branson
Copyright © 2004 New Moon Press, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Faith Ching says she didn't choose animal rescue, animal rescue chose her. When she and her husband Mike bought a home on five acres in Riverton in 1998, she thought she'd have lots of land for her two cats to roam and maybe get a couple of pot-bellied pigs. Since her cats came from animal rescues, she set out to find pigs in need of rescue, too. What she didn't expect was to find the multitude of farm animals desperately in need of homes.
She found her first pot-bellied pig, Sweet Pea, in a classified ad. Sweet Pea was being sold for food, but instead, this lucky boy came home with Faith to live out his life on the farm. Of course, Sweet Pea needed a friend, so two weeks later Faith found a pig that had outgrown her apartment life and brought her to the farm.
Over the years Faith acquired many pot-bellied pigs, mostly surrendered by people who were ill-informed. Some breeders lead people to believe that the pigs will get no bigger than 50 pounds. Some unscrupulous breeders even say that if pigs aren't fed much, they will stay small -- an action cruel and harmful to the animals. However, many people hear this and think they will make great indoor pets. When the pigs reach 200 pounds, they grow out of the living space and get dumped at shelters or are let loose to fend for themselves.
Soon Faith was getting calls for all kinds of farm animals. The Humane Society, Salt Lake Animal Control and even neighbors would call begging her to take in needy animals. Faith couldn't say no: "We had the room, so I couldn't turn them down."
Now Ching Farm Sanctuary has over 100 farm animals including llamas, horses, rabbits, donkeys, emus, chickens, turkeys, goats and more. The old and the sick become permanent residents, while most of the others are adopted out to well-screened families willing to provide a forever home.
The animals are rescued from a variety of situations. Some are retired laboratory test animals, some come from neglectful or abusive homes, and a surprising number are abandoned and found wandering in residential areas.
Whether permanent or not, each and every animal on the farm is Faith's baby. She knows the name, story, personality and quirks of each and every one. She introduces them all as the "best boy" or "best girl" of the farm.
Take Ferdinand, the best boy of the farm. He came to Faith as a small calf who would wrap his big lips and rough tongue around her fingers and suckle. The nurturing (and feeding) has paid off and Ferdinand is now an affectionate 1,000-pound steer.
The sweet bovine comes when he's called and is convinced he's a lapdog. He is also convinced that any farm visitor must love him just as much as Faith does. He takes his giant head and nuzzles it in a visitor's armpit, trying to get a hug or a nose scratch.
There's also Merlin, the best boy of the farm. Merlin is a turkey and quite the ladies' man. But he's not interested in the female turkeys on the farm? no, he is taken with the lovely emus. He follows the female emus around strutting his stuff and fluffing up his feathers for them. The emus merely tolerate him, but Merlin is not daunted. Ferdinand and Merlin are only two of the 100-plus personalities on the farm.
"The rescue quickly became more than I could handle," says Faith. "I knew I needed help but had no idea how to get it." One day she gathered her courage and made a spontaneous appearance at a Utah Animal Rights Coalition meeting. "I figured if anyone would help me, it would be other animal lovers." She pleaded her case and was overwhelmed with the response of folks wanting to volunteer.
Autumn Wagner is one of those volunteers. She has now been with Ching Farm for four years, managing the volunteer program. Ching Farm has 10 core volunteers, four administrative and six farm workers, who help Faith keep the farm running day-to-day. Many more volunteers show up on the weekends for cleaning, feeding or socializing the animals. Wagner also hosts volunteer orientations and organizes farm tours.
"We couldn't do it without our volunteers, and donations are another important factor," says Faith. "A farm rescue is expensive to operate with a constant need for feed and bedding for the animals, plus regular vet visits to the farm."
Most the expenses are paid out of the Chings' personal income -- Mike is a public school teacher -- and around 25% of the funds come from various donations. Because the farm is nonprofit, all donations are tax-deductible. The farm has no paid staff so 100% of all donations directly benefit the animals.
Mike Ching's beautiful organic vegetable garden also contributes to the care of the animals. The garden is large and every last bit gets eaten -- the roots and leaves in addition to the vegetables themselves. And of course, the animals assist in the garden's care. The cows and horses provide fertilizer, the goats keep the weeds under control, and the chickens, ducks and emus snack on the bugs.
Another volunteer, Cassandra Mogusar, coordinates vegan cooking classes at Wild Oats. She gets help from other volunteers to host the classes, which are free (a $7 donation is requested). The "Ching Farm Vegan Cookbook" is for sale at the classes -- the farm benefits from the sale of these books while encouraging vegan lifestyles.
Sponsoring an animal is another way to contribute. By making a monthly donation of $12, a special animal on the farm will get the care he or she needs. The sponsor is sent a certificate featuring their chosen animal with a photo and life history of the animal.
I was won over and now sponsor two pot-bellied pig seniors, Boris and Buddy. By having a sponsor, the 12-year old pigs are sure to get fresh straw to bury their noses in, plus blankets and pillows throughout the year. The bedding must be replaced often because both pigs are almost blind and don't like to venture outside their retirement shed. The sponsorship also helps supply any necessary medications that older pigs tend to need.
Adoptions are another important aspect of the rescue. "We hate to part with them, but if we don't find homes for some of the animals, we won't have room to save any more," explains Faith. The farm has very strict adoption criteria, with adopters having to provide at least the amount of space and care the animals are already getting at Ching Farm -- a high standard to meet. The staff visit potential adopters' homes and also pay visits after the adoption to make sure care remains at an acceptable level.
The organization's top priority is to educate potential adopters. "Just because someone has owned a certain type of animal before doesn't mean they know how to properly care for them," says Faith. "Most the animals are here because previous owners weren't giving them adequate care. I'll spend anywhere from two hours to two weeks working with adopters to make sure they know the animal's specific needs and understand the commitment they are making before I'll send an animal home with them."
"I turn people down for adoptions all the time," says Faith. "Your four-year-old may want a pony, but what will you do when the child loses interest or grows too big to ride the pony? Animals need nurturing their entire lives and if it doesn't feel like a 'forever home,' I won't approve the adoption."
Ching Farm fills a need in the Salt Lake City area for farm animal advocacy. Through rescue, education and adoption, they hope to change perceptions of farm animals and create a deeper respect for the rich emotional lives of these animals.
Sunny Branson is co-owner of Single Malt Media, volunteers for Wasatch Animal Rescue, and sponsors two pot-bellied pigs at Ching Farm Sanctuary. sunny@sisna.com
More on Ching Farm's volunteer opportunities, adoptions and cooking classes: www.chingsanctuary.org
From the Ching Farm Sanctuary's wish list:
• Old blankets and pillows for the pigs -- collected year round
• Funding for hay and straw (not the products themselves because the animals are used to a particular kind)
• Tractor for digging trenches and hauling
• Plastic wading pools for the ducks and pigs to cool themselves
• Property -- more land means more animals can be saved
• Stall mats for horse stalls and pig houses (contact Autumn for dimensions)
• New water hose
• Insulation for winterizing emu barns and pig houses
• Labor -- craftsman to build animal shelters, organizers to plan events, workers to insulate shelters, clean stalls, repair fences and do other farm chores.
For donations and volunteer inquiries, contact Autumn Wagner, Autumnlwagner@yahoo.com. All donations are tax deductible.
Copyright © 2004 New Moon Press, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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