Eight years ago, Jamie Tanner and her husband Eric purchased a small farm, intent on giving their children the experience of learning, growing and healing surrounded by animals. It turns out, many local families wanted the same thing, so in December 2017, Simple Sparrow Care Farm was born.
While relatively few care farms currently operate in the U.S., they are common in other parts of the world, especially Europe. Like the name implies, these farms tap into therapeutic agricultural practices to facilitate healing. At Simple Sparrow, guests learn to care for land, gardens and animals. Along the way, they become better equipped to care for themselves and others.
“Animals have an innate ability to accept, comfort and calm us,” Jamie explains. “This ability lends itself to healing psychological traumas.” Equally important, the life skills learned at the farm extend well beyond the barnyard gate, vividly underscoring the importance of kindness, gentleness and self-control and empowering individuals to nurture positive relationships and leave toxic ones behind.
“We are here for a purpose: to care for the earth and all the animals that live here with us,” Jamie says. “When we help another creature live up to their full potential, we live up to ours as well.”
