Support Cheshire Moon Farms' Mission of Love and Healing

Let me introduce myself, I am Elise Lohrer, along with my husband Cameron, owner and operator of Cheshire Moon Farms.

Our mission is to inspire, educate, and provide a safe place for people to be themselves, no matter who that is, to provide animal-assisted therapy, interactive animal experiences, and agricultural education. Community support is integral to Cheshire Moon Farms' mission. I invite you to be a part of our mission-based community.

This mission is based on my own story and similar stories shared by too many. It is not a "warm and fuzzy" story but one of perseverance and strength. Years ago, I was attending LSU pursuing a doctoral degree. I went out to enjoy an evening with people I thought I could trust. Unfortunately, that was not the case. In an experience of horror and surrealism, I was drugged, beaten, and sexually assaulted. Trying to "tough it out," I finished out the academic year before deciding that my mental health needed to take a front seat. Acknowledging my experience, suffering with severe PTSD, and feeling defeated, I returned home…and bought a herd of goats. Not exactly every person's first move but let me explain.

The goats were—are—my reason to get up every morning. I have a Master's degree in Agricultural Education, so it wasn't "crazy" of me to pursue something in agriculture. Little did I know that this pursuit would change my life and inspire me to affect others.

After a few years of raising goats for individual sales, procuring a few more goats and other varied animals, I did some soul-searching. These animals had given me a reason to fight the effects of trauma and keep going in life every day. My herd helps make my traumatic experience secondary to my affection for them. In return, they give me unconditional love, kindness, and acceptance.

These beautiful creatures do the same for all people, regardless of life’s good or bad experiences. Cheshire Moon Farms started a traveling petting zoo for friends, family, and public events. We connect with a facility that cares for and caters to adults with disabilities. We spend time with individuals who find comfort in being their authentic selves with our animals. In addition, Cheshire Moon Farms participates in animal-assisted therapy (AAT) at assisted living facilities. Studies show that AAT improves the quality of life for individuals living with dementia and Alzheimer's, as well as individuals who deal with various other mental, emotional, and physical challenges.

Our first goal of Cheshire Moon Farms being an impactful mental and physical health resource for our community has one major hurdle. We must secure a permanent location.

A permanent location means Cheshire Moon Farm’s animals will show people a world where love and acceptance are part of every creature's existence. A permanent home will be accessible and usable by persons with challenges and struggles.

In addition to therapeutic support of our community, our secondary goals of providing valuable educational and community outreach are attainable with a consistent home for the animals of Cheshire Moon Farms.

These opportunities include:

· A structured and safe environment for individuals to interact with the resident animals of Cheshire Farms in ways that specifically promote social interaction, reduce stress, improve cognitive function, and muscle strength, as well as assist in pain management.

· Animal housing and handling facilities that embrace modern animal welfare and comfort standards. These permanent facilities allow for real-time, hands-on livestock handling and husbandry education.

· A multi-ability-accessible classroom will allow me and guest educators to provide expanded educational opportunities. This is in addition to the social-emotional therapies for our visitors.

· A dedicated laboratory area to provide underserved livestock producers with science-based, hands-on learning opportunities.

· Homestead and small farm-focused agricultural skills resource lending library is accessible to the community.

· Greenhouses to teach individuals different growing practices and provide a source of freshly grown fruits and vegetables to the community.

My agriculture education and agricultural production experiences provide the knowledge to demonstrate to the community what actual farm activity is. Providing our neighbors with a space of acceptance and education creates meaningful advocates for the animals who provide comfort, sustenance, and renewable resources on which our society depends.

This education, an extension of my education and engaging with the public, creates a more sustainable and kinder world.

My animals and the opportunities they provide are my inspiration and the driving force behind Cheshire Moon Farms. The natural, unconditional love these sweet souls reflect back to the people who interact with them is proven in the excitement and love people show my animals. The curiosity of young children asking the names of the animals, the

giggles from adults and children feeding goats out of ice cream cones are the pieces of evidence that this work matters. Each of these memories inspires me every day to keep going, strengthen my resolve, build more, and love deeper.

Their love means I AM STILL HERE.

We need your help to create a permanent home, here in Benton County Iowa, so that Cheshire Moon Farms can open the doors to all individuals and give them the same opportunity for love and acceptance without judgment. No matter how I felt, looked, or believed about myself, these amazing animals would be there with love, humor, and (lots of) silly antics to make me feel alive again.

That gift—that knowledge—that LOVE is what Cheshire Moon Farms is about.

We are seeking your monetary gift to purchase land and create the facilities needed to share the love we know and cherish with the community around us.

Our current goal of $200,000 will not cover the whole project. But it will provide us with a place to start and a down payment for land, with or without buildings, to get started.

Thank you for supporting us and sharing this with those you know who will share our vision. And if you would like, please leave your name in the comments or the name of the person you are donating in honor of. These names will be carved or burned into our barn, to make you a permanent part of our farm and family.

Thank you again.

Elise Lohrer