Friends of Hilda Club Newsletter, Volume X, Number 8
I received my copy of the Farm Sanctuary "Friends of Hilda Club Newsletter" today and had the chance to see my interview from October in print (As well as some great pictures of me and Bonnie and Coco). I have a habit of being pretty long-winded when it comes to these things, so they couldn't print it in its entirety, but I am still really honored that they thought of me for this at all. Since the newsletter doesn't have the distribution that I wish it did, I will share my interview here in full (Although this forum probably has about one tenth of the readers). Enjoy!
Farm Sanctuary: When did you first become involved with Farm Sanctuary (what led you to it?)?
Brian Higgins: Well, I personally like to think about it the other way around. I didn’t really find Farm Sanctuary, it found me. In the summer of 2009, I found myself in a real funk. My life had lost its passion and I was awash in a sea of stress and frustration with my life. On my way back from a road-trip to Washington state, I decided to check out a place that I had seen on-line called Farm Sanctuary. I had visited a famous animal sanctuary in Utah and was looking for one closer to home in California. I didn’t know what the operating hours were, and I arrived late in the afternoon, after closing time. I had the phone number and decided to call anyway and I was told that I could come up and have a quick look around. On that day in July 2009 I met Carolyn Mullen and Coco the goat, and I knew I had stumbled upon something really special. A few weeks later, I came back during normal hours for the official tour and began adopting my new friends. Farm Sanctuary’s animals and staff pulled me back from the dark place I was in and rekindled my passion.
FS: What moved you to go to Ohio and work on the ballot initiative?
BH: For the most part, it was a continuation of the theme of trying to find ways to get involved and make a difference. I had assumed that I couldn’t do much since I am not an Ohio resident, but then I saw the “call to arms” e-mail and knew I had to go. The timing was bad because of things going on at work, including the fact that my boss had flown out from Germany that week to meet with me, but I knew I had to be part of it. I had missed the opportunity to be involved in the Prop 2 push and wasn’t going to miss this. My only regret is that I could only spend two days there.
FS: What was the most powerful part of your trip to Ohio?
BH: It sounds weird in context, but I found a lot of kindred spirits in Ohio. Although I live in the Bay Area, I am the only Vegan I know in my day to day life. While people are generally pretty understanding, it’s not the same as being among people who have the same world view. I had the chance to meet some really great people in Ohio. Although I was only there for a couple days, it was a challenging environment. I had thought that going door to door would be easy for me since I am used to dealing with customer issues in my job, and I figured this would be easy by comparison. I soon learned how wrong I was. There was, in fact, a huge difference between dealing with a customer who is frustrated with a product’s performance and having your world view rejected by people. Since the Ohio ballot measure represented the most basic of protections, the objection to it was really disheartening. Being among so many commited and wonderful people offset the difficult moments. Having discussions with David, Lisa, Kim, and Cameron on the road and during the canvassing was reaffirming and I think we all renewed our dedication. It was also very touching when we were able to connect with folks who thanked us for what we were doing. Even when they weren’t registered voters, which was pretty common, the encouragement showed that there was real hope for change once the signature gathering was done.
FS: You volunteer at the California shelter at least once a month. What is it like working regularly and directly with the animal residents there?
BH: I love it! I just wish I had known I could do this before. I had read on the Farm Sanctuary site about internships and volunteer work parties, but I didn’t know that I could just volunteer whenever I wanted to. I had first offered to volunteer around Christmas 2009 since I figured they may be short-handed for the holidays. Since then I make the three hour drive up to Orland as often as I can. I call it my “Farm Therapy”, or sometimes my “Farm Workout”, if it involves a lot of hay bale lifting. There’s a lot to be said for getting your hands dirty. It allows me to see behind the scenes of what goes on at Farm Sanctuary and really appreciate the work that the staff does every day. I have worked with them in the freezing cold and pouring rain and on days when I felt like I would burst into flames as soon as I stepped out of my car. Their commitment to their animal charges never wavers and I know that my contributions are going to support something that is truly wonderful.
I have also been able to make much more personal connections with my adopted family. While it is great to come visit and spend time, it is amazing how much more personality you have the chance to see when you are there for the candid moments. I have seen things that really touched my heart.
Before I ramble on, I guess I could summarize it best by saying that I am addicted, but in a good way. People can always tell when I have been to the Farm because they can see it in my face.
FS: Who is your favorite sanctuary animal? Why?
BH: Well, you are talking to someone who, as a kid, couldn’t pick a favorite stuffed animal out of fear of hurting their feelings, so I obviously can’t answer that. My Farm family currently consists of 13 wonderful animals, each with their own personality and special memories. Having said all that, Coco is my first farm love. It was the look in her eyes that snared me on my first visit. I saw in her eyes the same thing that I had seen in my dog’s eyes at home – love for life. Coco was in really rough shape when I met her on my first visit. She had recently arrived from a horrific neglect case and had a severe case of mastitis and was terrifyingly underweight. When Carolyn asked if I wanted to feed her, she was very shy due to a lack of trust in people, but the look in her eyes stayed with me. She kept me coming back and as her salvation began, so did mine. I shared her story with my family and friends and she put a face to what is wrong with a society that fails to acknowledge the value of life and to protect it.
FS: What is one of your favorite moments shared with Coco?
BH: That’s easy. Watching Coco’s recovery. From putting on weight after her surgery to watching her get introduced to the goat herd, I have witnessed her getting a chance to have a real life as a goat. Perhaps as importantly, I have seen Coco become comfortable with people and trust that we aren’t all like the people who abused her. This is an amazing feeling. Just today, I had a chance to sit with her in the shade. She had been napping with her neck craned around and the tip of her tongue sticking out. When I got close to her, she heard me and woke up. Coco sauntered over and let me pet her for several minutes before heading back to the rest of the goats. You can’t buy an experience like that; you have to invest in it.
FS: This past summer you attended the Hoe Down at the CA Shelter. What was that experience like for you?
BH: I had originally planned to attend as a guest, but when I arrived there were some “no-show” volunteers so I couldn’t resist answering the call. This allowed me the opportunity to do one of my favorite things; Tell visitors about my experiences with the animals and the staff. Normally I am a little reserved in large groups of people, but my desire to share all of my stories cut right through that. I had a chance to introduce people to my friends during the tours and I really feel like I was making a difference. I feel that the animals and their stories resonate with people on a level that few other tools can and I always love to be part of that.
FS: You received Farm Sanctuary’s Friends of Farm Animals award this year to honor your outstanding generosity and hard work on behalf of farm animals. How did it feel to be presented with this award?
BH: I think surreal would be the word. I couldn’t have been more surprised. I was afraid that when I got to the front of the crowd I would find out that I had misheard and they were looking for a “Ryan Riggins” or something. Once I realized it really was my name they had called, I felt amazingly unworthy, kind of like when I was approached about this interview. It’s hard to feel like I have given that much since I feel like I have received so much more. I was asked to make some comments and I wish I could remember what I said. I was overwhelmed by the moment and that part of the night is a blur to me. I only remember wishing that my wife had been there in the crowd. When I saw Leanne, Kerrie, Sophia, Ashley, Indran, Molly, and Mike after the dinner, I was feeling proud. Hearing that they had put in a good word for me meant so much because of the respect that I have for them. I have received my share of school and work related awards, but this was the first award I have ever won that was for something that really mattered to me. In fact, it was the inspiration for my first tattoo! I had always thought it would be cool to get one, but I had never been able to convince myself that I had something that I would want to keep with me forever. This feeling, however, was one that I wanted to memorialize. Since I still wasn’t sure that I deserved it, I have commited myself to doubling my efforts in every way. Even then, though, it still feels like I am the main beneficiary!
FS: What are Message Fridays, and how have they been received?
BH: I believe that many Vegans experience “Vegan Guilt” after their conversion. They feel bad about their actions prior to realizing the consequences of their choices. For me, this drove me into a mental frenzy of looking for ways to make a difference, to atone if you will, for the time before I went Vegan. “Message Fridays” is a way for me to connect with people passively without seeming too “in your face”. My employer doesn’t allow solicitation at work, but there are no rules against wearing T-shirts with animal rights themed slogans. I have developed an extensive collection of shirts which allow me to share the message. That was my first subtle step and since then I have added others. My office at work is plastered with adoption certificates and pictures from the Farm. I carry my Farm Sanctuary water bottle to every meeting. I have a picture of Coco on my desktop and I always linger on that for several seconds before kicking off a presentation in a meeting. I even wrote a company newsletter article about quality citing my experiences at the Farm. Each of these have provided me with a number of opportunities to talk to people about my beliefs. While I haven’t made any “Vegan converts”, to my knowledge, I have had a number of people stop by to proudly proclaim that they don’t eat meat anymore or to ask for Vegan recipes or to say that knowing me has changed the way they think of “radical” Vegans or animal rights advocates. I am able to leverage my reputation at work for something that is more important to me - the animals.
FS: What does being a lifetime Friends of Hilda Club member mean to you?
BH: It means the world to me. Life is an unpredictable thing and it feels like it is more volatile than ever nowadays. It may seem weird, but when I think of the chance of losing my job, one of my biggest fears is not being able to visit my Farm friends anymore if my finances were suddenly in disarray. Being a lifetime member, means I don’t have to worry about that. It also makes me feel more like a part of the Farm Sanctuary team which is something that I am really proud of.
FS: You are creating change in the world around you. Can you tell us how your own life changed after becoming involved with Farm Sanctuary?
BH: My life doesn’t transpire in days, hours, or minutes anymore. Its passage is marked in visits to the Farm. This past year, I began writing a book, or a journal if I never try to publish it, documenting how the Farm has changed the way I feel about myself and how I see the world around me. As I look back on the chapters, I can see my transformation unfolding and see that I am becoming the “Brian” that I was meant to be. Even at my age, I hadn’t previously answered the question of, “What do I want to do when I grow up?” Now I know. I like to believe that if I continue on this path, I will be part of a proud legacy and that is something that motivates me to keep doing whatever I can to change the world one person at a time.
FS: If there is one thing you’d want people to learn about farm animals, what would it be?
BH: Most of our relationships with animals are in our world and revolve around what they learn from us. I wish everyone could visit the Farm and see what can be learned by watching the animals be themselves. You haven’t seen pleasure until you have watched chickens return to a freshly cleaned barn and scratch and peck through the straw with unbridled enthusiasm. You haven’t heard excitement until you have heard pigs announcing that it is their mealtime. You don’t know peace until you have watched your special goats sharing a nap together. It’s inspiring and it makes you wonder if we would all be a lot happier if we took the time to learn to be more like them and appreciate the small wonders that life presents us with. It makes you wonder whether man really is the smartest animal and whether we have lost our way in the modern world.
