Everything we do at Redwood Reserves is rooted in nature and the belief that quality comes from careful tending and a healthy respect for what nature provides. This land has given us the gift of our bountiful hemp flower production and… more – perhaps something unexpected.
Fact – our little slice of heaven in Oregon’s Willamette Valley is home to more than just our organically grown hemp flowers and top-shelf seed-to-smoke CBD cigarettes. We are fortunate enough to have enough space to open our land, home, and hearts to animals in need of a safe and loving home. So, the Redwood Reserves Farm doubles as an animal rescue farm.
We’ve cultivated quite a four-legged family of rescues and furry and feathered friends alike that keep us on our toes around here. Ready to meet the family?
The racehorse and the show pony
The rescue part of our business all started with Cappy, the former show pony, and Red, the retired racehorse. Both of these retired rock stars were listed on Craigslist as free, so we jumped – not quite knowing what we were doing – or starting. All we knew is that these two seniors needed a quiet place to retire, and a place to call home.
After Cappy and Red arrived, it was over. We were doing the right thing, and it was just beginning. Next came Stretch, a senior horse whose owner had little time for his upkeep, and Dusty, who was older with a bad leg and facing euthanasia. Nope, Dusty came home with us, and we set about making her days happy.
On a roll with horses, we fostered a few more and ended up keeping two of their babies, Daisy and Willow. Of all of these horses, we only still have Cappy, Daisy, and WIllow still with us. Cappy is almost 30 and still going strong, often outpacing the younguns’. In fact, we got him a companion, WInter, so he could hang with someone his own age. Red and Stretch have passed away, but they will always have a special place in our hearts.
Alpacas anyone?
Once we got our feet wet with the horses, it was game on. We had the land, we had the love, and we had plenty of help (thanks mom & dad!). So when we came across a group of alpacas that needed rehoming, we eagerly raised our hands. A little history here – the alpaca industry was once booming in Oregon. Their fur is unbelievably soft and super-insulated. However, the alpaca market crashed, and farms were closing right and left. So when we saw the listing for these three, we jumped.
Enter Charlie Brown, Princess Penelope, and Buttercup. They are amazing creatures. Super docile and actually quite good guards. When there is something out of the ordinary, we’re alerted with their “squeaking” – seriously, it’s really adorable. They aren’t cuddly creatures, but they do eat out of our hands and live to stand in front of the sprinklers on a hot day. We lovingly refer to them as our “lollipops” when they are sheared for the summer. Clearly, we’re smitten.
Oregon is a wonderful place filled with big hearts just like ours. When the alpaca industry collapsed in these parts, there were a few non-profits that worked to provide affordable meat for lower-income families. Given the situation with the sudden flood of alpacas post-closure of farms across the area, the alpaca meat was a no-brainer. As honorable as this endeavor is, we’re happy to have found and rehomed these three quirky, furry friends.
Next up…
Now that our animal rescue portion of the farm was up and running, so were we. We had our hearts set on cows. Why? Well, why not? We’re a farm after all! However, the cows are a whole other story on their own. And not the end of our rescue efforts by a long shot. We had a feathered phase too – peacocks anyone?
But we’ll take a breather and tell those stories later. For now, please enjoy the pics of our extended Redwood Reserves family. When we started this hemp farm, it was all out of being fed up with the lack of quality, top-shelf CBD cigarettes. Who knew it would also give us the opportunity to expand our family.
Everyone contributes
Starting the rescue portion of our family may have begun from the heart, however, the utility has become important. You see, we convert our leftover CBD biomass into grain for the animals. It’s super high in protein and when mixed with molasses and other nutritional ingredients, it’s the perfect addition to their diets.
But it doesn’t stop there. We also till our animal family’s waste back into the soil (along with our hemp by-product) post-harvest, so it is fertile and ready to produce cannabinoid-rich plants the following season. So everyone, even our animal rescue family, plays a part at Redwood Reserves. And we couldn’t be happier with how everything played out.
