The 2025 Archive - part 1
Saoirse Pastures Biannual Newsletter May, 2025
We have a surprise!
Saoirse Charity Thrift shop
We are thrilled to announce we are taking our very popular annual flea market and opening a small charity thrift shop!
The shop will be located downtown in Fall Creek at 1201 N. Tioga Street. We will be neighbors with the Botanist Coffee Shop and YogODYSSEY Hot Yoga.
I will keep everyone updated as we move along. We have been cleaning the space out when we have time. Since things have been going slower than I would have liked and the animals are our #1 priority, I am going to plan to open after the Ithaca Festival weekend. Ideally the week of June 9th with a goal of a grand opening on Saturday, June 14th.
This will be a volunteer run shop, which will hopefully generate yearly income for the sanctuary and give back to our community by offering discounted, secondhand goods while keeping pieces out of our landfills.
We are taking gently used homewares and clothing. Donated goods can be dropped off during our business hours (tbd: Friday and Saturdays).
How can you help? We need to start spreading the word! Please feel free to start sharing the news with family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, listservs, etc. that we can start collecting donations now. If you have questions, want to donate now, or if you're interested in volunteering at the shop, please email saoirsepastures@gmail.com.
A special thank you to Molli Lip and the rest of the Cornell MBA volunteer students who came down and helped us paint the walls. And thank you to Judith Grant for her paint donation—the space looks beautiful!
TOP STORIES
Welcome Moby and Grover!
Our new sheep!
In April we welcomed two lovely older gentlemen sheep to our resident herd, bringing our total to seven sheep. They made it through their quarantine period just fine and were introduced to the others without any issues. They are all now enjoying their first week out in their pasture. We are looking forward to getting to know them and learning about their individual personalities.
My Favorite word…
Infrastructure
When we have the financial means to upgrade or add to the sanctuary's infrastructure, I am elated! New outbuildings, more fencing, upgrades, etc.
One of our goals, two years old now, was to fence in more pasture space and relocate the zebu herd to share the sheep barn. This winter we were able to put the fencing in for their new pasture, and we are currently waiting on a stall system to upgrade the barn to house both the sheep and zebu herds. We are hoping to move them by early June. We will transition Stella and Santiago donkey to the zebus old space to give the horses more room, which also allows us to hone in on their individual nutrition needs. The horses are primarily on a hay diet with a bit of supervised pasture time, while the donkeys need to be primarily on a straw diet.
Very exciting times for all involved, and I will keep you updated as we progress.
Cornell to LACS and Beyond
Volunteers!
We had a cold winter, but I am not complaining—in fact, I loved this winter. We had frozen grounds, which means we went months with no mud. We had even temperatures all season instead of wild swings, which helps all of us adjust to the cold chill of winter. Our residents did extremely well and we owe their comfort and coziness to our volunteers. We had Cornell students who came out weekly when they could have stayed in and slept. We connected with the wonderful, inspiring members of the AAC Club (Animal Advocacy at Cornell), as well as LACS kids who carried all of their winter gear with them to school each Thursday so they would be prepared to help. We had newbies who learned the ropes in those arctic months and then our dedicated crew who are now two years into taking on the rewarding role as assistant caregivers. These people are truly inspiring and bring me hope. Saoirse Pastures needs you and loves you. Thank you all!
I also want to say congratulations to our Cornell volunteer Caitlyn Dornau as she graduates from Cornell University. We wish her well on her next chapter. Caitlyn was a very dedicated volunteer who showed up each week and worked so hard with a smile on her face. We will really miss her!
Ithaca Festival: Year 4
Upcoming events
We are very excited to be participating in our fourth year at the 2025 Ithaca Festival. We will have merchandise to sell, raffles , and sign-ups for volunteer opportunities. Stop by to say hi and check out our booth! We’ll be in our regular spot on Cayuga Street along Dewitt Park.
Our Dear Lady Goat!
We say goodbye...
On Valentine’s Day morning we found our fearless leader, Lady, had passed in her sleep at the age of 14! Those of us at SP had the honor of caring for Lady for only seven months before she passed, but her strong, independent personality will live with us all. Lady was a straight shooter, knew what she wanted, and was going to tell you so. She led her herd, her sisters, and was bossy at times, but her love for them and her job was always apparent. We will miss her beard, her long intense stares, her love of food, and her place at the head of the line! Lead on Lady goat, we love you and miss you!
Thank you all!
With gratitude and green grass, Shannon Hamilton
