New Freedom Farm has much to celebrate this year having recently been awarded accreditation by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) and Guardian status through the Equus Foundation. The certification recognizes that the New Freedom Farm meets the organization’s rigorous equine care standards and is a safe place for veterans and horses. The GFAS press release stated, “We are honored to announce New Freedom Farm is the first Veteran and Mustang organization in history to receive the prestigious Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries Accreditation.”
A new feature at Freedom Fest this year will give attendees the opportunity to learn about the wild mustangs that live at New Freedom Farm. Visitors will be able to scan QR codes linked to the Bureau of Land Management’s wild mustang registry to access the mustangs’ specific stories and paths to their homes at New Freedom Farm. Wild mustangs are free-roaming horses in the western United States that were descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Their population is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustang).
Executive Director Lois Fritz said, “We are excited to host this year’s Freedom Fest to raise awareness of the 22 veterans and five first responders that commit suicide each day and for the wild mustangs that help them heal. Partnering with the Beaver Dam Sunflower Festival, which is only five miles away, we hope to have around 20,000 visitors to the farm during Freedom Fest, raising funds to help us continue our mission of healing heroes through horses.”
Tickets are available online for $7 or can be purchased the day of the festival; https://www.newfreedomfarm.org/product-page/freedom-fest-2021-tickets.
Freedom Fest is sponsored by WFXR, Natural Bridge Animal Hospital, Mt. Joy Hardware, Freedom First Credit Union, A Little Off the Top, SanMarco and many other community sponsors.
About New Freedom Farm
New Freedom Farm is a nonprofit organization founded by veteran and forensic nurse Lois Fritz in 2016. She founded New Freedom Farm out of her personal understanding of PTSD and the therapeutic benefits of being around horses. Located on 13 level acres in Buchanan, the farm is home to several equines, including mares and their foals saved from slaughter, mini horses, and mini donkeys, among others. New Freedom Farm is dedicated to helping those who have served their country and their families. Since 2016, the farm’s residents and programs have grown and continue to find new ways to serve veterans, first responders, and their families. For more information, visit www.newfreedomfarm.org.
