a haven for traumatically bereaved humans and rescued animals in Massachusetts

a traditional “care farm” is a therapeutic environment where nature and farming are used to enhance humans’ well-being.

black arrow with a loop pointing down and to the right

our carefarm (one word) expands on this idea, supporting bereaved humans and rescuing farmed animals.

what makes us unique

We are one of a handful of carefarms in Massachusetts. Most youth grief programs are either a camp setting or indoor peer support, but we are creating something different. See what sets us apart below.

  • #1: We do not limit our bereavement support to the death of a parent or sibling. Regardless of your relationship to the person who died, you are welcome here.

  • #2: We rescue farmed animals. The animals’ presence on the farm is not to meet the needs of humans. They are given the same considerations as humans with regard to safety, respect, and autonomy.

  • #3: We are a carefarm that specializes in supporting youth ages 3+, integrating play therapy and expressive arts.

  • #4: We specialize in support for traumatic bereavement* after the death of an important person.

    *Traumatic grief is usually a violent, unexpected/sudden death, or death after prolonged illness.

  • #5: We view YOU as the expert on your grief and on the youth that may be in your care. We are companions and collaborators, never an authority.

  • #6: We walk alongside those in grief without trying to fix, pathologize, or lead them.

the benefits are numerous

We know that time outdoors and in nature fosters our well-being. We feel the care, companionship, and presence of animals that can settle our spirits. We want to feel connected, seen, and known by other humans. And often these needs are not fulfilled, by no fault of our own. We aim to create a restorative space where your body and heart can authentically be.

  • Despite what school or office environments may indicate, our bodies must move. These are viewed as “accommodations” or aberrations within our culture rather than necessities. Movement has myriad physical and emotional benefits, such as decreasing stress. We integrate gentle movement into every visit.

  • It is hard to find others who can be in the messiness and complexity of grief. When you don’t have to wear a mask or feel anxious at a social gathering wondering who will/won’t say something to you, you are relieved. When your person can be spoken aloud, you feel seen. When someone asks you how you are – not the cursory “How are you?” – but truly, how you are, you can exhale and answer honestly. When the grief is carried with appropriate others, you can feel a little less alone.

  • Too often the bereaved are blamed, stigmatized, or dismissed. Whether your relationship with the person who died is close or distant, your grief needs permission to be as raw and unedited as you need it to be. No sugar coating. No platitudes. Avoidance harms you in the short-term and long-term; you need places and ways to explore what it feels like for you to try and exist in this new reality.

tan and white goat smiling at the camera laying in a red hay feeder.

This goat, Almond, is cared for by the folks at Be WELL at Black Barn Farm in Methuen, MA.

FAQs

Where will monarch meadow carefarm be located?

We are currently searching for a home for monarch meadow carefarm, likely in Western Massachusetts between Worcester and Springfield. We do not know what to expect with the market; however, we hope to purchase a farm by the end of 2025 at the latest.

How soon will you open and start programs?

This depends on when we purchase a property and the possible repairs that will be needed to prepare for the arrival of humans and animals on the farm. We plan to build animal homes, if needed, adopt animals, and help them adjust to the farm before welcoming humans. We hope all of this can occur in 2026.

Who does the carefarm support?

monarch meadow carefarm will provide a permanent home for rescued farm animals. Additionally, we will offer a variety of individual and group programs for traumatically bereaved youth and parents/caregivers (ages 3-young adult) as well as community events for bereaved and non-bereaved humans.

What services or programs will you offer?

We anticipate offering play therapy and counseling, gardening, movement on nature trails, yoga, grief rituals, animal engagement and care, volunteer days, and more. See our programs page for more details.

help us turn this vision into a reality!

every dollar makes a difference.

“…grief is not a problem to be solved, not a condition to be medicated, but a deep encounter with an essential experience of being human. Grief becomes problematic when the conditions needed to help us work with grief are absent.”

— Francis Weller, The Wild Edge of Sorrow

Don’t miss hearing updates on our journey to find our permanent home and ways you can help us prepare to welcome rescued animals and grieving humans to our carefarm! Sign up for our newsletter below!

it would be our honor to carry this grief with you.