What We Are All About
The Good Shepherd Alpaca Sanctuary is a 501c3 committed to providing a peaceful farming environment in which to introduce individuals who have job and life challenges to farming and livestock production as career choices through skill-building and job training.
Some of the groups we host:
Ventura College Vet Tech Program- instructors and a team of students that come to learn how to handle alpacas, do blood draws, give vaccinations, and other skills necessary for large animal vet work;
Ventura County 4H Alpaca Project-- encouraging confidence and skill in young people through working with alpacas at home and at shows;
Valor Healing Farms sponsors military veteran interns who are interested in careers with livestock. They benefit from the therapeutic environment while they interact with alpacas, assist in ranch chores, and hopefully find peace in a broken and sometimes chaotic world.
For years visitors have commented on how being with the alpacas brought them a peaceful feeling they didn't have anywhere else. Science has shown that engaging in spinning, knitting and other fiber arts helps connect the 2 hemispheres of the brain--skill + creativity-- which increases intelligence and an overall sense of well-being. Now studies are being done through an organization called Heart Math showing that interaction with large herd animals actually increases measurable beneficial vibrational frequencies between humans and animals. We already knew that-- but it's nice when science validates it.
We believe:
• that farming and husbandry practices can be therapeutic as well as practical careers;
• that fiber arts can encourage healing in minds and hearts;
• that interaction with alpacas is good for the human soul;
• that the spirit, soul and body all need equal attention to produce true wholeness.
We are always seeking new ways to meet needs and encourage our visitors with various programs.
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Click below to learn more about our VC Farm Day!