Ephphatha leases a 100 acre parcel of land that has not been farmed for many years.

So reclaiming the land, and creating pastures for grazing animals is necessary, as is shelter. Protection from wind and rain and winter winds is essential for the well being of our animals.

We also require for our members, (those who use adaptive equipment to access what our farm has to offer) types of landscape design to assist in wheel chair travel through the fields to gardens and animal shelters.

We also require footing for the horses in specialized arenas so that interaction between the horses and the client/members are optimized. The list of hopes and wishes is long but each year we try to do one or two “projects” so to create an atmosphere of accessibility to activities on the farm.

We hope to expand decking to include an  accessible path to our pond and to a bird feeding area where  friends in wheelchairs can travel to bird watch and enjoy our feathered friends.

This area would also provide a protected environment for our native pollinators and a  garden of native plants where pollinators and birds could feed in a natural habitat.

We want to replace the  footing (lost over winter weather) in our interactive equine round pen. In this round pen friends and horses communicate and come to know and feel comfortable with each other…and  friendships occur and healing happens!

Another important need is a ramp for individuals in wheelchairs. This will enable them to mount the therapy horses in a safe way. We are currently looking at different ramps to accommodate individuals who are physically able to ride to allow them to benefit from the physical massage to muscles and skeletal system that mounted riding affords.

We are  also looking into acquiring a team of harness horses trained to pull a carriage or an accessible wagon so our friends in wheelchairs who are unable to mount and ride can still benefit from horse interactions and find enjoyment in a  carriage ride in the upper fields of the Farm.

The last and most important wish for our animals is a new barn — a safe environment for them to live and stay healthy, a place to store hay for the winter (we use over four hundred bales), and a place to store equipment to keep the Farm running smoothly. We are currently looking at cost effective options and fund raising efforts to  make this wish a reality!

If we accomplish the above, we will all be happy — a step forward on the journey to create a healing, natural environment for all to enjoy and visit!