the gentle barn

It was my birthday present from my husband to visit The Gentle Barn after a couple years of reading about it online. We were fortunate to meet the founder and her husband as well as very friendly staff. The work that is done there is truly a miracle on so many levels. go and visit and make a donation!

I brought my kids here a few years ago to see the horses, cows and other farm animals and fell I love with the place myself. They work very hard to keep the place clean and welcoming. The animals are healthy, well loved and taken care of. I know this because after that first visit I signed up as a volunteer and started helping out several mornings a week. It has been amazing to witness rescued animals go from being malnourished, neglected and shy to the incredibly healthy, social and happy animals they are today. I have seen kids faces light up when they learn how to feed carrots to the horses , or brush a cow, but adults enjoy the outing as much as the kids!

If you are in the area, you should visit The Gentle Barn. The owners and volunteer staff have done a wonderful job in taking care of the rescued animals - cows, pigs, horses, llamas, turkeys, chickens, donkeys. You get to hug a cow, feed the horses, pet the turkey. Listening to how the animals were rescued and what they have endured to get to their healing state was nice to hear. It is only open to the public on Sundays. Picnic tables are available if you decide to bring food in. The $10 donation per person was well worth it.

I like the work they do to save abused animals and then have foster and troubled youth come spend time relating. A healing experience for abused and neglected children. As a tour it's fine and I like supporting the organization, however I felt the staff really pushes the vegan agenda. Also know that on a really hot day, it is really hot there!

If you are an animal lover, and/or vegan / vegetarian this is a must do if you are anywhere within driving distance to get to a The Gentle Barn. Hug a cow, horse or even a 600 pound pig. There are sometimes special events there do check out their website or a Facebook page in advance. There weren't any special activities when I visited , and it was still a wonderful learning experience.

The Barn is a wonderful place. I have just finished Ellie's book and it was so inspirational. I wish every animal had a Gentle Barn to live in. I live on the east coast but I am going back to visit very soon.

Great place to escape and feel like you far away from Home! Depending on the time of the year activity are great.

It was really rewarding to feel like you are contributing to the well being of a saved animal, and so many of them were so nice. However, some of the staff were kind of pretentious and suggested that if you were to eat meat, that it is inhumane. Some farms treat their livestock with respect and should be acknowledged by those in the animal rights movement. But, mostly everyone here was very nice and pretty knowledgeable. It was interesting to hear about some of their stories and the daily animal politics that happens on the farm. They suggest a donation at the door, but the guy with the clipboard was somewhat intimidating. They also sell refreshments and vegan food. I would come again but would stay away from some of the negative volunteers that are there.

Nice place took to long to get in .The man collecting donations was busy visiting with other regulars while we waited in100 degree heat for over 10 minutes . There were only 4 peoe ahed of us.the rest of the Staff was very friendly. They need more things to do . There are only 3 areas to visit and the upper area you can only visit after the owner speaks so if you arrive at 1005 am you cannot go to the upper part u till after 11 am Presentation . So we had to wait 25 minutes to see the upper part. They do very good work there for the animals. Just need more hands on. Maybe feeding the goats milk would be fun.

A very special place that everyone can enjoy. It's an accessible, welcoming and loving place where the rescue is not just animals living there, but for all the urban dwellers who visit.

The Gentle Barn gives visitors a chance to view many different types of farm animals while contributing to a great cause. The animals have all been rescued and are now well cared for by dedicated volunteers. Just know, if you intend to read the signs with the history of the various residents, bring plenty of tissues.

The Gentle Barn is located north of the busy city of Los Angeles and is a real change of place for city dwellers who rarely, if ever, have contact with farm animals. The Gentle Barn is real treat for any child or adult who craves a change from the big city. The Gentle Barn takes in abused and neglected farm animals that have no hope for a future. The Gentle Barn becomes their home and their future as their bodies and souls are rehabilitated.The facility was smaller than I expected but in a pleasant and peaceful location. There were 3 cows in one part and several horses and a donkey in the stable area.Bags of carrots are sold for $2 each allowing visitors to interact with eager horses looking for a treat. The lower area has a port o'potties. a small gift shop and a small snack kiosk that sells vegan treats and water and juices (no sodas since they are promoting healthy living).At the assigned time, visitors can access the upper barn with smaller animals. Our group today enjoyed a brief but informative lecture by the founder. She was living her dream but rehabilitating and giving lives to farm animals with no hope. Visitors were encouraged to hug and touch the animals but to also respect the animals who want their space.We were told that the Gentle Barn has 170 animals but my guess is about 60 were available to visitors. Think of the upper barn area as a very large petting zoo with pigs, goats, lamas, turkeys, and chickens. Except for the lamas, here is collection of typical farm areas.The Gentle Barn encourages a plant based diet and kindness to our animals friends. It is open Sundays from 10-2 and there is a donation of $10 per person. It should be noted that people with mobility problems might find the climb to the upper barn and lecture area a bit difficult and requiring extra time a care. The Gentle Barn is lovely idea in a beautiful setting. Although it is easily accessible near the freeway, it is a bit of a distance from Los Angeles and probably not a "must see" for out of town tourists. The joy of The Gentle Barn is for locals who need some farm time and a change to experience the simple pleasures of life.

The Gentle Barn is one of my favorite Los Angeles area discoveries in 2012. It is an organization that takes in abused and neglected farm animals and gives them a place to live out their life that is filled with love and respect.The barn is open to the public on Sundays 10-2pm for a suggested ten dollar donation. It's worth every penny and then some. The barn is broken into three areas, one for cows, one for horses and a third, a little walk a hill, has the rest of the animals including chickens, llamas and goats. The volunteers are the best. They are welcoming and happy to answer questions about the animals or tell you the best way to interact with them. Some of the animals only like to be touched a certain way or not at all and there is a huge level of respect that the volunteers help maintain when interacting with the animals. Most of the animals are eager for gentle pettings and interacting. I had Bella the goat follow me around on our Sunday visit, she kept nudging me for more pets.One of the residents is a huge standout, Biscuit, the 1000 pound pig! He's enormous and happy to be hugged and cuddled. We also fell in love with Caesar, a gorgeous grey horse and Buttercup. the sweetest cow.Make sure to spend two dollars for carrots to feed the horses and have some yummy vegan treats. We had a vegan gingerbread cupcake that was delicious!Please check out my blog for an extended review and loads of pictures.

Every animal in here has a sad, sad story, but the Weiners reversed their plight and gave them a new chance on life. Kids can touch, carress and hug the poor creatures and many children have probably seen a real live chicken for the first time. What a wonderful experience for all.Thank you

Beautiful people helping beautiful animals. Perfect for kids who live in the city and have little contact with farm animals.