CASTALIA, Ohio -- There are a lot of things you can grow on a farm -- and the best things don’t always come out of the ground.
Shawna Hodges, owner of Castalia Farms near Sandusky, is harvesting a bounty of caring for animals and for people, particularly those who have disabilities.
“I’ve always been an animal lover,” said Hodges, who runs the non-profit Downs on the Farm, which provides animal rescue and opportunities for interactions with children and adults who have disabilities.
“I realized that animals and people connect, especially those with special needs. It’s an organic connection,” she said.
Hodges grew up in Marietta, Ohio, where she rescued and rehabilitated dozens of dogs.
The bond between people and animals became even more apparent when her son, Grady, now 14, was born with Down syndrome.
Hodges wanted to provide her son with the benefits that could come from interacting with animals. But options such as equine therapy could cost as much as $100 for 30 minutes -- out of reach for most families.
“I thought it would be nice to start an organization that would not charge an arm and a leg,” Hodges said.
That’s when she decided to launch Downs on the Farm in 2009, starting at a 50-acre site in Amherst.
This summer, Hodges, a real estate salesperson; her husband, Matt Stencil; and sons Grady and Mitchell moved to the 200-acre property in Castalia.
“There’s a lot of space to spread your wings,” Hodges said.
The expansion not only provides more space for the many animals they have taken in, but it also came with room for an event center, lodging and dog boarding.
All of those operations will help support the mission of Downs on the Farm, which, like many nonprofits, saw a dip in donations during the pandemic.
Castalia Farms, 7101 Heywood Road in Castalia, will welcome the community to its fall festival from 3 to 8 p.m. Oct. 8. There will be food trucks, live music, pumpkin carving and an outdoor movie.
During the event, visitors will meet the alpacas, goats, turtles, chickens, pigs and ponies who have come to call the farm home.
Noah, a participant in the Cultivating Connections program, feeds one of the alpacas at Castalia Farms, near Sandusky, while Lisa Cooper, director of Life Out Loud, looks on. (John Matuszak, special to cleveland.com)
Hodges said she gets calls about abandoned animals almost weekly.
She recently took in a flock of silkie chickens (“three nice ones and one mean one”) that someone had dumped on the side of the road in Strongsville.
Their alpaca herd was headed to a slaughterhouse in South Carolina until Hodges intervened.
Another favorite is Fiona, a Juliana pig that was part of an “accidental” litter at a Cincinnati farm.
The biggest animal they ever took in was a 17-hands-tall draft horse, Hodges said.
Keeping an eye on all the goings-on in the barnyard is Dozer, the family’s Great Pyrenees dog, who weighs over 150 pounds. He likes to practice his gentle herding technique on people as well as his fellow critters.
Eli gets nose to nose with Dozer, the Great Pyrenees who keeps an eye on the barnyard at Castalia Farms. The farm's owner, Shawna Hodges, fosters the bond between animals and people, particularly those who have special needs, through Downs on the Farm. (John Matuszak, special to cleveland.com)
Animal lovers can sponsor the upkeep of one of the furry or feathered friends. For every $150, donors will receive a complimentary family package to visit the farm.
Hodges has seen the impact the animals have had on her son, Grady.
“You can’t peel him away. It’s his happy place,” she said.
Grady is non-verbal, but there is no communication barrier between him and the animals, his mother has observed.
“There is just a natural acceptance and love. It’s a unique thing to see,” Hodges said.
This was the kind of experience that Hodges wanted to share with as many people as possible.
Sharing the wealth
When Hodges launched Downs on the Farm, “people just came out of the woodwork” to help out, she said.
One of those to recently sign on is Lisa Cooper, founder and executive director of Life Out Loud, which started in Sandusky in 2013 to provide recreational and vocational opportunities to those who have disabilities.
Their latest venture is Cultivating Connections, which emphasizes independence and participation in the community.
Cooper met Hodges in the spring and saw that Castalia Farms would be a natural fit for their mission.
“It’s bringing a new service to the area that’s needed,” Cooper said.
Cultivating Connections participants help feed the animals and do other chores.
Cooper said the experience for her group has been “incredible. You’re helping something stay alive.”
Being on the farm is also “calming,” Cooper added.
Lisa Cooper enjoys a quiet moment at one of Castalia Farm's ponds with Cultivating Connections participants Ethan, Eli and Macayla, and staff member Hannah Rumbutis. (John Matuszak, special to cleveland.com)
During the day, the participants have access to other amenities at Castalia Farms, from one of its willow-fringed ponds to a game room and home theater.
Cooper has been able to recruit like-minded staff members such as Hannah Rumbutis, who grew up working on a farm and declared that “this was her dream job.”
Rumbutis, director of Cultivating Connections, said the trips to the farm provide clients with a sense of purpose: “They’re not just sitting around. They’re doing something useful.”
Along with helping at the farm, Life Out Loud clients work with eight community agencies, assisting at food pantries, delivering meals to homebound seniors and doing other jobs.
Their outings have included a visit to Marblehead Lighthouse and an overnight stay at Port Clinton, as well as camping in Hocking Hills State Park in Southeast Ohio.
Castalia Farms, about 10 minutes from Sandusky, covers 200 acres and includes event space for weddings, reunions and other activities, overnight lodging and a game room. They also offer dog boarding. Downs on the Farm relocated there from Amherst last summer. (Photo Courtesy of Castalia Farms)
Cooper likes that Castalia Farms is open to the public. Interaction with the community can dispel misconceptions about those who have disabilities, she said.
And Downs on the Farm is helping her participants to show what they can do, instead of dwelling on what they can’t do, Cooper said.
“Excluding people is just not an option,” Cooper said.
For information on Castalia Farms, call or text 970-397-2010, email Castaliafarms@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page.
Information on Life Out Loud is also available on Facebook.