Sunflower Farm began as a new home after Hurricane Florence for Dr. Odom’s 30plus-year-old half-Arabian mare, Brandy, and her best friend, a one-eyed Quarterhorse named Sheba. Soon four donkeys arrived from the kill pen in Asheboro, NC. With deformed feet and an unknown history, the rescued donkeys became part of Sunflower Farm after Dr. Odom was inspired by the idea of “walking with donkeys” through several books, including Saving Simon by Jon Katz and Walking with Henry by Rachel Ridge. On the practical side, with the goal of raising sheep and training her deaf Border collie Rye to help herd on the farm, Dr. Odom knew she would need guard animals, and in the meantime, four donkeys would be well able to keep four of the seven pastures neatly mowed.
The first big project in 2019 was to begin repairing the pasture fences, which after Hurricane Florence and the lack of occupation of the property, began to fall into various stages of disrepair. A new electric fence box, a new horse shelter for the easternmost pasture, and a new pasture on the west side to allow for rotational grazing of the rescue donkeys were the first developments.
The year 2020 saw not only Covid arise on the scene, but also the first attempts to plant sunflowers on the east pasture. Not only was the virus a threat, but unforeseen and unparalleled rain in southeastern NC brought flooding in the Fall to most of Sunflower Farm. The sunflower field drowned completely, with only 20 sunflowers that survived the entire acre. That year, however, did bring the building of the catio for the Sunflower Boys (and girl), the orange tabby feline spokespurrsons for the Farm. July brought a second Border collie, little Pippi Sunshine, whose herding lineage promises to bring the herding fun Dr. Odom has waited years for (if we survive Pippi’s energy!). And then Chloe, the beautiful Gypsy Vanner horse, arrived (before the rains) in August to be the centerpiece for the future Equine Assisted Learning program. A trained cart horse, and also retired as a therapeutic riding horse, gentle Chloe came to be Sunflower Farm‘s PR person – and to showcase that we are “all sojourners (travelers, temporary occupants) on this earth” – just like the Gypsies who historically have bred and raised these beautiful horses. Because of Chloe’s arrival, the project of enclosing the open-sided horse shelters began, as it had become obvious that four posts and a roof would not protect the horses from wind, rain, and a possible March snow such as in the Spring of 2019.
By 2021, the fourth donkey pasture was opened up on the north side to allow the donkeys to patrol almost the full length of the back side of the Farm, protecting from coyotes which had been seen on several occasions. A small flock of Katahdin ewe sheep had also arrived, as well as a Katahdin/Dorper cross ram, named Coleman by his family. Like many male sheep, llamas, and other animal species that are bottled-fed, Coleman had become quite a handful for his family with small children, and so he came to live and be the sire to the next year’s flock increase. An irascible rooster (later dangerous rooster!) named Jeremiah also came — along with two beautiful hens, Blackie and Goldie, from the friends who had built the catio in the rain and mud of 2020. Louise, the first Pyrenees puppy, arrived in March of 2021, to begin the sheep guarding duties of the flock (although she became an indoor diva for the next couple years because it was SO hot outside!).
The year 2022 was a year of growth and development, but also a year of learning more about the sorrows and victories of farming. Chloe was diagnosed with ulcers and needed special feed; no sooner than she began to feel great, she slipped in the mud (more rain on the farm), tearing her shoulder. A non-surgical injury, months of extended care, herbs, and acupuncture by Dr. Odom began to bring slow improvement. Lambing took place in the Spring, with twins and bottle fed lambs, but also with the sorrow of losing two unborn lambs and the only chocolate-colored ewe in the flock to dystocia. Jeremiah was destined for a new home (not sure if it was this side of the Rainbow Bridge), and in his place came a new, gentle rooster named Colt, and a small flock of mixed breed hens who integrated successfully with the already present chickens, increasing egg production, Brandy, the half-Arabian mare and the original reason for purhasing the farm, died in February, 2022, at an estimated 37 years old, after several years of Cushing’s Disease, and likely also EPM near the end of her life. By June, Dr. Odom stopped driving to Wilmington to work and began working closer to home, as well as still keeping her own clinic open on the Farm.
As 2023 comes to a close at this writing, we look back on a year again of the many ups and downs of farm life. All of the posts are in for the perimeter fence, finally, but finding help to roll almost 2500′ feet of wire fencing to keep our dogs safely in has proved to be a challenge. A second Great Pyrenees puppy joined the Farm, named Mac, and as adorable as he was in the house as a tiny baby, finally conquering picking up the tennis ball and carrying it, he went to sheep guarding school at another nearby farm to learn to be with sheep and came home well trained for his new career. Four more enclosed horse shelters have been completed, along with cross-fencing, and Sunflower Farm has become home to its first boarding horse. Coleman the ram became increasingly dangerous, and finally had to say good-bye for everyone’s safety, but a heartbreak when such a ram has also been a bottle-baby pet. In his place, however, are two new rams, neither bottle fed, one a purebred East Friesian, a dairy breed, and the other an East Friesian/Katahdin cross. Benjamin and Timothy are becoming the sires of what may become a dairy sheep production effort on the farm, producing milk for soap, hand creams, and even possibly yogurt and ice cream. Alas, beautiful Chloe did not survive long enough to be our public relations horse, nor to be our Equine Assisted Learning first program horse; she succumbed to EPM in July, a tremendous heartbreak for Dr. Odom, for Chloe was her “heart horse.” But God is faithful and in answer to Dr. Odom’s prayer for how to manage such a huge hole of grief in her heart, Rose came in October, a 19-hand beautiful Belgian mare on her way to yet another auction – and likely to slaughter, because she is one of the 86% of Belgian draft horses with Chronic Progressive Lymphedema. Her gentle giant nature brings hope that she will be a great Equine Assisted Learning program horse.
And that sums up the history of Sunflower Farm, from 2019 to 2023.
At this time, Dr. Odom would like to thank the many, many people who have believed in her vision for Sunflower Farm and come alongside to help: Jeff Grady of Small Tracs, my original “mowing guy” who got roped into building a donkey paddock and planting sunflowers; Jonathon Witte and his son J2, faithful un-farmers for over two years, putting up fence while in a lot of pain, building a sheep shelter (“I’m not a wood guy”), finding and refurbishing the golf cart (it changed my life, and he IS a mechanic!), mowing, helping with Chloe when she was sick, and countless other ways this farm would not be where it is today without his faithful help; Nick Goodale, whose carpentry skills erected most of the horse shelters, and whose help with fencing has also been indispensable; Marcus Williams, who built Coleman’s pen single-handed; Bill and Coleen Sutherland, who weathered mud up past their boots and pouring rain every single time they came all the way from Wilmington to work on the catio; Alex Duval, my new neighbor to the East, who oversaw the long burn of the house size burn pile; Preston Brown, whose farmer advice I have so appreciated, and who leveled the rest of the burn pile; Sean Carter, my new neighbor who has pitched in with his new tractor and contracting skills to work on fence and land; Jimmy Johnston, my long-time friend and boat mechanic/marine electrician, who HAS become a part time farmer, Belle’s (our antique tractor) owner and maintainer, and fence box replacer/fence refurbisher, and faithful dinner friend; and countless friends and neighbors who have showed up for everything from sick sheep to dying horses, to food at the end of a long day, to mentoring my farming skills (ie, sheep – Melissa Gray; Tracey Bowen – my first farm friend who taught me about cows; Joan Fountain Bailey, who did a C-section with me in a dark barn until 2:00 am to try to save my ewe; Sheldon Fountain, who drew up the first plans in 2019 for the new barn still waiting to be built on the East side; James Lucas, my hay guy whose advice I also cherish, and Mitch who has delivered hay so often and faithfully – and gotten roped into rolling bales out for the donkeys more than once; my other hay rollers, West and Meredith Eason, and Nathan Brown – without them, my donkeys would be starving, and Nick Goodale also has helped; all my vet techs who have pitched in to help in the clinic or with the dogs or caring for the Farm when I’ve had to go to trainings – Laura Goodale, Courtney Lipham, Tay, Kim, and Amanda; and even Megan my boarder, who tirelessly has pitched in to feed with me, blanket the 19 hand horse I can’t reach, and build the round pen – when she’s paying me to be here!) I love you all — and I am sure there are many, many more names I could name. Please don’t feel forgotten if your name is not mentioned – you have left your mark on both my heart and my farm.