Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Meagan Frederick. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Meagan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
As a young girl, Meagan dreamed of being Snow White, the woodland princess whom animals adored as they helped her with household chores. (Actually, she still wishes that) Later, that dream looked a little more like being Dr. Doolittle, communicating with animals in need (because talking to animals would probably be much more useful) .
When neither worked out, she became the rescuer of all living creatures in her path, humans and animals alike. Meagan’s passion for helping others led to training in art therapy, horticultural therapy and child life, gaining the credentials for all. She specialized in working with chronically and terminally ill children/adolescents in the New York City area for over 25 years. During her career, she recognized the strong healing power of animals and was involved in several phases of animal-assisted therapy with the populations she worked with.
As for the animals that she rescued, they often found their way to her. A kitten dropped from the undercarriage of a truck at a stoplight in Brooklyn, puppies were discovered on the side of a road in North Carolina in threat of being poisoned, a stray dog in Tobago laid at her feet just days away from starving to death, and she took them all home. (That’s true) Not to mention recusing mice, birds, rabbits, squirrels, fish……
And then there were goats. (No, she did not dream of having a goat sanctuary one day.)
A goat (Marvin) wandered up the driveway of Frederick Farm with a sheep (Mabel) one Fall afternoon in 2013. She took that as a sign, since she and her husband had thought about getting goats one day. So, the goats actually found her.
Once you meet them and get to know them, you’ll realize how easy it would be to go from 1 goat to 37 goats. (Well, maybe not everyone would find it that easy, including Meagan’s husband from time to time ;).
Goats are amazing, unique individuals whom also provide both mental and physical health benefits to the humans that care for and interact with them, as research shows.
It’s been proven that just petting animals helps to release a relaxation response in humans, lower anxiety, provide comfort, reduce loneliness and provide an escape or happy distraction from life’s stressors. So it makes sense that animal-assisted therapy has become more widely known and accepted in recent years. And since pet therapy animals don’t need task-specific training the way service animals do, there are more kinds of animals that can participate, such as goats! Although goats may seem like a non-traditional therapy animal, they certainly can be and are becoming increasingly popular as such.
Goats were among the first domesticated animals on the planet, which means that there is a lengthy emotional and evolutionary overlap between people and goats. It shouldn’t surprise us to learn that goats are able to recognize human emotion by interpreting facial expressions, as they adapted that skill over thousands of years alongside humans, inevitably helping them to survive.
The most obvious characteristics of therapy goats is how adorable they are and how silly they can be. Their entertaining nature is one of the things that make them excellent therapy animals. Their playfulness can bring laughter out of the shyest of us, lift our spirits, and encourage communication and mindfulness. Receiving attention or affection from a therapy goat, whether its a snuggle, a nudge or a felt connection, can also make one feel extra special.
But they also offer something deeper. Goats, like other animals, live in the present moment when they are safe and loved. They just ARE, which is both calming and inspiring. So it makes sense that it might feel easier to connect to the feeling of being present when around them. One can forget about the chaos of the world, and just BE with the goats. Their calm demeanor, even when chewing their cud, can inspire a meditative state that’s relaxing to be around. Because goats are calm and in the present moment, humans can’t help but take on that energy. Life’s stresses simply melt away.
Despite being used primarily for meat, dairy, skin and fiber – goats have the strength and resilience to recover from past trauma and trust humans if shown true kindness and respect. This quality, in turn, inspires humans to feel empathy for the goats, who suffered at the hands of our species. A deep connection is forged with this awareness, which has its own benefits – a term called “mutual rescue”.
On a scientific note, there are documented medical benefits from being around animals such as goats. Research has shown that seeing and touching animals can trigger positive physiological changes, including lowering levels of cortisol levels (linked to stress) and increasing dopamine (linked with reward-motivation behavior), oxytocin (called the love hormone and linked to feeling of tranquility), and endorphins (linked to feelings of happiness and well-being). There is also a study that linked animal-assisted therapy to improved blood flow in people experiencing heart failure, helping to reduce blood pressure, improving cardiovascular health, and diminishing overall physical pain.
As the benefits of therapy animals are becoming better understood and more widely used, therapy goats are poised to become important contenders in improving mental and physical health. Combine all of this with the majestic setting of Frederick Farm in the Catskills mountains, where guests can walk each day surrounded by the beauty of nature and accompanied by these sentient creatures – it is not surprising that the experiences offered to the public are magical and merit thousands of five-star reviews.
Now responsible for the care of almost 40 goats in three separate herds, Meagan of Frederick Farm Goat Sanctuary is dedicated to maintaining a life-long home to as many goats as possible and giving them the very best life. The Sanctuary recognizes each as a distinct personality, worthy of our empathy, respect and care.
But alongside this, Meagan loves nothing more than sharing these amazing creatures with guests to the sanctuary to promote empathy, understanding of the species, and to encourage the happiness and well-being of both and goats and the humans that meet them through the principles of animal-assisted therapy. You can’t help but feel better after having a stroll with the goats. There is an undoubted healing quality in spending time with these sentient creatures, and providing the space for this to happen is one of the sanctuary’s missions.
The long-term goal of the Sanctuary is to identify funding sources to expand the mission of connecting animals and humans in this profound way by offering animal-assisted therapy sessions to individuals who are in need, such as those recovering from trauma, battling illness, facing mental health challenges or with a spectrum disorder.
And it all started with one lost goat who found his Snow White.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
The Frederick Farm Goat Sanctuary offers four unique experiences to the public.
1. The Original “Hugs and Hike”
Visitors get to meet and learn about each goat, as well as their breed, rescue stories, behaviors and personalities! Guests become part of the herd when they start out on a leisurely 1 mile hike on meandering trails through the sanctuary property with the goats, who enjoy foraging along the way. Watching the goats in a natural habitat and bonding with them is truly magical. There is plenty of time after the hike to enjoy bursting, petting, snuggling and taking pictures. The experience is also loaded with goat fun facts, corny goat jokes and a goat scavenger hunt to make this experience the G.O.A.T.
2. “Art with Heart”: Paint and Sip with Goat Rescues
Traditional art classes can be intimidating … which is why this laid-back atmosphere is perfect for anyone wants to be creative and have fun at the same time. Plus, everything is better with GOATS! A brief introduction of the residents and the sanctuary mission is followed by setting up materials and getting creative. The session can be as instructive or inspiring as each guest needs. Note that this isn’t an art “class”, but rather an opportunity to explore art materials and be expressive in a non-judgmental environment … while surrounded by GOATS! (Everything is better with goats) We provide the art materials, complimentary beverages, ambience and the super cute, affectionate (and trouble-making) goats.
3. “Adventure Hike with the Herd”
Designed for people who love being active, out in nature and love animals! This hike with our herd of rescued goats is on beautiful forest trails in a remote part of the Catskills, under 2 hours from Manhattan. You’ll become part of the herd when we start on a 2.5 mile hike on meandering paths and over beautiful streams, enjoying the wildlife and scenery while we forage for some of the goat’s favorite treats, like leaves, acorns and pine branches. Watching the goats in a natural habitat and bonding with them is truly magical. The hike takes 1.5 – 2 hrs, depending on group pace and extra time is spent meeting our other herd of smaller breed goats. Visitors will meet and learn about each goat and breed, as well as their rescue stories, behaviors and personalities for those who are interested. Your guide can tell you more than you ever thought you wanted to know about goats – so just ask! If you are looking for a unique outdoor experience that combines your love of animals, hiking and nature, this is for you.
4. “Healing Hugs” with the Herd
Besides being cute, goats are intelligent and affectionate creatures that will remind you of dogs, cats or sometimes, humans! Spending time around animals has been proven to reduce stress and increase feelings of happiness, which we believe is doubled when they are rescued goats! Spending time a small group to meet some of the most affectionate goats there are is an experience not to be missed. Visitors will get to meet and learn about each goat and breed as well as their rescue stories, behaviors and personalities. Weather dependent, groups are held inside the comfortable barn or outside enjoying nature, sitting on blankets and hammocks with your new goat friends. There will be plenty of quality time with our attention-loving goats, for hugs, scratches, brushing, cuddles and photo ops. Set to music to soothe the soul and the backdrop of the forest canopy, watching the goats in their natural habitat and bonding with them is truly magical.
Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.
Meagan was working full-time in Manhattan and taking care of goats in her spare time until 2019. With an Airbnb on property it was easy to see how much guests loved visiting with the animals, even when it was just a handful of goats. In the Fall of 2019, Airbnb launched “Experiences” and featured a marketing campaign that focused on animals as a core part of the experiences they offered. While the thought of goats as a business or a full-time sanctuary was not even a thought at the time, the opportunity to invite travelers to come on hikes that were already happening with the goats as pets/companion animals seemed like a fun side-gig that would offset the cost of their care. Within months, Frederick Farm Goat Rescue and Sanctuary was born. The groups were fully booked almost every weekend for the ‘Hugs and Hike with Rescued Goats” experience and ideas for additional groups started to pop up. The Sanctuary went from 8 goats in 2019 to 37 goats in 2023.
The once daily weekend hikes turned into up to 4 experiences in one day, offered 6 days a week, across three different herds of goats. Meagan now runs the Sanctuary full-time.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I LOVE what I do. I LOVE these goats, and connecting people to them and their stories. I think it is my heartfelt passion for what I do, and the ability to share it with others, that has created the strong connections that visitors have to our goats and our mission.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.frederickfarmgoats.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederickfarmgoats
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrederickFarmGoats
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/frederick-farm-goat-rescue-and-sanctuary-napanoch
Image Credits
Frederick Farm Goat Sanctuary