From Hurt to Herd

Hi, we are the Tolland Girl Scouts Cadette troop 65136. We visited Blue Iris Farm in Lebanon, Connecticut, a not-for-profit animal rescue and retreat. We collected farm supply donations and delivered them to the farm in early December 2025. While we were there, we got to meet all of the amazing animals. We snuggled baby bunnies, went on a goat walk, held chickens, and took lots of photos. We did this because we love animals and are earning our Animal Helper badge.

At Blue Iris Farm, we learned that they rescue animals like, bunnies, sheep, pigs, chickens, horses, goats, bulls, cows, guinea pigs, geese, and ducks. Jamie, the founder, explained that most of the rescues come from families where they can no longer be taken care of. She expressed the importance of well vetting the animals so that they don’t spread illnesses and diseases to the other animals at the farm before rescuing them. At the beginning, people just started dropping animals off at the farm, but that is not how that works. First you must call so she can schedule a visit to the animal(s) before deciding if she can take them back to the farm.

If someone REALLY falls in love with an animal, they can adopt them. Before adopting, the person needs to be fully committed, and Jamie needs to have a talk about how to take care of the animals properly. If you love animals but aren’t ready for the commitment to adopt, Blue Iris Farm is always looking for new volunteers. Many volunteers come from Eastern Connecticut State University, but anyone can volunteer at any time. Volunteers are important because Jamie is a photographer in Greenwich, CT and needs assistance in caring for and socializing the animals. Her photography career is very important because the money she earns helps pay for the farm's needs, adding to the donations the rescue receives from the community. Jamie believes, “What matters at the end of the day is that we are happy and healthy”.

The dream of Blue Iris Farm was a deep passion of Jamie’s that started when her daughter took horseback riding lessons and Jamie observed sick animals at the farm. This impacted her so deeply that she sold her home and all of her belongings, forgoing riding lessons and vacations for eight years to live on a boat and save money to make Blue Iris Farm come to life. The farm received its name from its beloved animals. Jamie travelled all the way to Louisiana to rescue Blue, the cow. Iris, the pig, makes up the curly tail of this beautiful rescue & retreat. Shortly after Blue Iris Farm had been established in 2021, Jamie endured a devastating grief journey in the loss of her husband to cancer. This is when Jamie discovered the true healing power that animals have on humans. She would bring her sleeping bag into the stalls or fields and sleep under the starts with the new found loves of her life.

Just as she rescues the animals, Jamie provides community services where the animals enter the tender hearts of humans, bringing them peace and love. One example of this is an immersive experience of the Golden Visit which is specifically for senior centers and assisted living homes. This event offers an option for either a Farm Sanctuary Experience at the farm, or Farm on Wheels where Jamie brings her snuggly bunnies and other smaller animals to visit our community seniors.

Jamie extends an encouraging message about our cadette troop, "There is a special kind of magic that happens when scouts connect with the rescued animals. Watching the girls walk with the herd of goats and share candy canes with the huge draft horses was wonderful, but seeing their commitment to the 'Animal Helpers' badge through hard work and insightful questions was the real highlight. We are so grateful for their support and the donations they brought to help our farm thrive." She is now officially offering a Scout Badge Program for all Girl Scout levels, from Daisies to Ambassadors. In this “living classroom” scouts share in the power of the animal’s healing journeys.