Madison Grove Farm

08/30/2026

Yesterday was about more than an event. It was about veterans, families, rescued horses and a community coming together exactly as it should. 🇺🇸🐴

We were honored to share traditionally prepared salmon cooked by a Cowlitz Tribal member—a meaningful part of a very special day.

To every person who showed up, brought a dish, volunteered, shared a conversation or simply spent a quiet moment with the herd—thank you. This is what “better together” looks like at Madison Grove Farm.

08/30/2026

Happy Sunday, Farm Friends.

I’m still taking in everything that happened here yesterday.

First, I want to thank Bob, a Cowlitz Tribal member, for coming to the Farm and cooking salmon using his traditional method. Watching him prepare it and having him share that with all of us was incredibly special. Bob, thank you for your time, your generosity and for helping make the day what it was.

I also want to thank every veteran, family member and supporter who came. It takes courage to drive up a mountain to a place you’ve never been, where you may not know anyone. I understand that, and I’m so grateful you took a chance on us.

Veterans are close to my heart. My dad served in the Army, and my beloved nephew has made the military his career. Most of us have someone in our family or our lives who has served. Their service touches all of us, even if we don’t always stop long enough to recognize it.

Yesterday, we stopped.

People shared food, talked and laughed. Kids made connections. Families spent time together. Veterans and visitors met the miniature horses, spent time with members of the larger herd and went into the round pen to connect with the donkeys.

It was a long day for Clementine. She isn’t used to that many people yet, but she was given breaks, listened to and allowed to work through it in her own way. That is how she learns that new experiences and new people can be safe. Nobody rushed her or expected her to be anything other than who she was in that moment.

There were also very few cell phones out. People were actually present with one another. I managed to lose my own phone for part of the day, so I don’t have nearly as many pictures as I thought I would. Maybe that’s okay. Some days are better remembered by how they felt.

Our Farm family showed up in a big way, along with their families and friends. Everyone found a place to help. This Farm is run entirely by volunteers and supported by donations, and yesterday could not have happened without every person who carried something, cooked something, cleaned something, answered questions or simply noticed what needed to be done.

If you came yesterday and felt like Madison Grove Farm might be something you want in your life, please reach out. You don’t have to wait until next year. Our services are free of charge, and veterans and their families are always welcome here.

We have already scheduled next year’s Veterans event for August 28, 2027. That should tell you how much yesterday meant to us.

To every veteran who made the drive up our hill and trusted us enough to spend part of your day here: thank you. We would be honored to welcome you back.

With gratitude,
Marla and the herd 🇺🇸🐴

08/27/2026

Happy Thursday, Farm Friends. ❤️

There is a lot of talk about creating safe spaces, but the truth is, safety begins long before anyone arrives.

We are two days away from our Veterans Open House and Family Day, and right now nearly every waking hour is going into preparing the Farm. Not to make it look perfect, but to help the day feel calm, welcoming and well cared for.

That means gravel on the driveways, making room for vehicles, planning how people will move through the property and having a bus available to help guests up our hill if needed. It means thinking through things most people may never notice and honestly, that is the hope. When people feel comfortable and supported, they shouldn’t have to see all the work that made it possible.

The horses, donkeys and mule are part of that preparation too. Their daily care continues, but sessions have paused for these last few days. There are unfamiliar vehicles, objects being moved and more activity than usual, so we are giving the herd time to observe, adjust and settle.

The horses remind us that change is easier when it comes with time, space and choice. We try to offer the same thing to the people who come here.

By Saturday, the gravel and planning won’t be the story. The story will be Veterans and their families gathering, sharing a meal, meeting members of the herd and spending a few hours in a place created with them in mind.

Madison Grove Farm is 100% volunteer run and donor funded. Community isn’t just something we talk about here, it is how this place works and how gatherings like this become possible. So many people have offered their time, food, labor and support to help us welcome others well.

That is what we are preparing for. Not a perfect Farm, but a place where people can arrive exactly as they are and feel genuinely welcomed.

We hope to see you Saturday. ❤️

With gratitude,
Marla and the herd

08/27/2026

Some people hug trees. Finesse puts hers to work. 😂🌳

08/26/2026

Happy Wednesday, Farm Friends.

Like so many people, I was deeply saddened to hear about Dolly Parton’s passing yesterday.

There was no one else quite like her. The voice, the songs, the humor, the sparkle, all of it made her unforgettable. But I think what touched people most was her heart.

Dolly never seemed to forget where she came from or the people who helped shape her. She understood that community mattered, and she used her success to help others. She gave children books, helped families through terrible loss and quietly supported people she would never meet.

I think that says so much about who she was.

Living and working here at the farm, surrounded by the herd, I’m reminded that none of us makes our way through this life entirely alone. We need one another. Sometimes we are the ones who can help, and sometimes we are the ones who need a hand.

Most of us will never have Dolly’s resources or reach, but that isn’t really the point. We can use whatever we have, our time, our hands, our voice or a little kindness—to lift someone else up.

I believe Dolly would be proud of anyone who does that.

Rest in peace, Dolly. Thank you for the beautiful music, the laughter and the enormous heart you shared with all of us. You left this world better than you found it.

With gratitude,
Marla and the herd ✨🐴

08/26/2026

Happy Tuesday Farm Friends.

This is a reminder our Veterans Open House & Family Day is happening this Saturday! 🇺🇸

This is a potluck, so please bring a side dish or dessert to share if you can. If you can’t, please still come—there will be plenty of food, including traditional salmon prepared by a local Cowlitz Tribal member.

Guests will be able to meet some of our herd, walk the trails, enjoy yard games, and there will be face painting for the kids.

We’re looking forward to honoring our veterans and spending the day with them and their families here at the farm. Please see the shared post below for all the details! ✨🐴

Happy Tuesday, Farm Friends.

Our Veterans event is getting closer, and I want to keep talking about it, not just because we want people to come, but because I believe deeply in why we are doing it.

You don’t have to know anything about horses to spend time with them. You don’t have to ride. You don’t have to show up ready to talk about anything you’ve been through. Sometimes the beginning is simply walking into a pasture, slowing your breathing, watching a herd, and allowing yourself to be present for a while.

Horses are incredibly aware of what is happening around them. They notice changes in posture, breathing, movement and energy. They respond to what is happening in the moment, without needing an explanation or a backstory. That is part of what makes equine-assisted learning and simply spending intentional time with horses so powerful.

Our upcoming Veterans event is an opportunity to experience some of that here at Madison Grove Farm. There will be time with the horses, connection, conversation, food and community with no pressure to be anything other than where you are that day.

This event is free of charge, just like the experiences we offer here throughout the year. Madison Grove Farm is a nonprofit equine sanctuary and human healing farm where horses helping humans and humans helping horses is at the heart of what we do.

If you are a veteran, love a veteran, or know someone who might benefit from a day like this, please share our event with them. Sometimes getting someone through the gate is the hardest part. We’ll take it from there.

With gratitude,
Marla and the herd

08/24/2026

Happy Monday, Farm Friends. ❤️

It has been BUSY around here. Honestly, a little crazy.

We’ve had construction happening, a much-needed new roof going on, and ongoing water problems that have been incredibly stressful. All while caring for the herd, keeping sessions going, working alongside our volunteers and trying to get this place ready to welcome everyone this weekend.

Because this Saturday is a big one for us.

Saturday, August 29, from 11:00–3:00 is our Veterans Open House & Family Day at Madison Grove Farm.

We’ve been working toward this for a while, and I’m really excited to open the gates and share this place with veterans, their families and our community.

A big part of what we do here is pretty simple. We give people an opportunity to spend time with horses without asking anything of them. Sometimes it’s grooming. Sometimes it’s walking together, observing the herd or simply standing quietly next to a horse.

There is something about slowing down around these animals that changes the pace of things. Horses are constantly reading what is happening around them. They notice our movement, our breathing and our body language, and they respond to what is happening right in front of them.

That’s one of the reasons I believe so strongly in creating more opportunities for veterans to spend time here.

Will everything be perfect by Saturday?
Probably not. 😂

There will undoubtedly still be a project somewhere that needs finishing. The water situation may have added a few more gray hairs to my head. And this is, after all, a working farm.

But the gates will be open, the horses will be here, our volunteers will be ready, and we’re really looking forward to sharing Madison Grove Farm with you.

Saturday, August 29 | 11:00 AM–3:00 PM
Madison Grove Farm | Winlock, WA

If you know a veteran or military family who might enjoy spending a few hours with us, please share this with them. And if you’ve been following us and wondering what Madison Grove Farm is all about, this is a wonderful day to come see us.

With gratitude,
Marla and the herd ❤️

08/23/2026

Happy Sunday, Farm Friends.

I haven’t posted in a couple of days because it has been BUSY around here. We’re getting ready for our Veterans Open House & Family Day next Saturday August 29th, keeping up with sessions, volunteers, feeding, mash and all the regular farm things that don’t stop just because you have an event coming.

And somehow, in the middle of all of that, we decided this was also a great time to replace our roof. 😂

It needed to happen. Our cedar roof is 26 years old and definitely ready to retire. What I didn’t really think about was how much replacing a roof would affect the horses.

We had 12 guys up there pulling cedar off, banging, scraping and dropping things, and it was LOUD.
The horses were not fans.

What was interesting to me was watching what they did with it. The seniors and the horses who normally come up for mash still came, but they were cautious. They knew the routine, they knew us and they definitely knew there was food waiting, but they were paying attention to every sound coming from that roof.

And when they were done eating, they wanted to go back out. No lingering around. No hanging out with us. They wanted their pastures and they wanted their herd. Honestly, I don’t blame them.

Horses are herd animals, and watching them over the last few days was another reminder of how much safety they find in each other. When something changes in their environment, they notice. They look to the other horses. They pay attention to body language, movement and what the rest of the herd is doing.

So we adjusted. We didn’t ask them to stay up around the barn longer than they needed to. We let them eat, gave them the time they needed and let them head back to where they felt most comfortable.

It made me think about the work we do here with humans, too.

We talk a lot about connection at Madison Grove Farm, but connection isn’t always about doing something. Sometimes it’s simply knowing where you feel safe and who you feel safe with. It’s having the choice to move away when something feels like too much and come closer when you’re ready.

The horses understand that better than most of us.

So while we are running around getting this place ready to welcome Veterans and their families next weekend, the herd gave me another little reminder about why we do things the way we do here.

Pay attention. Give choice. Don’t rush. And when things get really loud, sometimes you just need to go find your herd.

Hopefully by next weekend ours will also have a brand-new roof and a whole lot less banging to listen to. 😂

With gratitude,
Marla and the herd

08/21/2026

Happy Friday, Farm Friends.

Yesterday I took this picture of a kiddo walking one of our horses back to the pasture for the very first time.

At first, I just loved the shadows. Then I really looked at the picture and thought about everything that was happening in what looks like such a simple walk.

When you put a lead rope in a young person’s hand and ask them to walk beside a 1,000-pound animal, there is a lot going on. They have to pay attention to their surroundings, be aware of their own body, communicate clearly, make decisions and adjust when something changes. They are being given responsibility for another living being while learning that they can’t control every part of the experience.

Those are real skills.

And then there is the part that is harder to measure, but I see it here all the time.

A horse doesn’t care about your résumé, your diagnosis, your grades, what happened before you arrived, or whether you think you’re good at this. They respond to what is happening right now. Are you present? Are you paying attention? Are you listening? Can you slow yourself down enough to notice what they are telling you?

That is one of the reasons I continue to believe so strongly in Equine Assisted Learning.

Yesterday, this kiddo wasn’t sitting somewhere talking about confidence or responsibility. He was practicing it. He had a lead rope in his hand, a horse beside him and a pasture ahead of him.

And he did it.

Maybe that’s what gets me about this picture. Look at those two shadows. One belongs to a horse who has probably made that walk hundreds of times. The other belongs to a kid doing it for the very first time.

For a few minutes, they walked it together.

That’s the horse-human connection we talk so much about around here. There can be science behind what we do and still be a little bit of magic in it too.

With gratitude,
Marla and the herd