By Addison Jacoby, IU Corps Intern
Nigerian Dwarf goats weave their way through the herd, greeting visitors with a nudge of their head and desperately attempting to taste the yoga mats as goat yoga at The Goat Conspiracy Sanctuary and Retirement Home begins. While the scene resembles feel-good animal videos found on the internet, the moment is unfolding merely 20 minutes outside of IU’s campus.
Goat yoga is just one of the many ways that The Goat Conspiracy connects rescued farm animals with the community. What began as a sustainable goat dairy in 2016 has now transformed into a nonprofit sanctuary after the original owners concluded there is no way to sustainably farm animals. Today, the sanctuary is home to 119 goats and 82 chickens, all of whom were retired from the farm.
“Our mission is really about connection,” Amy Osajima said. “A lot of people have never met a goat. They don’t know where their food comes from. When they come here, they get to learn, and they get to care.”
Osajima is the executive director of The Goat Conspiracy, stepping into her role during the transition from dairy to sanctuary. She previously worked as a fundraiser for WonderLab Museum and Sycamore Land Trust, closely interacting with the daily operations of a nonprofit organization. Now, as executive director, she oversees everything from nonprofit operations to volunteer coordination.
Yet, after working exclusively with humans, Osajima wasn’t prepared for the vibrant personalities that she met in the barn. From bossy Calypso confidently trotting around the barn as if she owns the place to Peaches’ loving attitude, every goat manifests a wildly different personality and attitude.
Visitors and volunteers who don’t have previous farm experience often come unsure; many never have interacted with a goat. Yet, by the end of their visit they often succumb to the goats’ will, laughing as one tries to “claim” them by affectionately rubbing its head against their leg.
“Most people don’t know goats only have teeth on the bottom,” Osajima said. “They don’t know what dairy farming looks like. They don’t know how much personality these animals have.”
Bonding with the animals is just one service that The Goat Conspiracy provides to visitors and volunteers. Some find solace in the peaceful countryside; others enjoy giving back to their food system; others find that the sanctuary is a chance to step away from campus life.
While the sanctuary provides a getaway from busy life in Bloomington, volunteers are ultimately serving the goats, not the other way around. The philosophy behind The Goat Conspiracy transforming from a dairy into a sanctuary is aimed to honor the goat’s autonomy as living creatures. Osajima explained, while she did not come up with the name, nor was it the original meaning of the name, she likes to say the “conspiracy” mentioned within the sanctuary’s name is that we, as humans, are working for the goats.
“Part of being alive is not being forced to do anything, and that includes being pregnant and being milked,” Osajima said.
While The Goat Conspiracy may look idyllic, the sanctuary runs on hard work from volunteers and the desire to care for the animals. Volunteers need to be physically capable of lifting large hay bales, pushing wheelbarrows, and other things which the sanctuary requires. Additionally, The Goat Conspiracy is looking for reliable, consistent volunteers who can show up and perform the tasks that they signed up for, caring for the animals because they cannot speak up.
Volunteers help with daily chores like feeding and watering the goats, cleaning pens, and oneoff projects like unloading hay or preparing events. No previous experience working with animals or on a farm is required because volunteers will go through training alongside onboarding to ensure complete confidence with the work at hand.
“We can train anyone to push a wheelbarrow,” Osajima said. “What we can’t train is the desire to care.”
The sanctuary also hosts events throughout the year, including a spring Barniversary, a 5K, porch concerts, and, of course, goat yoga. These events typically rely on volunteers to run smoothly.
Whether it’s unloading hay or spending quality time with Calypso and Peaches, The Goat Conspiracy welcomes volunteer applications all year. For those looking to get involved, opportunities will be posted on the Bloomington Volunteer Network and on The Goat Conspiracy’s website. The Goat Conspiracy also shares updates on their Instagram and Facebook.
Osajima encourages applicants to reach out to volunteers@thegoatconspiracy.org, following up if they do not hear back quickly.
“If you’re interested, don’t be afraid to email again,” Osajima said. “We really do want you here.”
