Kelly McCormick and Glenn Maresca–co-founders of Florida Rescue Farm, a sanctuary in Duette, FL, devoted to rescuing, rehabilitating, and housing pigs, goats, geese, chickens, ducks, cattle, other critters, and no less devoted to cultivating a strong educational presence—described the remote community of Duette, and what prompted them to settle there. 
They make clear their original intention in relocating there (and leaving city life behind) was
to homestead on the five and a half acre parcel they occupy. But those plans were scuttled when Maresca rescued an orphaned calf named Moobee. This turned out to be a pivotal moment that not only transformed Moobee’s life, but McCormick and Maresca’s life, too (including that they went fully vegan), as well as the lives of dozens of farmed animals that the pair has subsequently rescued. In turn, Maresca recalls, Moobee (perhaps feeling a debt of gratitude) engaged in an unusual behavior—joined in short order by the other resident cows, encircling Maresca–protecting him, he realized, from two coyotes ambling through
the sanctuary 
grounds. Yet another major, transformative episode for Maresca and McCormick, part of the duo’s arrival at their revised gameplan for the property—turning it into a vegan homestead. They also address the parallel priority at Florida Rescue Farm: McCormick and Maresca have cultivated a substantial educational predilection, both implied, in the sensibility of the sanctuary—to oversimplify, the ethos is: animals are our friends, not our food—and directly, in the educational tours they regularly offer, and other related experiences.So, they explain, not just volunteers, but also visitors to the sanctuary are inculcated with the Rescue Farm philosophy, implementing a central facet of the sanctuary’s mission, improving the lives of all creatures who reside or spend time at the Duette facility. (https://floridarescuefarm.org/, https://www.facebook.com/floridarescuefarm, https://www.instagram.com/floridarescuefarm)
ALSO: I spoke with Laura Pennington, a Florida Voices For Animals board member who’s been closely tracking the efforts by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to exploring the possibility of sanctioning another bear hunt—what they call “highly regulated black bear hunting.” Pennington reviews the relevant history, including the last FWC bear hunt in 2015, when 304 bears were killed. (In one of the more horrific euphemisms around, the FWC uses the term “harvested.”) This latest proposed hunt seems to fall under “a Florida black bear management plan approved in 2019,” and the FWC is in the midst of measures to both communicate key tenets of the current proposed hunt, and seeking feedback from Floridians—indeed, this interview with Pennington was scheduled expressly to call attention to virtual meetings (basically, Zoom calls) for this purpose then slated for April 2, April 3, and April 5. There is a section on the FWC website devoted to information about the proposed hunt, and a way to submit a comment—and, Pennington noted, there will be an opportunity to offer input in person on May 21 in Ocala– https://myfwc.com/hunting/bear/
COMEDY CORNER: Drew Hastings’ “Farming 101” (DS edit) (https://www.drewhastings.com/)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Elton John’s “Grey Seal” A nod to WMNF’s Then-Upcoming Tribute To Elton John, April 5 at Skipper’s Smokehouse (https://www.wmnf.org/wmnf_events/wmnf-presents-rocket-man-a-tribute-to-sir-elton-john/)
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