Rescues
Cedar Grove Farm and the Special Herd
Cedar Grove Farm, established in 1838, like many farms in this area, did not thrive as do farms where the land is rich and productive. Its best years were the 19th century before the invention of cars and refrigeration. Before the advent of the automobile, hay was particularly suited to the soils here, and the farmers shipped hay on the local train to cities full of carriage and work horses. Small dairies were also prevalent in this area. In winter, men turned to Sawmill Bay and other rivers and bays, where with horses, ice was cut from the water, hauled to local ice houses and packed with saw dust. Eventually the ice was shipped by local trains, to provide ‘refrigeration’ in ice boxes to preserve food. These jobs, as well as limestone quarries, lumbering, and shipbuilding provided a living for local inhabitants.
The farm in the 20th century, was diverse, with chickens, pigs, horses, ponies, guinea hens, ducks, geese, chickens, cats, and dogs.
In the 1920’s to 1950’s the farm had a dairy herd of Ayrshire cows. Due to the health of his father, Lyle Warner took over the farm at 14 years of age. Often, he had a Jersey cow as well as his Ayrshires. After the large dairy barn and attached hay barns burned in 1955, hay and chickens were the sources of income at Cedar Grove. Today, Cedar Grove is again thriving and celebrating its history, this time with our new winery, and with animals given a second chance as they are retired to this safe haven.
In 2010 Cedar Grove Farm became a bird sanctuary under a NYS DEC program, and our grassland birds now enjoy farming practices which support their nesting & foraging needs.
In 2014 the first vineyard was planted at the northwest portion of this 178-acre farm. It is located next to a small pond, with a grove of trees nearby.
Rescued Animals
Bill Will Bill Will was one of the first rescues to come to the farm. He is a flat racer, one of thousands of thoroughbreds discarded after they have been on the race tracks at very young ages; Bill is a white horse flecked with grey. He will eventually turn pure white. Bill Will raced in Maryland, and was born in Florida. Sometimes you will see him flying across the fields. |
Great Pyrenees Beau and Lilly Belle came to White Caps in the fall of 2021. They were on a nearby farm, and had not worked out well. They are loving and energetic livestock guardian dogs, but were never trained and so far have not bonded with our livestock. Due to the Great Pyrenees tendency to roam and also chew, they live on the farm with acres to wander! They love our guests and will greet you with enthusiasm, especially if you bring a dog biscuit or two! |
Raisin
Raisin was retired to the farm in the spring of 2022. She is aptly named, with a beautiful rich reddish/brown coat.
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Okie
Okie the donkey, came to the farm in 2017. He was rescued from a kill pen in Oklahoma, shortly after he was born and his mother died; he’s named
after the state where he was found. Okie has gained 50 pounds and matured from a tiny submissive baby when he arrived, to an assertive member of our
herd. He could live to be 40 years old, the life expectancy of his species. Donkeys are used around the world as pack animals.
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Cowboy Cowboy, so named because he originated in the West, was probably discarded as a cow pony due to his age. In 2018 when he arrived, his age was estimated at 18. He is a sorrel color. Cowboy is a kind and gentle horse, amiable with people, and loves attention. He rides western, and enjoys being part of the local herd at Cedar Grove Farm. He loves apples as a treat and sticks close to other horses on the farm. |
Hershey Hershey is a mini-pony. He stands only about 8.3 hands, a standard equine measurement where a hand equals 4 inches. When rescued from a kill pen, Hershey was expected to remain the color of a Hershey chocolate bar, but in time became a lighter color, commonly known as sorrel. Hershey has a wonderful temperament but will search your pockets if he thinks you have a hidden treat! (He’s partial to apples.) Hershey arrived at the farm in 2017. |
Rocky Rocky came to Cedar Grove Farm on May 1, 2019. He is a handsome, tall, large work horse, half Shire (similar to a Clydesdale) and half Appaloosa (amazing colors in his coat). At 16, Rocky's work on the farm was coming to an end. Rocky has had some hoof problems and suffers from Heaves, a condition similar to asthma. Here at Cedar Grove, he quickly became the Alpha horse upon arrival. He is a gentle giant, with patience and dignity; on the other hand, he loves to remove his halter and cruise among the other horses when they're eating their grain! |