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Laurelee Blanchard, Founder and President of Leilani Farm Sanctuary, and author of “Finding Paradise”, left a lucrative career at a Commercial Real Estate Firm to devote her life to animal protection and humane education. In 1999, she cashed out her life savings and moved from Orange County, California, to Hawaii to the island of Maui. Laurelee acquired an eight-acre parcel of land, on which she created a farm sanctuary—a refuge where animals would be protected from neglect, abuse, and slaughter.

Leilani Farm Sanctuary is a non-profit organization, home to nearly three hundred rescued animals. They include goats, chickens, rabbits, ducks, a donkey, geese, deer, cats, pigs, sheep, turkeys, guinea pigs and tortoises. The Sanctuary provides educational programs for school groups and special-needs visitors and offers tours and humane education to the general public. They now host weddings at this majestic sanctuary in Maui. What better way to start a life with someone special…by giving back and supporting animals from neglect, abuse and slaughter.

I want to add that I read Laurelee’s book Finding Paradise after I did this interview. Laurelee overcame so many intense personal and financial struggles to maintain and keep her animals at the sanctuary. She gave everything of herself to stay aligned with her mission and to help these animals thrive. During our conversation many of these struggles were not evident in the way that her book discusses them so I highly recommend you read her book. I am humbled by Laurelee and all that she stands for…. She is humanely human.

Leilani Farm Sanctuary
Finding Paradise Book

The Global Agritourism Network (GAN) was created to support agritourism worldwide through education, research, and advocacy. Everyone with an interest in agritourism is welcome to join for free by completing the form online at Global Agritourism Network (GAN) Registration (google.com).

Thank you for taking the time to listen to The Agri-Tourist Podcast, for supporting our inspirational guests, and for sharing my personal journey back to agriculture.

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