Sweet Loaf Farm: More Than a Place, a Feeling
Disco (left) and Wynn (right) — pasture buddies and friends for life! They are walking toward Erika to get their “good morning” compliments.
Do you remember in the Wizard of Oz, how Glinda would first appear as an incredible, breath-taking orb? Well, that’s how I describe my creativity returning to me when I adopted an adorable barn cat in late October 2024.
Until then, I was boarding my horse, Disco, at a private farm. The other boarders were my friends - it was an incredibly cool experience. My friends and I all have a background (and foreground) in positive reinforcement training and loved spending quality time with or horses at the farm. Equestrians usually choose a “discipline” to focus on with their horses, but for us, our primary focus is enjoying our animals, giving them a good life, and building relationships with them based on trust.
These are the photos of “Lia” sent to Erika by a volunteer for Tip Me Frederick, a nonprofit dedicated to helping outdoor cats and educating humans.
Since we didn’t own or even rent the farm ourselves, there were several things out of our control, such as the mice population. It was BAD. We needed barn cats! For some reason, I always thought I’d never be able to have barn cats if I didn’t have my own place, and since our barn didn’t have cats already, I thought maybe it was out of the question. Turns out it wasn’t! I felt my dreams coming true when my friend and barnmate adopted two “barn cats.” The rescue they came from thought a barn home would be a perfect fit since their prior owners claimed they were unhappy inside the house. Unfortunately, despite a long acclamation period, the barn kitties rehomed themselves to actual houses in the neighborhood. They eventually re-entered the picture, but more on that another time. I was so bummed that we were again barn-cat-less. The mice returned, and so began my determination to find a cat that actually wanted to call our barn their home. Enter Zinnia.
“The Sweetest Loaf”
Something about this girl just filled my entire being with dancing joy. She completed our farm. More than that, she completed ME! I had always wanted to find a fitting name to call our barn and barn adventures, but nothing felt right until Zinnia joined us. One of her favorite positions to lay in was the famous “loaf” that cats tuck themselves into, and so, Sweet Loaf Farm was born.
Zinnia has continued to work her magic and nestle deep into the hearts of everyone that meets her. That’s my goal with the content I create for Sweet Loaf Farm: I want to share the joy and magic that inspires and fills me with warmth when I’m at the farm. As I watched Zinnia settle in, bringing so much delight, a phrase came to me, and it is now our tagline: “Notice the magic everywhere and be kind to all kinds.”
Sweet Loaf Farm isn’t just a place—it’s a feeling, a connection, a reminder to seek out magic in the everyday. And just like Zinnia found her way to me, I hope the stories I share help others find their own moments of warmth and wonder.
Zinni was immediately at home on the farm ❤️
Erika creates content and manages Sweet Loaf Farm’s Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok pages @sweetloaffarm. Follow along on our adventures and let me know — has anything ever changed your life the way Zinni changed mine?
With pawprints on my heart 🐾 ,
Erika
