Imagine being able to see 340 degrees around you. Well, that is exactly what goats can do. That single fact opens the door to a 360 conversation on the Better Life for Animals Podcast, where host Cheryl Moss talks with Deborah Blum, founder of Goatlandia Farm Animal Sanctuary.
Deborah’s path to sanctuary life did not begin with agriculture or animal rescue. It began in the restaurant world, where food and hospitality shaped her career. One moment of truth changed everything and set her on a completely different course.
The Moment That Changed Her Relationship With Food
Deborah had always loved food and animals. Those two loves collided when she watched a talk that exposed the realities of the meat and dairy industries. Seeing slaughterhouse footage and
learning what was hidden behind everyday food forced a conversation she could not ignore.
She went vegan overnight and began educating herself through books, research, and firsthand experience at animal sanctuaries. What started as a change in diet became a restructuring of how she lived.
From Hospitality To Sanctuary Founder
At the time of her shift, Deborah already owned property in Santa Rosa. Rather than only supporting other sanctuaries through donations, she began rescuing animals herself. Two acres quickly filled with lives that needed safety.
After meeting the man who would become her husband, they expanded their vision. He left his job in organic wholesale produce to help her full time, and together they moved to a 36 acre property in Sebastopol where Goatlandia now operates.
Why Food Remains Central To The Work
Food never left Deborah’s life. It became one of her strongest tools for connection and education. She began by donating plant based meals to community events. That grew into catering for businesses, individuals, and rescue organizations.
During the pandemic, Goatlandia purchased an old barbecue restaurant and converted it into a commercial kitchen. For a time, it served as both a restaurant and a catering operation. Eventually, the demands of running both the kitchen and the sanctuary became too great, and Deborah chose to refocus entirely on the animals.
Today, food continues through on site dinners and fundraising meals that allow people to connect with the sanctuary in a more direct way.
Lunchtime Takeovers And Changing Minds Through Taste
One of Goatlandia’s outreach efforts is a program where free plant based lunches are brought into workplaces. Along with the meal comes education about animal welfare, health, and the environment.
People often react with surprise at how familiar and satisfying the food tastes. Deborah points out that most people are not looking for plant based options. When the food is placed right in front of them, curiosity opens a door that lectures rarely do.
What Makes Goats So Different
Goats are confident, curious, and social animals. Deborah often compares them to dogs because of how they engage with their surroundings and the people around them. They are ruminants
with multiple stomach chambers and have wide peripheral vision that allows them to see about 340 degrees around their bodies. Both males and females can grow horns, and unlike sheep, goats are browsers rather than grazers. Given a choice, they prefer shrubs, leaves, and even bark over grass. Because nutritional needs vary by species, Goatlandia generally keeps animals separated. Goats require more copper while sheep need less. When animals arrive in bonded interspecies groups, however, those relationships are honored and the animals stay together.
Guapo And What Trauma Looks Like In Animals
One of the most personal stories Deborah shares is about Guapo, a rare Arapawa goat. After his guardian died unexpectedly, he was left tied up and eventually escaped into the woods, surviving alone for months.
When he was finally rescued, Deborah expected him to be aggressive. Instead, she found a shy, cautious goat who bonded closely with her and remained guarded around others. His behavior reflected what trauma looks like in animals. Loss, fear, and uncertainty shape their responses just as they do in humans.
Guapo now lives safely at Goatlandia, proving that healing is possible when an animal is given time and consistency.
Growing Food For Animals And For Community
Goatlandia is also a certified organic farm. Recent work includes reseeding pastures, installing a hoop house, and developing a long term growing plan.
Deborah’s vision goes beyond feeding the animals. She wants to bring fresh, local food to community members who need it most and teach people how to grow even small amounts of food at home. For her, growing food is not only about nutrition. It is about connection and independence.
Fundraising Through Programs That Serve Many Needs
Keeping a sanctuary running requires steady income. Goatlandia supports its work through multiple channels including tours, bottle baby programs, adoptions, and special events.
Looking ahead, Deborah plans to launch an animal assisted healing program for people who have experienced trauma or loss. The program will include breath work, sound therapy, time with animals, and a nourishing meal.
She also hopes to create a mobile sanctuary experience that can bring humane education directly to schools.
Compassion Without Judgment
Deborah speaks openly about how her views evolved after becoming vegan. In the beginning, she wanted everyone to change immediately. Over time, she learned that lasting change happens more often through invitation than pressure.
She emphasizes that the same compassion extended to animals must also extend to people. Ranchers, farmers, and consumers are all part of the conversation. Everyone is on their own timeline.
A Better Life For Animals And People
A central theme of the conversation is alignment. When actions reflect values, life begins to make more sense. Most people want health, connection, and stability. Animals want safety, comfort, and community. The choices people make every day shape both.
Deborah reminds listeners that small actions matter. The effects are not always visible, but they exist.
Episode Highlights
[00:00] Introduction
[02:00] Goatlandia rises.
[04:00] An overnight change.
[06:45] A restaurant with an altruistic purpose.
[09:00] A clear connection between food and animals.
[12:30] Bringing knowledge to the community.
[15:45] What makes goats unique.
[21:30] Fundraising is a creative endeavor.
[26:45] All are welcome to the movement.
About Deborah Blum
Deborah Blum, also known as the Goddess of Goats and All Things Goatlandia, is the heart and soul behind Goatlandia, a farm animal sanctuary and education center in Sebastopol. Her path to animal advocacy is as colorful as it is inspiring: she’s been a swimwear designer, restaurateur, and commercial pilot. But it was a move from bustling San Francisco to peaceful Santa Rosa that changed everything. What started with a few chickens and a couple of goats quickly blossomed into a life devoted to rescue, compassion, and connection.
A pivotal moment came in 2012 when Deborah watched a video exposing the realities of animal agriculture. Deeply moved, she went vegan overnight and committed herself to a new mission: to help animals, heal the planet, and inspire people to live with kindness and intention. Goatlandia was born from this vision—and today it’s home to a joyful family of goats, pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, horses, dogs, cats, peacocks, cows and one alpaca!
Nearly all the animals at Goatlandia were once unwanted, sick, or destined for slaughter. Now, they are safe, healed, loved, and adorable ambassadors. Through her work, Deborah is not only saving lives but also helping people discover better health, deeper purpose, and the incredible power of compassion.
Learn more about Goatlandia
https://www.instagram.com/goatlandia_sanctuary/
https://www.facebook.com/GoatlandiaFarmAnimalSanctuary
https://www.goatlandia.org/
About Cheryl Moss
Cheryl Moss is the host of the Better Life for Animals podcast, where she shares uplifting stories from sanctuaries and highlights the work of vegan activists, ethical consumers, and animal welfare leaders. A passionate advocate for animal welfare, she is dedicated to ending factory farming and is working to raise $100,000 for Mercy For Animals to support underrepresented sanctuaries.
Beyond podcasting, Cheryl is a banking professional and an accomplished children’s author. A graduate of Main Street Vegan Academy, she promotes plant-based living through her books,
Gabriel, Cluck, and Pickle the Pig, which inspire young readers to embrace kindness, sustainability, and compassion for animals.
When not advocating, she enjoys Pilates, and spending time with her rescue dogs and grandchildren. Through her work, writing, and activism, Cheryl continues to inspire positive change for animals and the planet.
https://www.facebook.com/BLFAnimals/
https://x.com/betterlife4anim
https://www.instagram.com/betterlife4animals/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylmossabetterlifeforanimals/
