A place for elderly and special needs creatures to be cared for; a place where we bring animals together with elderly and special needs people for mutual comfort; a place where an artist and writer shares it all through story, art, image and raggedy creations.
CONTACT Katherine >
Apifera Farm [pronounced Ap-if-era and meaning bearing bees] began in 2004 in western Oregon, growing 4000 lavender plants and raising sheep. Soon, needy animals were being adopted- crippled goats, blind ponies, old llama and grumpy pigs. After 14 wonderful, magical years on the Oregon farm, Apifera closed their eyes and listened to their hearts and relocated across country, with all the animals, to mid coast Maine.
Katherine has been an artist since 1996 from her days in Minneapolis as an illustrator. She then began creating her own illustrated books. She continues to merge the lives of the animals into her painting and writing, and her art is also showcased on Sundance.
Now settled at their new home, Apifera Farm is a non profit 501[c][3]. Your deductions are tax deductible to the extant allowed by the tax code. We were incorporated as a non-profit in Maine on July 20, 2017. Contact Katherine to see our IRS Letter of Determination >
To read more about donating or supporting our animal work, visit the donation page.
Our mission statement:
- Provide a safe haven at Apifera Farm for elder/special needs creatures
- This includes hospice cases when needed
- Dedicate ourselves to bringing our animals together with elder/special needs people for mutual healing and wellness visits at our farm, but also at elder residences
Do you have an elder/special needs animal that needs rehoming?
Contact Katherine. We look at each case individually. We also want to work with shelters, and farms that have special needs animals/elders/goat kids that might otherwise be euthanized. We can not take everybody, but are willing to discuss your situation.
Katherine's books/art
A place for elderly and special needs creatures to be cared for; a place where we bring animals together with elderly and special needs people for mutual comfort; a place where an artist and writer shares it all through story, art, image and raggedy creations.
Apifera Farm [pronounced Ap-if-era and meaning bearing bees] began in 2004 in western Oregon, growing 4000 lavender plants and raising sheep. Soon, needy animals were being adopted- crippled goats, blind ponies, old llama and grumpy pigs. After 14 wonderful, magical years on the Oregon farm, Apifera closed their eyes and listened to their hearts and relocated across country, with all the animals, to mid coast Maine.
Katherine has been an artist since 1996 from her days in Minneapolis as an illustrator. She then began creating her own illustrated books. She continues to merge the lives of the animals into her painting and writing, and her art is also showcased on Sundance.
To read more about donating or supporting our animal work, visit the donation page.
Contact Katherine. We look at each case individually. We also want to work with shelters, and farms that have special needs animals/elders/goat kids that might otherwise be euthanized. We can not take everybody, but are willing to discuss your situation.
Everything at Apifera is merged into Katherine's art and writings, with plenty more to come.
Main art site >
Shop >
Animal Therapy Visits to your Eldercare Homes
We take our animals to elder care residences...Opie the little goat, our llama and equines too when possible. We are always working with new animals that might have the heart to be a good therapy candidate. If you are a scaremonger please contact Katherine to discuss visits. At this stage, we do not charge MaineCare homes [but welcome donations if possible] and we ask other homes with activity budgets for a minimum $30 donation. We do not take salaries and do all the work here on our own so donations are how we can continue our work with animal and elder people. See pictures of therapy visits >
The Adopted Barnyard of Misfits
Apifera is also a final home for many old special needs animals. Since first moving to the farm, Katherine has been taking "The Misfits". She shares her Misfits through story and art, workshops and drawing sessions at the farm. Now that the farm has become a non profit, she has many plans to increase her efforts.
Martyn...The {former} Dirt Farmer, the landscaper, the guy that keeps the place standing
Martyn Dunn was a licensed landscape contractor in Oregon for over twenty years and is loving his life in Maine. He continues to work as a landscaper with Natural Concepts. He also is a huge part of Apifera Farm, keeping the place standing, creating beautiful rock walls and gardens and helping Katherine's visions come to life.
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| Martyn the guy that keeps the place standing |
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How Apifera was Born
{Sometimes in 2002...}Suffering a long lasting broken heart, a forty plus single woman writes a sacred list of three things she needs to do to recreate a sense of place for herself. It leads her across the country to Oregon where she meets her next door neighbor. Soon after, the man climbs a cherry tree in a heat wave and brings her his cherry harvest, hoping the cherries will cool her fair haired flush from the heat. The next day, still suffering in a heat wave, she bakes him a fresh cherry pie with the bounty he brought her. This leads to one of many epiphanies, that she must love him to bake in a heat wave. With her love for him sealed in that crust and fruit, they go on to move to a magical delapitated farm, and they call it Apifera. {Visit the illustrated book Katherine wrote about this}
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| Birdie the llama is a hit with guests |
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| M'Lady Apple is old and beautiful |
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| One of The Misfits-special needs creatures- naps |
