Exploring Life & Business with Dan McKernan of Barn Sanctuary

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan McKernan.  

Hi Dan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
In 2016 I was working as a computer developer in Austin, Texas. I was working from a one-person glass office in a coworking space because the rest of my tech team lives in Canada. I saw other companies and their teams working with each other and socializing. I liked my team, and my job role and appreciated my six-figure paycheck. Still, I knew working behind a computer screen was not what I envisioned my life to be. 

I watched a few documentaries about the treatment of farm animals, specifically Cowspiracy. I decided to go plant-based because I couldn’t accept how these innocent beings were treated on a mass scale at large corporate farms. So, I decided to go plant-based and was motivated to do more than just keep animals off my plate. 

I consumed Gene Baur’s book ‘Living the Farm Sanctuary Life’ on the weekend, and I admired the selfless life he chose for himself. Gene is the Founder of the largest farm animal sanctuary, Farm Sanctuary, and I am humbled to have him as a mentor and friend. 

Shortly after having a woken-like change in my life, my dad gave me a call and asked what to do with our 140-year-old family farm. My twin brother said, “sell it to Walmart and walk away rich.” I’d say he was lacking in entrepreneurism. I obviously didn’t want to sell the historic family farm to a large corporation, and that’s when I decided to trade my good living for a great life. I’m fully committed and all in when I have my mindset on a goal. I quit my tech job, returned to the farm in rural Michigan, and turned my family’s centennial farm into a sanctuary for farm animals in need of a forever home. 

It was no easy task; the farm had been sitting docile for over three decades. I knew very little about farming when I first started, and it has been more work than I ever imagined. Still, it’s been amazing to bring life back to the farm and create a home for the most abused animals. Barn Sanctuary rescues and rehabilitates farmed animals in need, and we’ve saved more than 500 animals. Currently, 114 of those rescued reside on the 70-acre property. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve started to advocate for mental health a lot. The animals have brought me great comfort during my most difficult times. Andy, a Holstein calf who heroically broke out of a barn fire and suffered burns to 65% of his body, brought me great comfort after a separation from a long-term relationship. I really needed to connect with someone, and he made me feel the human-animal connection. 

Five months after my best bud Andy passed away, some really huge projects were in process. The sanctuary was thriving, and I landed the docuseries Saved by the Barn with Animal Planet. I struggled internally with intense feelings of hopelessness and abandonment. The amount of pressure was too unbearable to deal with. I tried to talk to people about my struggles. They’d tell me, “You need to keep rescuing animals. Working and helping animals will make you feel better”. 

I wanted this pain to stop and desperately wanted to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I couldn’t see it, regardless of how hard I tried. When I was found on my apartment floor and regained consciousness, I immediately checked myself into a hospital. I started the lengthy process of opening up about my feelings and mental health with doctors, psychiatrists, therapists, and even strangers in group therapy. 

Being in therapy allowed me not to depend on the animals as much for emotional support. They continue to provide me with great comfort and companionship. Being around the animals enables me to breathe and calm down when I feel anxious or stressed. It centers me to think about the present moment. When I’m panicked, I sit with the animals, and they re-center me. 

We’ve been impressed with Barn Sanctuary, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Barn Sanctuary is dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating abused and neglected farmed animals by creating a safe haven where these individuals can recover, thrive, and serve as an example of why we strive to lead society toward a plant-based lifestyle. 

Barn Sanctuary was established in 2016 in Chelsea, Michigan in pursuit of a lofty mission to change the way the world views farmed animals by rescuing, and rehabilitating abused and neglected farmed animals in need. 

Barn Sanctuary provides a loving home specifically for farmed animals because farmed animals are the most abused and neglected group of animals in the world. Barn Sanctuary is home to over 100 rescued farmed animals including cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, sheep, and goats. Every rescue at Barn Sanctuary is treated as an individual, deserving of empathy and respect. 

Dan and Barn Sanctuary published a children’s book called This Farm is a Family. 

Dan – “Throughout my childhood, I move around the country a lot. I was anxious and stressed when starting a new school, which helped inspire a new children’s book I wrote, This Farm is a Family. The book is based on Buttercup the cow, a real-life rescue at Barn Sanctuary – and she is having difficulty adjusting to her new home. Despite Buttercup’s resistance and fear, the animals rally together to show Buttercup love and compassion. The animals help Buttercup discover that she’s now part of their family. 

The proceeds of my new book will go to continuing Barn Sanctuary’s Mission. Through the work of Barn Sanctuary, my new book, and the incredible animals I work for, I hope to change the way the world views farmed animals by connecting people with their stories and helping lead society towards a more compassionate plant-based lifestyle.” 

Dan McKernan is the author of the new book This Farm is a Family, the Founder of Barn Sanctuary, and the star of the popular Animal Planet series Saved by the Barn. 

Pricing:

• $17.99 Hardcover on Amazon
• $9.99 Kindle Edition on Amazon

Contact Info:

• Email: info@barnsanctuary.org
• Website: barnsanctuary.org
• Instagram: instagram.com/barnsanctuary
• Twitter: twitter.com/barnsanctuary
• Youtube: youtube.com/c/barnsanctuary
• Other: Link to Purchase ‘This Farm is a Family’ on Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310747848