Six-minute read
Asbury Park Press
HOWELL -- Milk and Sugar are goats that were abandoned as babies in a box on a roadside in Plumsted. Today they are among the 60-plus animals, many of them rescued, that populate Samrock Stables Not So Ordinary Farm.
There are horses, cows, sheep, donkeys, mules and chickens. They do more than just hang out and eat.
“Every animal on our farm is a therapy animal,” said Julia Angelov, co-owner of the farm along with husband Angel Angelov.
The nonprofit farm’s animal-assisted therapy programs attract all kinds of folks to this refuge in Howell, from veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder to kids with autism to students at the Collier Middle School — a school in Marlboro for at-risk youths from throughout New Jersey.
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“The kids love it because the animals and the farm owners don’t judge,” said Anne Benoit, assistant principal a Collier Middle School. “They are welcoming and open-minded. It has been really wonderful.”
A group of fourth- and fifth-graders from Collier visit the farm two days a month with teacher Gabby Biele. Nearly the entire school, fourth- through eighth-graders, makes the field trip en masse at the end of the academic year.
“They can’t wait to go back,” Benoit said. “They would go every day if they could.”
The farm’s future, though, is tenuous — its finances drained by an ongoing legal battle with Howell Township. Samrock Stables’ plight is not alone. As reported by the Asbury Park Press in April, a long-simmering tug-of-war between Howell’s 100-plus farmers and township officials is boiling over.
“We never ask for anything; we always give to everybody,” Angel Angelov said. “But we’re scrounging because of this.”
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A passion for animals and kids
The township’s claim, in essence, is that Samrock Stables is functioning as a school and therefore not protected by the Right to Farm Act, which in New Jersey affords farms protections from nuisance lawsuits and overly restrictive local regulations. The township took Samrock Farms to state Superior Court in Monmouth County this past fall to shut it down, but the judge dismissed the case in November, ruling the township lacked the standing.
“We’re a farm,” Julia Angelov said. “Do I teach children how to ride horses and how to take care of animals? Yeah. Am I an academic commercial school? Absolutely not.”
She compares her situation to a musician giving piano lessons.
“If I am a piano teacher, does that mean I’m a school?” she said.
That’s the point the Angelovs successfully made to the judge, Mara Zazzali-Hogan.
The township has appealed the decision, further stretching Samrock Stables' finances.
“Through the litigation, the township is seeking to fairly enforce zoning regulations across town,” Matthew Howard, Howell’s director of community development and land-use officer, told the Asbury Park Press in a statement. “The property currently does not have the proper zoning approvals, nor have the owners sought the proper Right to Farm Approvals at the county level to conduct the activities being advertised and occurring on their property.”
As far as the Angelovs and their supporters are concerned, the matter has been settled by the courts — and the appeal feels like a persecution.
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“I was disappointed our township decided to file a lawsuit against Samrock Stables before understanding the details of its agricultural management practice,” said Betty Velez, leader of the advocacy group Howell Farmers United. “As expected, the court dismissed the lawsuit, ordering the township to resolve the dispute with the Monmouth County Agricultural Development Board. It’s concerning the township chose not to follow the court’s ruling and instead decided to appeal. This continues to be a crippling financial burden to Samrock Stables and a waste of taxpayer money.”
Replied Howard: “It is never a waste of taxpayer money to ensure proper oversight of the health, safety and welfare of our residents, and to ensure that our local zoning ordinances are being followed uniformly and consistently.”
The Angelovs say township officials never have visited Samrock Stables to assess the situation firsthand.
“They don’t know what my farm looks like, they don’t know what animals I have,” Julia said, adding that she and Angel met with Howard in his office to clear the air and “he literally started screaming at me and then he stormed out of the room.”
Howard did not address those assertions when the Asbury Park Press asked about it.
“I’m devastated because this is my passion, my husband is amazing with the animals, and we love working with kids,” Julia said.
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'You are absolutely amazing'
The kids fuel the Angelovs to keep going. Their inbox is packed with thank-you notes from parents and teachers whose children benefitted from being around the animals.
“My child has an extremely rare neurological disorder and was severely bullied in school,” one letter reads. “In just our short period at this farm, the changes in my child are amazing.”
Bill Hlubik, an agriculture professor at Rutgers University and director of the college’s EARTH Center in South Brunswick, wrote, “I am amazed at the programs and resources that you have provided” and added, “the therapeutic value of hands-on education on your farm can help rebuild a sense of community and healing that is greatly needed in our society.”
During one recent visit by Collier students, “there was a kid who lives in a tiny apartment in Newark and he’s never been around animals,” Julia said. “He wanted to ride (a horse) but he got onto the mounting block and was shaking and said, ‘I can’t do this.’ I said, ‘Believe in yourself.’ He got on, had a great ride, and was laughing.”
On the bus ride back to Marlboro, a Collier teacher texted Julia about it: “I cannot even find the words to express the gratitude for what you all are doing for our struggling youth. …You are absolutely amazing humans and we look forward to returning.”
Anyone interested in making a monetary donation to Samrock Stables Not So Ordinary Farm can do so at https://givebutter.com/lXrmH1. To make hay donations, email [email protected]. Donations of tractor supplies or feed can be made by calling 609-752-0000.
For more information about the farm and its programs, visit www.ourfarm.world.
Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shore’s interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him at [email protected].