Testimonials

"Carol Borden, a respected figure in the community and an avid supporter of youth development, had chosen to donate a goat to an FFA student. Goats are educators, responsibility bearers, and for some students, they become part of the family. When she chose me as the recipient of one of her goats, I was flooded with surprise, gratitude, and an overwhelming sense of purpose. Carol Borden's donation was more than a gesture; it was an investment in my education. Through coco, I will continue to acquire practical skills and a deeper appreciation for livestock. Carol Borden's gift affirmed someone's belief in my potential. For that, I am eternally grateful."

Hello, I’m Sarah. I served with love and honor, but when I left the army, I had become a changed person - no more laughing or enjoyment. I just closed myself off from everything, and depression got the best of me. I did try to commit suicide, but fortunately, I was stopped by my husband and service dog, so we started to look for something that would bring us joy. That’s how we got to this new chapter of being farmers who could enjoy more basic things in life again, like watching the randomness of chickens and caring for them. My favorite is bottle-feeding the baby animals, like the goats. I do feel in heaven. This brings a new enjoyment. I love to enter their enclosure singing, especially to the horses. I’m so thankful to CCB Farm for believing in me and helping me mentally and physically. It is so exciting to me that I can feed treats to the animals, so they now recognize me and come to play with me, and take away my depression, anxiety, and PTSD. My challenges are under control by keeping my hands busy, my brain busy. Thank you, Carol and Chris, for believing in me and giving me this opportunity.

It has been a wonderful experience for this city girl to learn more about how food is sourced and how quality animals are cared for. Who would have thought that I would be holding chickens and baby goats and having fun?

My name is Robert. I am a 100% service-connected disabled Veteran. I served from 1988 to 1992, serving 6 months during Desert Shield/ Storm.

When I got out of the Army in 1992, I struggled with figuring out how I fit into the world. I was trained on how to adapt to military life, but not on how to reintroduce into civilian life. My life spiraled out of control. I took to drinking heavily on a daily basis. The drinking made it difficult to keep up with relationships or friendships. I eventually just started to isolate myself.

Over the years I managed to survive by keeping very superficial friendships and keeping to myself. I was literally a shut in. I went to work, after work I would go shopping for my daily food or order at the drive through.

The VA had me try Prolonged Exposure Therapy. This was a nightmare. Then they wanted me to take medication, all of which made me feel dead inside. I eventually stopped the medication and researched on my own for therapy that doesn’t require me to take medication or relive the most horrific memories I have. I found an article about animal therapy, or farm therapy.

I moved 2 hours from everything I had known for the last 15 years and started working on CCB Farm, a small farm in Williston Fl.

At first, I was lost. I’m a straight up city boy. I know nothing about raising animals or caring for them. But over the first 6 months, I noticed that my stress and anxiety had reduced. I started to feel like I found something I was good at, and I fit in.

Now it has been almost 5 years, and I still do work on the farm…but I have moved further into the country and purchased 5 acres of land. I am currently using everything I learned by working on CCB Farm to start my own farm. I currently have 20 chickens, 4 turkey, more than 30 ducks, meat rabbits, 2 Boer goats and 1 Zebu bull.

Working on CCB Farm also gave me the confidence I needed to venture into raising animals that I never imagined having.

I finally feel like I am alive, accepted and confident that I have found my purpose at this point in my life.

I had such a wonderful experience with CCB Farm! I purchased two goats from them, and they were kind enough to house and care for both of them for several weeks until I could arrange my trip up there. The farm is beautiful, well kept, and it's clear how much they genuinely love and care for all of their animals. Both of the goats were healthy, happy, and so well socialized. I truly appreciate the patience, kindness, and dedication they showed throughout the process. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for happy, well cared for animals. Julio D.