The Machado Farm Foundation, A Central Florida Sanctuary

While Central Florida might be full of animal rescues and county shelters, there’s one glaring need previously left unmet. Traditional farm animals such as pigs and goats seem like adorable pets, but many don’t realize the complicated and expensive care involved with these types of animals. When human owners get overwhelmed and become unable to manage their needs, these animals will sometimes end up in traditional shelters – which are often unequipped to handle such creatures. Enter the Machado Farm Foundation!

Joe and Alexa Machado noticed this gap in adequate animal care after adopting a brood of mini-pigs from the Lake County Shelter. With their combined husbandry backgrounds, extensive knowledge, and passion for the field, they founded the Machado Farm Foundation in 2018!

We recently got to sit down with Joe Machado and hear about his important work and awesome mission!

Machado Farm Foundation’s Mission

According to their website, the Machado Farm Foundation’s mission is simple yet overwhelmingly large:

“Help all animals. Support our community. Save the world.”

While it’s a lofty goal, the foundation is certainly poised to make a huge difference in the present lives of animals in need and future generations. In addition to the solid, lifelong care they provide to a variety of creatures, Machado Farm Foundation is dedicated to conservation education and fostering genuine passion in children of all ages. With quality education efforts, the Machado’s seek to encourage future conservation enthusiasts and animal advocates!

Current Programs

With a combination of animal care and educational programming, Machado Farm Foundation will continue impacting the health and security of animals throughout Central Florida. Let’s take a closer look at their current programming and activities.

Education

To maximize their effectiveness, the foundation believes that conservation efforts should be paired with comprehensive community education. While plans are in place to welcome school field trips and other groups onsite, these visits will need to wait until the current pandemic has passed. In the meantime, Machado Farm Foundation is working on a virtual video series primarily focused on learning about animal habits and intelligence. For example, did you know that pigs can actually have the mental capacity of a toddler? I didn’t either!

Animal Sanctuary

Of course, the foundation’s main focus is the rescue, rehabilitation, and lifelong care of farm animals in need. As of February 2021, the farm includes 1 donkey, 15 pigs, 3 geese, and 13 goats. That’s a lot of animals to care for every day!

Their current facility includes a main paddock for the goats and donkeys as well as three separate areas for their many pigs. Pigs are separated by gender (to prevent breeding) with a quarantine/hospital area for those that might be ill or in need of special attention.

I asked Joe to share some of the foundation’s proudest success stories. It’s amazing to see the tangible effects this organization is making in these animals’ lives. Let’s learn about two of the sanctuary’s beloved residents.

Lieutenant Dan – The Three-Legged Wonder Pig!

One September night, the Machado Farm Foundation received a call about an injured pig living in a residence near the Tampa area. This pig, named Lieutenant Dan, had been shot by a neighbor – resulting in the devastating loss of one of his legs. While residents attempted to care for Lieutenant Dan, his medical and physical needs soon became too great a burden for amateur pig owners to handle. A neighbor called the foundation to surrender the pig and hopefully save his life.

When the team from Machado Farm Foundation arrived, they understood how grave the situation had become. He was severely malnourished and in need of quality veterinary care. The team transported him back to the farm and immediately purchased specialty food and supplies to get Lieutenant Dan back to full health. Over a few short months, he has gained weight, filled out, and returned to a happy, healthy pig. Joe Machado shared that, if it weren’t for his missing limb, you’d never know he was the same animal!

Edgar Allen Goat – Second Chance Kid!

Just a few weeks ago, THREE of the farm’s female goats gave birth to a bunch of kids (baby goats)! While this is an exciting time, it was almost tragic when a mama goat rejected one of her babies. This happens in the animal kingdom sometimes, but Edgar Allen Goat is luckier than most. When Mom rejected him, Joe and Alexa took him inside their house to receive personalized care and attention. With the Machado’s knowledgeable supervision, this goat will be ready to join the group after he is fully weaned!

Current Projects

Like any nonprofit organization, the Machado Farm Foundation is always growing and changing to extend its reach and accomplish its mission. Currently efforts are focused on the expansion of their facility and its capacities with a brand new barn and pig area.

How You Can Help the Machado Farm Foundation

As the foundation grows, they need more funds to expand their animal care areas, their resources, and abilities to accommodate field trips and other youth-centric educational groups. Of course, direct donations are always welcome and very appreciated. But if you’re looking for other options – here are three easy ways to contribute to the Machado Farm Foundation!

Amazon Smile

Did you know that, by simply using Amazon Smile, a small percentage of qualifying purchases will be donated to your favorite organization? All you have to do is visit https://smile.amazon.com and choose “Machado Farm Foundation” as your supporting charity. Amazon will take care of the rest! (Just make sure that any browsing/purchasing is from Amazon Smile and not just Amazon!)

If you’d rather donate a needed item, you can select a request off of Machado Farm Foundation’s AmazonSmile Charity List. You can find it under the “Your Lists” section of the main menu.

Machado Farm Foundation Soaps

To raise money for their programs and animal needs, Machado Farm Foundation makes and sells ADORABLE soaps, candles, and face masks for the whole family! Their most popular soap – Pig Soap – looks like a little piggy playing in the mud (and you get to keep the toy)!

You can buy seasonal soaps too, like these Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day ducks!

Browse their store here, and make sure to use our discount code ORLANDODECODED for 10% off any purchase.

Blaze Fundraiser – March 18th

Bring your family and a copy of the above voucher (printed or on your phone) to Disney Springs’ Blaze for a great dinner and a great cause! When you order between 5-8pm on March 18th and show this voucher before paying, 20% of the proceeds will be donated to the Machado Farm Foundation! It’s win-win-win!

Penguins Up-Close: Meeting a New Friend at SeaWorld Orlando

Thank you, Machado Farm Foundation, for chatting with me. Your animal-focused programming is filling a big need in our community!

To stay in touch with the farm, like their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter and Instagram!