Trevecca farm criticized for animal deaths

Trevecca Urban Farms made mistakes and animals died.

A 2-week-old puppy kept in a flood-prone area drowned. A pack of wild dogs slipped through inadequate fencing and killed five pigs. A baby goat died after being weaned from its mother too early.

Other animals perished over the past two years, but the number is uncertain. Trevecca didn't keep a log.

Tess Melete did keep records — emails, photographs and text messages — information she took to Nashville Animal Advocacy, which is challenging Trevecca Urban Farms' worthiness for a Governor's Environmental Stewardship Award. The group has launched a change.org petition to have the award revoked before a formal presentation to Trevecca University scheduled for Tuesday.

"I'm not saying these people are evil animal abusers," said Tricia Lebkuecher with Nashville Animal Advocacy. "I'm saying they don't know animals well enough to provide an adequate standard of care. They just don't know how to be farmers. They shouldn't be teaching people how to farm, and they shouldn't be getting an award for teaching people how to care for animals."

Keeping livestock has been a learning experience for the farm, one that began in November 2013 when Trevecca University accepted a gift of heritage-breed goats and pigs from Melete.

It was a new endeavor for the university's urban farm, which since its 2011 inception had focused on smaller-scale operations, such as teaching people in food deserts how to grow vegetable gardens. The endeavor required more infrastructure and manpower than expected, Trevecca officials admit. But they say the farm's leadership has the training, knowledge and commitment to do the job.

"After a tough first few months, we have not lost a goat since last summer and this spring have brought 100 percent of our live births to weaning," said Matt Toy, vice president of marketing and communications for the university.

Trevecca has reinforced fencing and built a new barn on higher ground. It has released veterinarian reports on the animals and has committed to operate the farm in a transparent manner.

But members of Nashville Animal Advocacy say Trevecca has repeatedly failed to provide adequate care, especially during inclement weather or when the farm manager has been out of town.

Jessica Stein, who volunteered to help at the farm March 23, said she spent hours grooming the hooves of the goats — a point of care that had been neglected. Some of the goats were covered in lice, she said. And the goats were kept in the barn when they should have been allowed to roam the pasture, a pasture she says is too small for the herd. A Trevecca employee ordered her off the premises after she let the goats out of the barn.

The farming operation also has received criticism from a member of a dog rescue organization, who said she was troubled when she saw how the farm's herding dogs were treated.

"Apparently, the female Pyrenees was impregnated by some random dog," said Jean Harrison of Big Fluffy Dog Rescue. "We were called by someone who wanted us to pick up this puppy because it had gotten into the chickens and killed them."

Harrison said when she went to the farm in March 2014 she found it on a chain leash — the type of restraint that Nashville outlawed this year. The dog also had killed a goat so the farm staff had separated it from the livestock.

Toy said the dog did sometimes get tangled in the restraint, but farm staff kept a close watch on it.

"There was no ordinance at that time, but we learned it was unwise," Toy said. "We wouldn't do that again because he was getting tangled. We also have the ability now to separate animals into spacious stalls if we're having trouble with behavior or sickness."

The puppy had an injury to its mouth consistent with having chewed on an electric fence, Harrison said. But Trevecca officials have no knowledge of any such burns to the dog, according to Toy.

Trevecca officials say the farm operation is being unfairly criticized by Melete, who made unreasonable demands after gifting the animals because she was losing her farm.

"She had pigs and goats mainly," said Jason Adkins, the director or Trevecca Urban Farms. "I had never kept pigs or goats. I had very little experience with them. I said, 'I don't know anything about them or what they cost to keep. But if you want to help me learn I would be really interested because they are a great little herd of animals.' "

Adkins did not study agriculture in college. He has an undergraduate degree in English and a graduate degree in religion, but he has received training in organic growing and urban agriculture. Trevecca has relied on veterinarians and university professors from other institutions for guidance with the livestock operation.

When asked for an accounting of the number of animals that died, Toy consulted with Adkins and other farm staff. Relying on their memories, he listed a number of incidents in an email that added up to 12 deaths of pigs, goats and dogs — but left off the drowned puppy, which he said was an oversight.

Adkins had already disclosed the death of the puppy.

"We had a flood down in this lower area, where we had been," Adkins said. "A puppy had drowned in that flood. We were like, 'We have got to get these animals up on higher ground.' We made it a priority and finished the barn in February."

Nashville Animal Advocacy has compiled its own "List of Deaths and Suffering" of animals from Trevecca Urban Farms based on Melete's records, but it does not provide a total number. Melete said the number is higher than the university's estimate. Dozens of chickens are estimated to have died after being attacked by dogs or hawks, according to Melete and Trevecca. Nashville Animal Advocacy plans to post documents to back up claims of animal mistreatment at Trevecca to its Facebook page.

Melete held back tears as she told about a baby pig named Anastasia found in a pile of hay "frozen stiff" in February 2014. But Trevecca says the pig died on a warm day.

"The cause of her death is unknown, but we speculated that she chould have been trailed by goats while rooting or nesting in the straw," Toy said. "This was a heartbreaker."

Other deaths included a baby goat that was struck by a vehicle and other goats that had illnesses.

A goat that got caught in the farm's electric fence survived. A photograph of that goat is featured on the online petition. Melete took the picture thinking the goat was dead.

After a series of animal deaths, Melete asked Trevecca to sign an agreement to follow specified care guidelines.

"There began to be accusations that we weren't feeding the dogs, that we were mistreating the animals," Adkins said. "It became a toxic relationship. When the people from the university side saw that it was going in that direction, they said, 'Thank you for your gifts, but we would really like to part ways and just take care of the farms ourselves.' "

Trevecca offered to give Melete her goats back, he said. Trevecca did return the pigs, and Melete found them a new home. The fact that she allowed the goats to stay "seems a clear indication that her concern really isn't for the welfare of the animals," Adkins says.

The farm continues to raise other pigs not donated by Melete.

The offer to return the goats expires June 30. But Melete said she didn't have any choice because the gift was filed with her federal income taxes.

Nancy McCune, who lives near the farm, said she has never seen the animals mistreated.

"This was an absolutely crappy neighborhood when we came here," McCune said. "Based on what Trevecca has helped us do here, the neighborhood has come into its own."

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation still plans to present Trevecca the stewardship award in the Environment and Education — Schools category. Trevecca is the obvious selection for the award, said Kelly Brockman, director of communications for TDEC.

"The farm creates fresh food for an area with very limited fresh food supply and is committed to creating a culture of sustainability in its community through education and service," Brockman said.

Reach Tom Wilemon at 615-726-5961 and on Twitter @TomWilemon.

Trevecca Urban Farms

Founded: 2011

Location: 333 Murfreesboro Pike

Purpose: Promoting food security by teaching people how to farm