Meet the Animals 

SID

Sid is an 9 year old Australian Cattle Dog Mix.  Barbara did a DNA test on him and discovered he is 75% Australian Cattle Dog and the other two parts are German Pinscher and Welsh Corgi.  Sid is of smaller stature but he has a big personality.  He considers his job as watchdog and Barbara’s companion to be a serious responsibility and he does not take his duties lightly.  Sid’s litter was found in the mountains of  West Virginia and Barbara adopted him at 9 weeks in February of 2015 from Lonely Hearts Animal Rescue in Maryland after seeing a picture of him online.  Sid is a bit shy with strangers but once he gets to know you he is very sweet and cuddly.  He runs like the wind.

Ollie

Ollie was waiting by the farm entrance one night in late October of 2017.  Not knowing what to do with him, Barbara brought him to her house.  Within a half hour Ollie had scarfed down a can of cat food and was spread eagled on one of the dog beds.  Barbara and the dogs did not believe what they were seeing.  Ollie assumed he was one of the dogs and immediately became part of the pack.  He uses the dog door to go outside and when Barb put down a litter box for him he looked at her like she was crazy.  Ollie uses the dog doors to go outside and take care of his personal business.  He is now 7 years old.  Ollie has a big personality and always wants to be with you.  He goes for long walks on the farm with Barbara and the dogs.  He is always looking for affection and cuddles.  Everyone absolutely adores him. Ollie is also tipping the scales at a hefty 20 pounds of love!!!

Banjo

Banjo is an 10 year old mini-American horse.  He also came from Ohio.  He was another animal Barbara spotted at the time when she was visiting the Amish to learn farming skills in July of 2014. Barb saw Banjo with an Amish family and “made a deal”.  With the help of Barbara’s former partner, Banjo arrived on the farm right around the time Pickles came to the farm.  Banjo has a strong personality and really lets you know he’s around when you are near him.  He wants attention and affection and for you to feed him on a constant basis!  Banjo always wants everyone to understand that he is NOT a mini-donkey but an actual horse, albeit a mini one!  He finally got a mini-horse friend to hang out with when Moonshine came along.

Moonshine

Moonshine was adopted at the Orange Equine Auction in June of 2016 so Banjo could have a mini-horse friend.  He was raised by the Amish and he learned some great skills growing up like how to pull a cart (the art of driving).  He and Banjo immediately bonded and he is very happy to live at Edgewood Miller Farm.  Moonshine is about 16 years old now.  With proper care and love mini-horses can live to be 25 to 35 years old so he has many great years ahead of him on the farm.

Trixie

Trixie is a mini-donkey.  She is now 10 years old.  She was adopted from a mini-donkey farm in December of 2013 when she was about 6 months old.  She came to EMF with her friend River.  Mini-donkeys bond to each other and Trixie and River were inseparable for years.  Unfortunately River unexpectedly passed away of unknown causes in July of 2017 which was devastating to us all, but especially to Trixie, so then Marley was found at Virginia Donkey Rescue so Trixie could have a new companion.  One of Barbara’s dreams was to see a baby equine being born and after a stud-donkey named Blackjack visited in September of 2017, 13 months later Trixie became a mama to baby boy Pluto in October of 2018 and baby girl Ruby in November of 2020.  Trixie is very affectionate and a great mother and a sweet mini-donkey!

Marley

Marley and Trixie are always together so it is difficult to get a photo of just one on their own.  Marley is a mini-donkey and she is about 16 years old.  Marley’s back story is unknown.  When she was adopted Barb was told she was pregnant.  Well, that was not the case.  Turns out Marley has probably had a baby or two in her past and it has left her with a bit of an unfortunate round figure.  But she’s a sweet girl and Trixie, Pluto and Ruby love her and so do all her caretakers.

Pluto

Pluto was born October 20, 2018.  He is the sweetest, most adorable, friendliest, cutest boy donkey that ever existed! He loves treats and affection. He can be very vocal when he wants either one of those things! Pluto is the first one to demand treats!

Ruby

Ruby was born on November 12th 2020. She is another offspring from Trixie, aka Pluto’s sister! She definitely has a similar personality to Pluto being so curious, friendly, sweet and adorable. We truly enjoy watching her grow, frolic and socialize with her friends!

DEX

Dex was adopted by Barb on September 26, 2014 as a small kitten from the Charlottesville SPCA.  He has always been an extremely sweet natured cat.  He and his buddy Ella Blu have a tight bond.  He lives in the small barn and gets along with everyone.  From the moment baby Pluto was born Dex has watched over him and they formed an extremely close relationship.  It is very sweet to watch them together.

Ella Blu

Ella Blu was adopted by Barb from a lady that had a litter of kittens. She lives in the small barn with Dex.  She has always been feisty and talkative.  We said from day one that her name should’ve been “Ella sings the Blues”.  She is very friendly and sweet and an incredible mouser.  She loves Dex and dehydrated chicken treats.

Lainie

Lainie was adopted March 1, 2014 from the Madison/Greene animal shelter.  Barb fell in love with her yellow eyes.  She is a sweet cat but can be skittish and nervous (for no explainable reason).  She lives in the big barn and is an excellent mouser.  She has a great appetite.

Milo & Romeo Beanie

Milo and Romeo Beanie are two beautiful boys we’ve acquired over the late spring and summer of 2022. First came Milo, a handsome grey tomcat who was adopted from a nice family in the area. Barbara was looking to find Lainie a companion and lo and behold - Milo came up in her searching. He spent the first few weeks in the tack room in the big barn before getting to explore the outdoors. He has a very playful and curious nature and was giving Lainie a little more attention than she would have preferred. Then, all of a sudden, a very tiny kitten showed up one evening outside of the main house. Ollie, our residing house cat, found him and greeted him with an obligatory hiss. Barb arrived back from her evening chores and was surprised to see the little one, too young to be away from his mother, meowing for food and completely helpless. After a couple vet visits to take care of a respiratory infection and ear mites, little Romeo Beanie has been growing quickly and packing on some weight. He is extremely friendly and quite the lover. You can catch him and Milo playing most of the day throughout the big barn as Lainie watches over them.

RESCUE HORSES SUMMER, Lulu, Dr. marty, GEORGE and desi

Canadian Summer is an 19 year old chestnut Thoroughbred  mare. She stands just over 16hs. Her pedigree through her sire goes back to Gone West, Seattle Slew and Secretariat.  Her racing career was pretty successful until she was sidelined by a stifle injury. She finished in the money in eight of her thirteen starts with four wins, three places and one show.

Once Canadian Summer was no longer earning her keep, her owner basically neglected her. She was found in a field with little more than weeds - her ribs showing, her mane down past her neck and her hooves untrimmed. A woman who had watched her during her early racing years was determined to give her a better life. She prevailed and bought Canadian Summer for a dollar to keep her owner from trying to take her back when she was restored to good condition.

Since Canadian Summer’s benefactor lived in the mid-west, she needed a sanctuary home in Virginia.  Edgewood Miller Farm was happy to provide pasture and shelter for such a deserving horse.

Lulu arrived at Edgewood Miller Farm a day after Desi in August of 2019. Lulu is a 27 year-old bay halter-bred registered appaloosa. A strip and a snip are the only white on her.

Unfortunately Lulu lost her sight in her right eye. Because Lulu is such a nice and otherwise healthy horse, the vet convinced the owner to give her up for adoption rather than put her down. Lulu is now a happy, thriving member of the gang of seven. 

Dr. Marty, a 23 year-old Thoroughbred gelding, came to Edgewood Miller Farm in June of 2019. He was adopted from the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation at Montpelier when it was announced the group would be relocating. While at Montpelier, Dr. Marty had been sponsored for ten years by his current caretaker, so it was only natural to bring him over.

Dr. Marty won seven of his twenty-eight starts but left racing with an ankle injury. He is a tall horse at 17H but is about as gentle as they come.  He loves people and will stand forever for a belly scratch.

Desi, a.k.a. Destiny, is a 29 year-old chestnut registered paint mare. She came to Edgewood Miller Farm in August of 2019. Desi was well-loved by her former family, but they were moving to Montana and didn’t want to relocate an older horse. Just by happenstance, we learned about Desi and offered her a home.

Desi has taken on the role of protector for Lulu who, for the first few weeks, kept her blind eye to Desi’s flank. Desi is very smart and loves attention. The way she gallops with the Thoroughbreds, you’d never think she’s 28.

George

George once lived at our sister farm, Crescere, but moved to Edgewood Miller Farm at the beginning of summer 2020. He’s been loving his new home and grazing alongside the mini horses and donkeys. George is in his 20s. It is so lovely to watch him play with one another and frolic in the fields! He can be tricky to catch and halter but he is very gentle and sweet. He loves belly scratches and will follow you around the field just to get them.

emf and crescere cattle

In 2020, our sister farm, Crescere became home to a lovely herd of Longhorn and Belted Galloway cattle. As of 2024, the herd consists of with 7 cows, 2 heifers and 7 steer calves. The small herd provides a stunning view amidst the green fields and rolling blue mountains. Occasionally, we bring a few over to graze the Edgewood fields. It is truly a joy to observe their bovine beauty.

The Chickens

In Memoriam

Tessa

Tessa was the best Bull Terrier.  Loyal companion and great traveling buddy, unfortunately she passed away in December of 2014.  But she enjoyed the farm for more than a year before we had to say goodbye to her.  Her ashes are buried in Edgewood Miller Farm’s Pet Cemetery.

pickles

Pickles was an 8 year old Australian Cattle Dog/Queensland Healer. In 2014, Barbara was visiting an Amish farm in Ohio where they bred Percheron Horses, but they also had a dog-breeding operation. As soon as Barbara set her eyes on Pickles, who was chained up in a barn, she knew she had to have her and would do anything she could to get her. Pickles was 2 at the time and had already had 2 litters. The Amish boy said she might be pregnant again and Barbara had to wait until they knew if she was or not, so two weeks later, when Barbara was home she received a call from the boy telling Barb that Pickles was not pregnant and she could come buy her for $125. Barbara drove back to Ohio to get Pickles (9 hour drive from Virginia), got Pickles and brought her home (another 9 hour drive). Pickles had never ridden in a car, never been inside a home, never known what life was like off of a chain. She had a tough transition at first, not understanding English (she only understood Amish), and Tessa, Barb’s Bull Terrier who has since passed, helped Pickles learn how to use a dog bed and a dog door and how to feel comfortable inside a house. It took Pickles 2 months before she understood what a dog toy was but as soon as the lightbulb went off in her head with the understanding that the tennis ball was for her to play with, she never looked back. She was totally ball crazy and lived her life running next to the ATV, playing in the river, sitting on the back porch looking out over her farm, snuggling with her brother Sid and getting tons of love from Barbara, friends, family and every person who came to the farm. In 2020, Pickles tore her back knee and had to have surgery. All went well and after a few months of recovery she was chasing the Longhorns and back to normal. By the end of 2020 her vision started to slowly go and in January of 2021 she went fully blind. One day playing ball, she tore her other knee and could not efficiently lift the back half of her body or get around. With saddened hearts we had to let her go on January 25th, 2021. She was a wonderful, sweet loving dog and we will desperately miss her and love her forever.

Dino

 Dino lost his life in an accident at only 5 ½ months old.  He was a sweet, loving animal and we were terribly sad to say goodbye to him.

Rooty

Rooty was taken from us at 7 ½ months from the terrible illness Feline Infectious Peritonitis.  We surmise he had caught this illness in the animal shelter he had been adopted from.  We were so sad to see him go as he had the best personality, was super friendly and smart and an all-around amazing animal.  We gave him a happy life here, but it was way too short.

Star

Star was a pit-bull that lived on the farm when we first moved here.  She was a beautiful dog and losing her was a terrible loss.

River

We lost River unexpectedly July 16, 2017.  He died of unknown causes.  He was only 4.  He was full of personality and Trixie was extremely lonely and sad until a few days later when we adopted Marley.  Then she made a new friend and was happy again, but we’ll never forget sweet, funny River.

Gracie

We lost Gracie June 28, 2018. Gracie, registered name Relic Peace, was a beautiful bay Thoroughbred mare. She stood 15.3h and was a great-granddaughter of Northern Dancer. She started thirteen races but never won. A severe tendon injury ended her career.

Gracie was retired to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation facility at Montpelier. When a companion was needed for Canadian Summer, Gracie was adopted because of her quiet manor and her appreciation for the attention of the TRF volunteers. She was a favorite. Anyone could work with her.

Unfortunately, Gracie developed a “quality of life” condition that became unmanageable as time went by. We had to let her go in June of 2018. She was nineteen.

SHIRKON

We lost Shirkon in the summer of 2020. Shirkon came with the farm.  She was about 6 in 2013 when Barb bought the farm.  She lived in the big barn.  She was the matriarch of all the cats.  She was sophisticated and self-assured and lovable.  Every June she got shaved because her long hair was impossible to control no matter what was done and she needed to get her dreadlocks cut off and cool off.  She was a good hunter and a cool character that rarely got irritated.  She loved her electric bed and cuddles.  She was such a sweet girl and is dearly missed.

Hammie

Hammie was our Gloucester Old Spot sow. At the beginning of summer she gave birth to seven piglets and one still born. Sadly, three weeks later she passed away from health complications. She was an amazing mother and is dearly missed. The good news is that six of her piglets survived!

Sadly, in September of 2020, Manny was suffering from a bad infection in his right front foot that would not heal after multiple weeks of treatment. With heavy hearts, we had to let him go in October. He is missed by all of us.

amigo

Amigo was a 23 year old horse that once lived at our sister farm, Crescere. After being diagnosed with Founders disease, Amigo, and his good friend, George, moved to Edgewood Miller Farm in the beginning of summer 2020. They spent many months grazing new fields alongside some new friends. Amigo soon became the favorite because of his friendliness and loving personality. Sadly, in December of 2020, Amigo passed away suddenly due to digestive issues. He is dearly missed by all of his human and animal friends.