Merrymac Farm founder named 1 of 20 outstanding VT women

Era MacDonald, founder and executive director of Merrymac Farm Sanctuary in Charlotte, was honored as one of 20 Outstanding Women in Vermont and Northern New York.

Carolyn Siccama, instructional designer at the University of Vermont, nominated MacDonald for transforming a former horse farm into a sanctuary for over 150 formerly abused and neglected animals.

“The work that Era does to help these animals 24/7, 365 days per year, is remarkable, and we are so lucky that we have her and the Sanctuary in our community,” Siccama said.

This is the fourth year in a row Hannaford Supermarkets and 98.9 WOKO have partnered in celebrating women in Vermont and Northern New York who go above and beyond to make their communities a better place to live. MacDonald and the other honorees were recognized at a ceremony on Wednesday, March 26, in South Burlington.

Merrymac Farm Sanctuary was founded as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in 2023 to provide abandoned farm animals with permanent, healthy homes where they can live free of abuse or cruelty, to provide education for the local and broader communities about the well-being of animals, and to promote a culture of equity between animals, people and the planet. Merrymac now provides long-term homes to a variety of farm animal species, from goats, sheep, cattle and horses to smaller animals such as ducks, chickens and rabbits. Relying on a small part-time staff, regular interns and a large community of volunteers, Merrymac’s operations are completely donation-driven.

“I’m happy to accept this recognition on behalf of everyone at Merrymac Farm Sanctuary,” MacDonald said. “It takes a village.”

Other honorees included women working in business, emergency medical service, entrepreneurship, education, advocacy, the military, nursing and, like MacDonald, non-profit leadership.