Penelope’s Pondstead and Sanctuary is a nonprofit based in Texas that blends animal rescue, homesteading, trauma recovery, and regenerative farming. We create healing environments through hands-on land care, nature therapy, and ethically integrated animal companionship. We’re also a hub for sustainable living education, wellness retreats, and farm-based volunteer opportunities.

Farm animal therapy—also called care farming or animal-assisted healing—helps people with PTSD, anxiety, grief, and depression through interaction with animals like goats, ducks, or chickens. Research shows that animal contact lowers cortisol, reduces loneliness, and supports emotional regulation in trauma survivors, veterans, and children with special needs.

Regenerative farming is a method of agriculture that improves soil health, supports biodiversity, and reverses environmental damage. Unlike conventional farming, regenerative systems work with nature using compost, rotational grazing, cover crops, and zero chemicals. It also supports climate change resilience and water conservation.

A trauma-informed sanctuary is a healing space where every aspect—from animal handling to volunteer engagement—is designed to support people with trauma. We incorporate sensory-friendly environments, predictable routines, and nature therapy so visitors can reconnect safely with their bodies and emotions.

Yes! We offer workshops and blog posts on:

-Backyard chickens and ducks

-Organic gardening and composting

-Preserving food and fermentation

-Rainwater harvesting and graywater reuse

Whether you’re urban, suburban, or rural—we’ll help you get started.

Absolutely. We offer guidance and mentorship for those starting their own sanctuary, homestead, or care farm. We also share blog content and downloadable guides on:

-Nonprofit setup and 501(c)(3) filing

-Land use and zoning

-Animal shelter design

-Fundraising and grant strategy

Regenerative agriculture is a holistic land-management philosophy that aims to restore ecosystems, rebuild soil health, increase biodiversity, and strengthen the resilience of farms and communities. Unlike conventional agriculture—which often depletes resources—regenerative systems improve them over time.

Key principles include:

Building organic soil matter and microbial life

Enhancing water retention and reducing erosion

Integrating livestock and wildlife ethically

Encouraging biodiversity through polyculture and agroforestry

Avoiding synthetic inputs and promoting natural nutrient cycles

Closed-loop farming is a core strategy within regenerative agriculture. It refers to systems where outputs from one part of the farm become inputs for another—eliminating waste and creating cycles of self-renewal.

🔁 Example of a closed loop:

Ducks → poop in water → water fertilizes plants → plants feed ducks or humans → compost feeds soil → soil grows more plants

Closed-loop farming can include:

Aquaponics (fish waste feeds plants, plants clean water)

Animal-integrated systems (manure fertilizes crops)

On-farm composting

Irrigation recapture systems

Permaculture loops that mimic wild ecosystems

Regenerative agriculture is a broad ecological and ethical framework. It focuses on healing degraded ecosystems, improving soil health, increasing biodiversity, supporting communities, and building long-term farm resilience. It's about creating systems that give more than they take—socially, biologically, and environmentally.

Closed-loop farming, on the other hand, is a specific strategy often used within regenerative agriculture. It refers to designing farm systems where waste is eliminated by cycling outputs back in as inputs. For example, animal manure becomes fertilizer, greywater irrigates crops, and composted food scraps nourish soil microbes.

While regenerative agriculture may include some open systems (such as exporting excess compost to neighbors or importing heirloom seeds), closed-loop farming always aims to reuse resources within the same system. You can think of closed-loop farming as a tool—or design method—within the larger regenerative philosophy.

At PPANDS, we’re building a living model of ecological healing and resilience. Every system on the land will serve a purpose, feed into another, and support both people and animals. Here are some of the specific techniques we’ll use:

1) Closed-Loop & Integrated Systems

Duckponics: Our ducks will free-range over pond systems where their droppings fertilize the water. That nutrient-rich water will be gravity-fed to garden beds as a natural, low-input irrigation and fertilizer system.

On-site composting: Food scraps, animal bedding, and plant waste will be composted and returned to the soil—reducing waste and boosting microbial life.

Integrated pest management: Chickens and ducks will be rotated through crop areas to naturally reduce pests, break parasite cycles, and fertilize the ground.

2) Animal-Integrated Regenerative Grazing

Managed rotational grazing: Goats and other hooved animals will graze in a carefully timed rotation across pastures to regenerate soil, control brush, and naturally reseed native grasses.

Mobile shelters and fencing: Infrastructure will support frequent movement of animals to avoid overgrazing and mimic natural herd migration patterns—key to carbon sequestration and root system recovery.

3) Permaculture & Agroecological Practices

Zone-based permaculture design: Our homestead will be organized into functional zones (e.g., food forest, kitchen garden, animal housing, wildlife buffers) based on use frequency and ecological flow.

Hügelkultur beds: Raised garden beds built on decomposing wood will retain water, build soil, and produce nutrient-dense food.

Polyculture planting and companion crops: We’ll avoid monocultures, instead planting diverse species that support soil health, deter pests, and increase resilience.

4) Conservation and Habitat Restoration

Riparian buffer zones: Native trees, shrubs, and grasses will be planted along waterways to filter runoff, prevent erosion, and create wildlife corridors.

Pollinator habitat creation: Native wildflower meadows and undisturbed bee shelters will support local pollinators essential for food and ecosystem health.

Wildlife-friendly fencing and design: Perimeter fencing and animal shelters will be designed to allow safe wildlife passage and avoid habitat fragmentation.

At PPANDS, everything will cycle: from duck to pond, from pasture to plate, from trauma to transformation. This is land stewardship that goes beyond sustainability—it’s restoration, regeneration, and relationship.

Penelope’s Pondstead and Sanctuary was founded by Dr. Karen Ann Lindquist and Dominic Arris

🧬 Dr. Karen Ann Lindquist

Karen is a neuroscientist whose research centers on how the body senses, processes, and resolves pain. Her work focuses on the trigeminal sensory system, exploring how specific neurons innervate facial muscles like the masseter and temporalis, and how inflammation alters their function.

She has shown that chronic pain isn’t just sustained by damage—it’s driven by active changes in sensory neurons. Using electrophysiology and molecular profiling, her research revealed how inflammation reshapes neuron sensitivity, and how resolution involves precise reprogramming of these circuits.

Karen’s work contributes to a clearer understanding of why some pain persists while other pain fades, offering insight into non-opioid strategies for treating chronic myalgia and other sensory disorders. Her scientific perspective emphasizes that pain is not just a symptom—it’s a dynamic process shaped by both biology and environment.

🧪 Dominic Arris

Dominic is a cancer biologist and pharmacologist whose academic research focused on DNA damage response pathways, targeted cancer therapeutics, and cancer pain. With a background in human biology and a passion for making a real impact, Dominic has spent the past several years digging deep into some of the most aggressive and painful cancers in both children and adults. As a PhD candidate in Physiology and Pharmacology at UT Health San Antonio, he’s not just studying disease—he’s chasing targeted therapies that spare young bodies from unnecessary suffering.

His work focuses on fusion-driven sarcomas and head and neck cancers, where he’s exploring the intricate ties between DNA damage response, targeted therapy, and the very real pain patients live with. Whether it’s through developing first-in-class drugs or uncovering how nerves help tumors grow, Dominic’s research is about one thing: giving people better options.

But what makes Dominic different isn’t just his science—it’s his why. A trauma survivor himself, he knows what it means to fight battles others can’t see. That’s why he co-founded Penelope’s Pondstead and Sanctuary: a nonprofit dedicated to regenerative farming, animal rescue, and land-based trauma healing.

Together, Karen and Dominic believe that healing isn’t just emotional—it’s ecological, cellular, and communal. That belief drives their mission: to offer a space where people and animals recover together, grounded in both cutting-edge science and ancient natural wisdom.

We’d love to help. Use our Contact Form or email us directly at info@ppands.org.
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