Welcome to the official website for the Save the Horse Farm campaign! To read a little about what has happened so far in the last three years, please click here.

Horse Farm Saved!
Dr. E. Joseph Savoie, the President of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and Lafayette City-Parish President Joey Durel have come together to support our efforts to Save the Horse Farm! They are still finalizing the details of how the 100-acre Horse Farm will be opened to the public as a passive recreation park, but the first steps of the transaction have been successful. On Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 the Independent broke the news that there is an anonymous benefactor donating $5.7 million (the appraised price of the Horse Farm) to the Community Foundation of Acadiana. Then, on Wednesday, May 27th, the Natural Resources Committee of the Louisiana House of Representatives passed HR Bill 853, introduced by Representative Joel Robideaux, with a vote of 11-2. This bill allows for the property to be purchased from ULL by the Community Foundation of Acadiana with the funds donated from the anonymous benefactor. The bill still has a couple of legs to go in the legislature, but once this legislation is passed by the House and the Senate, the Horse Farm will be SAVED as a passive recreation park and entrusted to the Community Foundation of Acadiana.

The Community Foundation of Acadiana will then begin a fundraising campaign to match the benefactor's donation to ensure that the land will never be a drain on the city, and will be self-sustained financially. We have set up the Acadiana Greenspace Legacy Fund with the Community Foundation of Acadiana, so please consider making a tax-deductible financial contribution! You can send your check or money order to:

Acadiana Greenspace Legacy Fund
c/o Community Foundation of Acadiana
P.O. Box 3892
Lafayette, LA 70502-3892

Please put "Acadiana Greenspace Legacy Fund" in the memo line of your check or money order, and make the check out to the Community Foundation of Acadiana. You may call the CFA for more information at 337-266-2145.

While we are getting closer and closer to making this dream a reality, there is still a lot to accomplish. If you think you could help with the effort, now is the time! We want input from all walks of life - if you have an idea for the Horse Farm campaign or the future design of the greenspace, want to get involved in some way, have professional skills that you'd like to volunteer for the cause, or just want to find out more information, please email horsefarm@gmail.com

Thanks so much for all the support so far, Acadiana - this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do the right thing for Lafayette's past, present and future, and community members like you are making it possible!

To read media coverage of the campaign, click here.

To read quotes from the community, click here.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?

* Thank ULL President Dr. Joseph Savoie

President's Office
P.O. Box 41008
Lafayette, LA 70504-1008
president@louisiana.edu

* Thank City-Parish President Joey Durel

P.O. Box 4017-C
Lafayette, LA 70502
(337)291-8300
president@lafayettegov.net

* Write to your Editor:

The Independent
The Advocate
The Daily Advertiser

* Host a Horse Farm Presentation
(click here for more information)

* SIGN THE PETITION!
(click here to sign and view petition)

* Donate to the Campaign!

This campaign has been funded by SPEAK (The Society for Peace, Environment, Action and Knowledge), a UL-Lafayette student organization. Any donations to help offset the costs of this effort are appreciated and can be mailed to:

SPEAK
UL-Lafayette
P.O. Box 40921
Lafayette, LA 70504

* Get "Save the Horse Farm" Stuff

For Yard Signs, Bumper Stickers, & T-Shirts please send an E-Mail to: horsefarm@gmail.com