The Team
We’re a small grassroots startup in Canaan, Maine—founded on the love of horses, the health of our soil, and the deep need to restore our sacred relationship with the natural world. Our mission is guided by a simple truth: when we care for the Earth and each other, everything begins to heal.
We provide sanctuary for retired, disabled, and homeless working horses—many of them former carriage horses—while working to educate others about soil regeneration and the power of true stewardship.
Our support of this herd is only possible through the compassion and generosity of our local and global community.
Whether you visit in person or follow along from afar, we invite you to be part of our journey—building a farm that honors both the land and the animals who’ve served humanity for generations.
Our Story
In 2009, I felt called to create a farm where people could reconnect with the soil, with horses, and with our shared origins. I wanted a space where the stories of the land and the legacy of working horses could come together to show us where we’ve been—and inspire us toward a better way forward.
The formulas we feature here—especially FeedBack—have been used for decades in professional soil care. Until now, they’ve only been available through specialized industry channels. Thanks to the support of my mentor Glenn Battin, who helped develop these blends with Ed Wilman, and has guided me since my earliest days as a grower, I’m proud to finally offer these tools directly to the public.
These are the only products we use on our land. Our gardens and pastures speak for themselves. The results are tangible, the healing is real.
All proceeds from our product sales directly support the herd of 14 draft horses at Anam Cara Farm—each one a living symbol of service, endurance, and grace. Many have special needs, and all are part of our greater mission to remember the role horses played in building this country, and to reimagine what that partnership can look like in the future.
Going green takes real horsepower
Thank you for being here. Join us in restoring the soil—for the well-being of all life.
– Pamela Rickenbach
More about Pam
Pamela Rickenbach: A Life Rooted in Earth, Horses & History I graduated from The Nature Lyceum, a private organic horticultural school in the Hamptons, Long Island, in 2001. We were called Green Guerillas—a name I still wear proudly. It was there I first encountered the deep science and spirit of soil restoration, taught by remarkable mentors who shared not just methods, but reverence for the Earth. Before that, I spent my twenties living and farming in the Bolivian Amazon. I returned to the U.S. with new eyes—changed by Indigenous wisdom, shaped by the jungle, and driven to serve the Earth in a tangible way. But I knew almost nothing about growing in North American soil, and I was hungry to learn. After graduating, I started dreaming of a farm powered not by machines, but by horses. Back then, it wasn’t easy to find hands-on training in true horsepower. One of my Lyceum teachers, Glenn Battin, pointed me toward a Philadelphia carriage company hiring drivers—no experience necessary. I wasn’t sure about becoming a tour guide, but I loved horses, I loved history, and I felt the pull. I got the job. And it changed my life. As I drove horses through Philadelphia’s historic streets, I fell deeper into the stories of how America was built—how horses and humans shaped its early foundations. I studied revolutionary history, William Penn’s democratic ideals, and the deep labor of draft horses. That’s when I knew: my life’s work would be a bridge between Horses, History, and Healing the Earth. In 2009, I founded an educational farm where retired carriage horses could live out their lives in dignity, while helping tell the story of our shared past and future. The farm became a place to learn essential skills: how to build soil, how to work with real horsepower, and how to live in relationship with the land. America was once an agrarian nation—40% of our population farmed. Today, only a tiny fraction do. Three of the five draft horse breeds that helped build this country—Clydesdales, Shires, and Suffolk Punches—are now critically endangered. I wanted to honor their contribution, and the forgotten wisdom of that time. Glenn Battin remained a supporter from the beginning, offering his soil restoration formulas—FeedBack—which are the only amendments I’ve ever used. And now, after years of working the land, I’m proud to finally make FeedBack central to how we sustain this vision. Our new farm in Maine is just three years old, but already we’re seeing deep change: in the land, in the horses’ health, and in the people who come here to learn. Every inch of this journey has been a steep, steady curve—learning how to care for what we love, and how to build something lasting with heart, hands, and hooves. I invite you to try our formulas. Heal your soil. Remember that we all come from a culture built with horsepower on fertile land. Taking care of what we have isn’t hard—it just takes intention. A choice to give back what the Earth, and our future generations, truly deserve. With FeedBack, you’re choosing the best. The very best. For Horses. For Humans. For Mother Earth.
More about Cliff
Cliff brings a lifetime of knowledge and ingenuity to the farm, shaped by a wide-ranging career as a Naval Academy Midshipman, volunteer firefighter, Sea Scout leader, private pilot, and software engineer. Now retired, Cliff channels his sharp mind and generous spirit into every part of Anam Cara Farm—building greenhouses, printing labels, fixing equipment, and managing the technical side of Stardust Organics. His engineering brilliance often leaves the rest of us in awe, solving complex problems with ease and helping turn big ideas into grounded, working realities. “Cliff is the mind behind the structures and the hands behind the scenes—always ready, always reliable.”
More about Dina
Dina’s heart has always belonged to horses, but her connection to the earth is blossoming in new ways as she tends the garden alongside Pamela. Raised in a big family where gardening was a seasonal ritual, Dina is now deepening her understanding of soil health and the ecosystems beneath her feet. Her journey is one of rediscovery—learning the “why” behind the “how” and passing that knowledge to her children. For Dina, every harvest is a chance to teach her kids that food can be grown with love, free from toxins, and full of gratitude. “I’m learning something new every day—and now, I get to show my kids where real food comes from.”