GRANTS OF UP $5,000 TO FOCUS ON OUTDOOR ACCESS, GENETICS AND IMPROVING SLAUGHTER FACILITIES

President of the Animal Welfare Institute Cathy Liss and Animal Welfare Approved Program Director Andrew Gunther are pleased to announce the 2009 Animal Welfare Approved grant cycle. Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded for the sole purpose of improving farm animal welfare, with a concentration on three areas: increased outdoor access, improved genetics and improved slaughter facilities. Current Animal Welfare Approved farmers and those who have applied to join the program are eligible, and farmers may apply for certification and for a grant simultaneously. The deadline for applying is October 1, 2009.

ALERT 1: HIGH WELFARE DOESN”T ALWAYS EQUAL HIGH COST

Tips for Shopping for Affordable Products from Animals Raised Outdoors with High Welfare Standards
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Animal Welfare Approved is pleased to announce the launch of a series of monthly consumer alerts to assist shoppers in understanding, locating and purchasing products from family farmers who utilize sustainable [...]

Yesterday we mentioned the new film, Food, Inc., in which Michael Pollan and director Robert Kenner explore the unseen costs of the food we eat. The upcoming movie promises viewers that they will “never look at dinner the same way again,” likely prompting viewers to seek alternatives to the industrial system it exposes.
However, many fear [...]

Food Inc., a new movie by Robert Kenner featuring Michael Pollan, debuts in select theaters this weekend and opens next week nationwide. The LA Times says it is “one movie that truly provides food for thought” while the New York Times calls it “eat-your-peas cinema that could make viewers not want to eat anything at [...]

The Animal Welfare Approved program and farmer Lee Menius have been featured in a major story in the Winston Salem Journal newspaper by the paper’s food editor, Michael Hastings.
“In 2001, Lee and his wife, Domisty, started moving away from conventional livestock agriculture toward raising animals naturally in pastures, slaughtering them humanely and selling the meat [...]

Jesse and Hannah Fouch run a cattle operation in California where some might say they do the impossible. “Our goal is to produce quality products while improving our environment at the same time,” Jesse explains. This means they take a holistic approach to ranching, from keeping their farm in the family to raising heritage breed Dexter cattle. Their entire herd is raised on pasture, even when they are being finished for market. They graze in harmony with the land producing lush landscapes on the farm, and are given the lowest stress living environment possible.

Farmers Phil and Diane Sherry raise Dorset and Dorper sheep on Nothing But Nature Farm in Oakwood, Ohio.

Despite the pouring rain at NYC’s Union Square Greenmarket, customer after customer stopped by to ask Dan Gibson from Grazin’ Angus Acres detailed questions about how he raises his animals. His new status as the first Animal Welfare Approved farmer in Greenmarket is something he’s very proud of and it shows in his conversations. Dan said he gets these questions all the time, but that’s why he loves having a farmstand at Greenmarket.

Kilmarnock Farm, located in central New York State, was established by Mark Babilonia and Cheryl Loe in 2006. They reclaimed and returned to production a small piece of land—formerly part of a very large diversified farming operation—in an area of Otsego County where dairy was king until the mid-20th century

This past Thursday, Animal Welfare Approved and NC Choices teamed up to host a panel on the regional supply chain for pastured meat, dairy and eggs. This panel mirrored our recent summit at New York’s Alfred State College, and brought together farmers, processors and retailers in an effort to start a dialogue on a sustainable, [...]