Willow Knoll Farm, located in upstate NY, was an active small dairy in the 1960’s when the barn burned down. When Kellie and Bruce Maitland purchased the 131 acres, they began to put in motion a plan to bring the land back to a productive balanced farm. Abandoned meadows were reclaimed back to good hay land, wetlands were fenced off to keep cattle from contaminating the local watershed, and suitable lands were cleared and fenced for pastures.

Michael and Karen O’Mara raise Animal Welfare Approved beef cattle on Harvest Hills Farm in Hanover, IL. Harvest Hills Farm was established in 2004 on 107 acres in Jo Daviess County. The pre-glacial terrain and rolling hills of the county make it a uniquely suitable place for the grassfed herd, as well as a selection of wine grapes the O’Maras grow.

FROM OUR FRIENDS AT SLOW FOOD

Dear members, supporters and friends,

On Labor Day, more than 20,000 people came together in all 50 states to tell Congress it’s time to give kids real food at school. If you went to an Eat-In, we’d like to say thank you. And if you’re one of the Slow Food Chapter Leaders and Eat-In Organizers who put incredible time and energy into the 300 Eat-Ins that took place nationwide, we’d like to shout thank you — you made the day possible.

The momentum helped us surpass our Labor Day petition goal – there are more than 20,000 signatures online, another 10,000 on paper, and many more still coming in. That’s a huge show of support. When Congress starts debating the Child Nutrition Act this fall, we’ll be able to take those signatures to legislators and make a strong case for reform.

Last year over Labor Day, Animal Welfare Approved farmers and staff attended Slow Food Nation in San Francisco with the goal of promoting a better food system for this country. This year, Slow Food is again rallying to promote good food for all. Please read about the initiative and plan to take part.

FROM AN EMAIL JUST RECEIVED FROM SLOW FOOD…

In three days, people in all 50 states will sit down to share a meal and bend the direction of history just a little bit. Together, we are publicly rejecting the notion that our schools can’t afford to feed kids anything but the bad food that makes them sick.

And the way we’re making this statement is by bringing neighbors together in the spirit of good will and for the joy of sharing good food. That is the heart of our movement.

Attend an Eat-In on Labor Day.

Join Joan Gussow and hundreds of other leaders of the local and organic food movement in Santa Fe at this ground-breaking event. Folks from all around the U.S. and five other countries are coming. Be part of the launch of the Slow Money Alliance which is organizing a million members to begin fixing America’s economy…from the ground up.

Will Sainsbury’s be the top vote-getter? Is Marks & Spencer poised for a win? Or will The Co-operative come out victorious? It’s up to the consumer in this year’s RSPCA Good Business Awards, designed to encourage UK supermarkets to do more for farm animal welfare. The 2009 awards mark the first time voting has been open to the public and three finalists are vying for the title of People’s Choice Supermarket–Marks & Spencer, The Co-operative and Sainsbury’s.