No one takes health and fitness more seriously than today’s top football players. So isn’t it kind of absurd that as we watch Sunday’s game we will all be bombarded by advertisements for some of the unhealthiest junk food imaginable? And as we admire the speed, strength and agility of our gridiron heroes, chances are that most of the millions of chicken wings and burgers that will be consumed at Super Bowl parties across the U.S. will have come from industrialized livestock farming systems that are damaging to the environment, to animal welfare, and ultimately to our own health.

As two titans of the football world clash this Sunday, there is one Titan football player who is already leading by example. Will Witherspoon is linebacker for the Tennessee Titans – and a sustainable farmer. Will is passionate about producing healthy and nutritious food on his Animal Welfare Approved Shire Gate Farm near Owensville, Missouri. As a professional athlete involved in one of the world’s most physical sports, Will is particularly aware of the health benefits of grassfed, high-welfare farming.

“My cattle are raised as nature intended, on grass, and aren’t fed growth hormones, antibiotics or other unnatural additives,” says Will. “As a pro football player, I can’t take over-the-counter cold medicine without letting my trainer know about it. So why would I want my kids eating beef from cattle fed hormones or routine antibiotics?”

The truth is that if you knew what goes on behind the closed doors of most industrial farms you probably wouldn’t want to touch the meat – let alone eat it. The only farming images that Big Ag wants you to see are the bucolic, picket-fenced scenes on their food packaging – along with false messages, such as ”naturally raised” or ”free-roaming” (neither of which actually means that animals were raised outdoors).  In the drive to produce ever-cheaper foods, the pursuit of profit comes before all other concerns, including our health. The soaring rates of obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and diet-related cancers stand in stark contrast to the healthfulness and sporting prowess that we will all applaud this coming weekend. In today’s junk food world, where childhood obesity and diet-related ill health is epidemic, Will Witherspoon is just the kind of sporting role model we urgently need.

So when you’re out shopping for your Super Bowl party, why not make sure that at least one of your purchases is a truly sustainable choice. Seek out some high-welfare, pasture-raised chicken wings or grassfed ground beef for your burger patties – I can guarantee you’ll taste the difference. And don’t be fooled by terms like “all natural,” “naturally raised” or “cage-free” – they are used to mask the same old industrialized farming system where confinement, routine antibiotic use, and a horrific, short life are the norm. Make sure you ask for grassfed or pasture-raised meat at your grocery store. Better still, why not make a play for your local farmers market – or use our online directory to find your nearest supplier of Animal Welfare Approved meat and dairy products.

Small changes can make a big difference. As we build up to one of the greatest sporting contests on Earth, let’s use the opportunity to start reducing our consumption of unsustainable, unhealthy, intensively reared meat and dairy – and choose high-welfare, pasture-based meat and dairy products instead. Let’s make this Super Bowl Sunday really count: let’s make it a Sustainable Super Bowl Sunday.

As the year comes to an end, it’s a tradition of mine to write a note of gratitude to our friends, farmers and ranchers, consumers, advocates, donors, and everyone else who has helped give the future of sustainable farming room to grow and flourish.

And what a year it has been! Animal Welfare Approved has yet again experienced a fantastic year of growth and innovation, driven by the ever-increasing demand for healthy, environmentally friendly and high-welfare products. Here are some highlights of significant milestones we have achieved over the last year. None of this could have been achieved without your continued support.

AWA Grows on the West Coast

Farmers and ranchers in the West Coast region can now benefit from even greater AWA support following the appointment of two new Farmer and Market Outreach Coordinators. Beth Spitler (Southwest) and Eve Cohen (Central and Northwest) will work across the West Coast region to support new and existing AWA farmers and to raise consumer awareness about the program. This represents a considerable increase in our ability to provide sustainable farmers in the West Coast region with access to free marketing and technical support.

AWA Invited to Multiple Major Marketing Events

KeHe Distributors is one of the country’s largest wholesale distributors of natural and specialty food products, serving more than 33,000 food retailers across the North America. In recognition of the growing importance of our label in the marketplace, AWA was invited to attend associated retail shows in September to promote the program and benefits of AWA products to countless vendors and retailers across KeHe’s distribution chain. We hope that this is the start of new market opportunities for AWA farmers and ranchers in 2012 – and the wider availability of AWA-certified food to consumers across the U.S.

AWA Welcomes Young Farmers

Perhaps the most significant development in 2011 was the certification of two new farmers to the program – both aged 12. Shelby Grebenc of Happy Chapped Chicken Butt Farm in Broomfield, CO, and Wyatt Schenker of Schenker Family Farms in McCune, KS, are the youngest farmers in the program and both are approved for laying hens. These two remarkable individuals have a maturity and presence beyond their years, and represent the future foundation of sustainable farming.

First AWA Restaurant Opens

Grazin’, in Hudson, NY, is a modern take on the classic 1950s diner, serving locally sourced and sustainably produced meals. All meat, dairy and eggs are Animal Welfare Approved – a truly outstanding achievement for all involved. We were delighted to support the development of this exciting initiative and look forward to welcoming other restaurateurs who are seeking to serve a truly sustainable menu.

State of the Plate DC

More than 200 farmers, restaurateurs and consumers came together in October at the State of the Plate DC conference to discuss ways to strengthen the supply chain for meat, cheese and eggs from sustainably raised animals in the Washington, DC area. Organized by AWA, in cooperation with the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington and hosted by George Washington University’s Urban Food Task Force, the event was designed to bring individuals from every level of the hospitality supply chain together under one roof. We are looking at opportunities to roll out this event in other areas in 2012 and beyond.

AWA Achieves Increasing Media Attention

In addition to wide circulation of AWA’s blogs, we are now receiving a tremendous amount of local and national media attention. Two particular highlights include AWA’s Emily Lancaster’s appearance on a “My Carolina Today” television segment with Edible Piedmont and AWA being the only independent label recognized in Real Simple magazine’s special consumer guide to buying steak. We look forward to highlighting the work of our farmers and ranchers to the media in 2012.

AWA Egg Cartons

Following discussion with some of our certified farmers, we were proud to launch a new low-cost branded egg carton for poultry farmers. Made with 100 percent reclaimed paper, the new dozen-egg carton enables AWA family farmers to market eggs locally using the trusted AWA brand alongside farm-specific information. We are confident the carton will result in higher levels of sales and are exploring other packaging options.

AWA Publishes New Publications

One of our key objectives is to raise public awareness of the benefits of high-welfare, sustainable farming, and to highlight the inherent problems with industrial farming systems. In 2011, we were proud to launch two new informative publications. Food Labeling for Dummies: A definitive guide to common food label terms and claims is designed to help decipher the most common terms and claims found on today’s food packaging, while The Grassfed Primer: Your guide to the benefits of grassfed beef offers a clear description of the benefits of grassfed and pasture-raised beef. We also redesigned the AWA newsletter to ensure it keeps readers up to date with relevant news, to highlight inspirational models, to address technical issues, and to promote our free services.

New Standards

During 2011 AWA developed new standards for rabbit farming, which join our range of standards for all commonly domesticated farmed animals. The individual standards, which are available online, address every aspect of each species’ lifecycle needs – from birth all the way to slaughter. The strength of our standards is reflected by the fact that AWA program was acclaimed as a “highly meaningful label” by Greener Choices, the food label evaluation arm of Consumer Reports.

Annual Auditor and Staff Training

Finally, for the first time AWA marketing staff joined the auditors in Raleigh, NC, for annual training. As the program grows it is important to ensure effective communication between staff members and teams, who often work some distance apart. Auditors participated in on-farm and classroom standards and auditing training, while marketing staff discussed future strategy.

Looking to the Future

Despite difficult economic times, growing numbers of people across the U.S. are recognizing the inextricable link between the way we farm, the way we raise our animals, the way we treat our environment, and our health and well being. So while I am the first to accept that we face significant challenges ahead, I am also confident that 2012 will bring us a step closer to the goal of changing how we feed ourselves.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy holiday season and a prosperous, healthy, and sustainable New Year.

Andrew Gunther
Program Director
Animal Welfare Approved

The State of the Plate DC (www.StateofthePlateDC.net) daylong conference is set for Monday, October 17, 2011 at George Washington University’s Marvin Center and will feature a series of panels and notable speakers, focused on sharing best practices, information, and strategies. The event is designed for chefs, restaurateurs, distributors, farmers, ranchers, food leaders, students, faculty and those interested in the topic.

Ultimately, producers want to sell meat and restaurants want to buy it. This event will allow both producers and chefs/restaurant owners to discuss the terms of the trade via lively discussions, and then potentially engage in actual deal‐making that satisfies the needs of both groups. Designed to share information in a positive format, focus will be on sustainable farming, animal product preparation, the myths and realities of food labeling, and supply chain management.

This event is organized by Animal Welfare Approved, the industry leader in auditing and certifying family farms that raise their animals sustainably, outdoors on pasture or range according to the highest welfare standards. The co‐organizer is Educated Eats (the education foundation arm of RAMW), dedicated to creating the next generation of culinary professionals. The George Washington University’s Urban Food Task Force is the event’s key collaborator.

“DC chefs are increasingly renowned for their commitment to top‐quality, sustainable, healthy, and delicious foods. I’m delighted to see more of them entering the dialogue about sustainable and high‐welfare farming. State of the Plate DC fits well with the mission of George Washington’s Urban Food Task Force; it offers hands‐on opportunities for chefs and producers to work together in advancing the conversation about food policy and action,” says Diane Robinson Knapp, Chair, The George Washington University Urban Food Task Force.

Animal Welfare Approved program director Andrew Gunther added, “We believe that attendees will gain a better understanding of the challenges and rewards of developing sustainable food supply chains, but even more importantly, participants will have the opportunity to meet with and taste products from farmers already delivering solutions.”

“Educated Eats is thrilled to be working with our partners on this sustainable meat conference, continuing our series of seminars for our members,” says Gregory Casten, Chairman of the Board of RAMW. “We look forward to raising awareness for chefs and restaurateurs about the many benefits of sustainable farming practices‐‐including raising animals outdoors on pasture or range. Using sustainably raised animal proteins can help improve a restaurant’s image, efficiency and performance.”

Tickets: $55 includes continental breakfast and boxed lunch from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Advance registration is required. Seating is limited so be sure to register early. To register online visit www.StateofthePlateDC.net. From 5:00‐6:30 pm a sustainable meat tasting reception will bring together members of the RAMW with farmers, distributors and processors.

Location: The conference will be held at the George Washington University’s Marvin Center, 800 21st Street, Washington, DC 20052.

Questions: Contact Laura Colombi with questions at (202) 446‐2138.

Members of the press are encouraged to contact Beth Hauptle at (202) 446‐2155 to reserve complimentary press passes.

When you look more closely at such reports you find that they don’t take into account the massive energy and oil costs associated with growing and transporting the corn to the feedlot. Neither do they address the significant pollution costs of the manure produced. According to David Pimentel, a Cornell ecologist specializing in agriculture and energy, a typical intensively reared steer will in effect consume 284 gallons of oil in its lifetime because the corn and soya fed to intensively reared animals requires artificial fertilizer and other agrochemicals. If we further intensify livestock farming to meet demand for cheap meat, we’ll also need to increase the production of grain required to feed them. Producing more grain will require more artificial fertilizers and more artificial fertilizers means increased oil consumption and increased greenhouse gas production. This trend of unsustainable consumption of natural resources is thought by some to be linked to the destruction of the Mayan culture.

The Miracle of Pasture: Carbon Sequestration
One might think the answer is simply to ban all meat production. But we can’t lump all meat production together, especially now that scientists recognize the net positive effect that pasture-based farming systems can have on greenhouse gas emissions. This is achieved through a process called carbon sequestration.

As cattle and other ruminants graze pasture, they stimulate the grasses to grow and produce more leaves. As the grass grows it absorbs more CO2 from the atmosphere and creates a mass of roots under the ground, effectively storing the CO2 in a much more stable form of carbon which can remain in the soil for centuries. Scientists have now established that grasslands are even more efficient than trees in sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. In fact, researchers now think that raising cattle on pasture and restoring grasslands could play an important role in locking atmospheric CO2 in the soil, thereby slowing the global warming process. At Animal Welfare Approved, we believe that grass-based farming is a vital method for sequestering more atmospheric carbon and reducing our overall global emissions.

Agroecology CAN Feed the World
If anyone tells you that high-welfare, low input pastured-based farming won’t “feed the world,” tell them to think again. A new report from the United Nations says farmers can meet growing demand using ecologically sound agricultural methods. This UN report calls for a fundamental shift towards what it calls agroecology as a way to boost production, stating that scientific evidence demonstrates that low input agroecological methods of farming outperform the use of chemical fertilizers in boosting food production where it is needed most – especially in unfavorable environments. This method of farming is good for people and good for the environment, too.

The bottom line is this: intensive farming systems are polluting the ground, water and air, causing huge health and welfare problems for both animals and humans, and contributing significantly to climate change. We know that producing meat and dairy from true pasture-based systems not only improves the health and welfare of farm animals, but is far less likely to cause environmental pollution. We also now know that pasture-based farming has a potentially vital role to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through carbon sequestration. Finally, pasture-based meat and dairy products also offer real human health benefits in terms of higher levels of omega-3s, CLAs and vitamin E, as well as reducing the risk of E. coli infection.

So, as we enter Earth Week 2011, why not use this opportunity to reduce your consumption of unsustainable, low-welfare, intensively reared feedlot meat and dairy – and choose high-welfare, pasture-based meat and dairy products instead? Animal Welfare Approved’s online directory makes it easy to find AWA-certified farms and products in your area and to support sustainable farming. Pasture-based farming can bring real benefits to us all, not only through healthier products but by helping to protect the planet for future generations.

“AWA nominated Jeremiah because he fits the profile perfectly.  Not only is Jeremiah a truly great farmer, but as president of the North Carolina Natural Hog Growers Association, he gives his time and talent tirelessly to lead a group of pasture-raised pig producers in developing niche markets and in the creation of best-practice standards,” says Andrew Gunther.  “Several years ago when I first started to work in the U.S., this group was the first I helped set up.  I was privileged to work with Jeremiah and the group to launch their marketing cooperative, thus assuring the group’s viability and stability.”

NCNHGA is currently seeking new producers to join the cooperative as there is a growing demand for pastured pork. All members of the NCNHGA must be certified AWA, a commitment the group and its customers firmly stand by. The NCNGHA is comprised of a diverse group of hog farmers and is the largest pork cooperative in the state. Ed Mitchell, pitmaster of the celebrated The Pit barbecue restaurant in Raleigh, NC, only uses whole hogs from the NCNHGA for his North Carolina-style barbecue and proudly proclaims his commitment to humanely raised pastured pork wherever he goes.

This year’s winners will receive their awards at a presentation at Glynwood on Sunday, October 17.  On Monday, October 18, the Harvest Award winners will participate in a panel discussion open to the public to take place at the 92YTRIBECA in downtown Manhattan (for details visit the Glynwood website).

“Each year we are inspired to see a continued raising of the bar as to what is regarded as special and exemplary from our Harvest Award nominees,” says Glynwood President Judith LaBelle.  “This year we saw a trend towards efforts designed to encourage the financial viability of farmers by helping to connect them to new and larger markets, access credit and integrate food related initiatives to health – especially children’s health.”

Jeremiah Jones and the NCNHGA are models for the continued growth and development of sustainable agriculture and pasture-based farming and we are honored to include them among the certified farmers in our program.

Please help us congratulate Jeremiah by leaving a comment below!

We were welcomed with open arms and met so many lovely folks from Milwaukee and the surrounding areas.  Special thanks go out to Debi at Sign-A-Rama, who was so wonderful to work with and helped to make the Farm Aid Eve and Homegrown Village FARMpardy exhibits great successes.

Day 1 – Farm Aid Eve

Friday night was the Farm Aid Eve dinner and concert at the Pabst Theater in downtown Milwaukee and we’re proud to say that all of the meat at the event was provided by Animal Welfare Approved farmers!  Mountain Lane Farm in Wauzeka, WI (grass fed beef) and Fudge Family Farms (pastured pork)  from Alabama and surrounding states were pleased to share their Animal Welfare Approved products. The food was delicious and we were so happy to see everyone learning about Mountain Lane Farms and Fudge Family Farms.

Day 2 – Press Conference

Four AWA farmers joined us for the day:  Jill Johnson and Mary Wills of Crane Dance Farm in Middleville, MI and Blue Strom and Skye Zitkus of Shady Blue Acres in Richland Center, WI.  It was great spending quality time getting to know more of our farmers and they were all a huge help in our Homegrown Village exhibit, described below.

Notable quotes from the press conference:

Dave Matthews: “In order for all of us to be healthier as a nation, we have to be more concerned with what we eat, and for our environment we have to be more concerned about how we treat our land.”

Will Allen, urban farmer and co-founder of Growing Power: “Our responsibility is to make sure that everybody has access…to good, healthy, affordable food.”

Carolyn Mugar, Farm Aid’s Executive Director: “We have to deeply realize that family farmers are on the solution side of the problems in this country.”

Homegrown Village – FARMpardy!

AWA featured FARMpardy at the Homegrown Village, a lighthearted twist on JEOpardy in which contestants tested their knowledge about farm animal welfare, soil conservation, farming and consumer issues. Prizes included limited edition temporary tattoos including “Moo City,” “Free Bird,” and “Family Farmers Rock.” Through FARMpardy, AWA shared a few little‐known facts about farm animal welfare and the state of farming in the U.S.

AWA farmers Blue Strom, Skye Zitkus, Jill Johnson and Mary Wills even took turns playing Alex Trebek throughout the day and helped to make FARMpardy a very popular booth in the Homegrown Village.  And you don’t even have to take our word for it, according to Jackie Loohauis-Bennett of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “The game has Farm Aid-goers lined up to play…The game is a hoot, but the message is serious.”  Thanks again to everyone who played FARMpardy!  We were so glad to have met you all and your enthusiasm for FARMpardy was truly heartwarming.

The Concert

After an exciting, but very long and chilly day staffing the Homegrown Village FARMpardy booth, AWA staff and farmers were happy to join all of the other concert goers in the Miller Park Stadium for the rest of the concert.

No matter what was happening on the stage – whether it was Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews singing “Homegrown” or if it was Willie Nelson and  Steven Tyler singing “Once Is Enough” and “One Time Too Many” – the message and mission of Farm Aid to support and help America’s true family farmers thrive was clearly heard by the 35, 000 people in attendance.

A few more memorable quotes from the Farm Aid 25’s concert:

Dave Matthews: “The farmers on our good Earth are taking care of the land and taking care of our children.”

Neil Young: “Maybe you don’t realize what’s really going on with factory farms in this country, how they are displacing family farms at an alarming rate…Factory farms are the reason why we have food alerts. They are the reason why we have dying people and disease. Try to buy something from a family farm, something that’s sustainably grown. You deserve the best. Your children deserve the best.”

See a selection of AWA Farm Aid photographs here.

“I was first approached at the Union Square farmer’s market,” Gibson says of the New York City farmer’s market where he sells his 100% AWA grassfed beef and prominently displays his “Proud to be Animal Welfare Approved” sign. “A customer I hadn’t worked with in the past said he was looking for humane, local, grassfed beef for a large event. He asked me if I could supply short ribs for 350 people. At first I said no, but I went back and crunched the numbers and said yes. There are so many events in New York—from charity galas to company dinners—that I really didn’t think anything about it.”

“We’re committed to sourcing locally and sustainably,” Rob Cano says. “Especially for this event, we wanted to make sure that the beef the couple requested came from the most humane, local farm we could find. Grazin’ Angus Acres met all our requirements. And because we ordered months in advance and couldn’t tell Dan anything about the event, he had to trust us and take a leap of faith that we were who we said we were and wouldn’t run out on the check.”

Animal Welfare Approved Program Director Andrew Gunther is pleased that the bride and groom chose their menu with care. “Whether or not they wanted it to be this way, Chelsea and Marc’s wedding was the social event of the season. In the midst of all the publicity, pressure and planning, they cared enough to make thoughtful choices about their menu—what could they offer their guests that aligned with their values? Choosing Animal Welfare Approved sustainable, 100% grassfed beef was a great choice and one that will resonate with other couples planning a wedding.”

Grazin’ Angus Acres is euphoric to be associated with a happy event. “Food is an integral part of everybody’s heritage. We’re proud that the Clintons chose our beef for the big day. They raised a great daughter—one who made sure “her” day reflected her values. We wish Chelsea and Marc all the best and hope that they will accept our open invitation to visit Grazin’ Angus Acres in the near future.”

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Animal Welfare Approved audits and certifies family farms that raise their animals with the highest animal welfare standards, outdoors, on pasture or range. The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has lauded these standards for two years running as being the most stringent when compared to other third-party certification programs. Visit www.AnimalWelfareApproved.org for a searchable database of approved farms and restaurants, shops and markets where our farmers’ products are sold. Choose the one independent food label that means healthy, safe, environmentally responsible and humanely raised.

Many farmers raising birds for meat operate under the 1,000 bird exemption, meaning that they are not required to have an inspector on-site at the time of processing. However food safety is even more important for the small farmer than it is for a large plant, and sanitation, biosecurity and recordkeeping were emphasized as important tools to ensure a safe product for the consumer. A very knowledgeable and gracious staff from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, including Don Delozier, State Director for the NCDA&CS Meat and Poultry Inspection Division and Compliance Officer Melanie Pollard, presented on the relevant regulations for on-farm processing, how to comply and where to go for more information. The attendance of state officials was sincerely appreciated and added a great deal to the workshop. The information learned will not only help to ensure that farmers are upholding the highest standards of food safety, but will also help them avoid costly mistakes. Composting Specialist Brian Rosa from the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources talked about how to properly compost processing waste while maintaining environmental quality and complying with state regulations. This engagement of state officials with farmers at the on-farm level was a much appreciated gesture of openness and approachability. As one farmer told us, “It was the information I needed.” To find out about future workshops and events, sign up for the AWA email list, join us on Facebook or visit our Upcoming Events page.

Animal Welfare Approved staff will be on-hand to run contest giveaways of limited edition AWA “I  (HEART) Pastured Pork” T-shirts and backpacks, apply temporary tattoos, and answer questions about farm animal welfare and the Animal Welfare Approved program. “We’re proud of our farmers and proud of our program,” says Animal Welfare Approved Program Director Andrew Gunther. “Since we can’t really shout it from the rooftops, we thought t-shirts would be fun.” All visitors who sign up for the Animal Welfare Approved e-mail list will receive a free drawstring backpack.

Ed Mitchell and The Pit Chef Lauren Smaxwell will be dishing up The Pit’s authentic eastern North Carolina barbecue and credit the superior farming practices of the North Carolina Natural Hog Growers Association for making it special. Traditional whole-hog barbecue calls for traditional pork and NCNHGA pasture-raised pork contains no sub-therapeutic antibiotics or other harmful chemicals.  According to Chef Smaxwell, “Ed has a passion for whole-hog barbecue and has an expectation that the products we cook and serve are as authentic as anything you would find at any table in eastern North Carolina.”

NCNHGA President Jeremiah Jones sums it up. “You’ve heard of pigs in a blanket? Well, we’ve got pigs in clover.”

The Big Apple BBQ runs June 12-13 in Madison Square Park, New York City from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. Admission is free and all barbecue is $8.00 a plate. For more information, visit www.bigapplebbq.org.

AWA Program Director Andrew Gunther moderated the discussion, beginning by posing this question to the panelists: “How does such a diversified group have an opinion on the future of agriculture?” Panelists’ responses highlighted the issues that affect all of us, including truth in labeling, fair and scale-appropriate regulation, overuse of antibiotics, environmental pollution and treatment of farm animals and workers.

Speakers also addressed the role of the consumer in ensuring the sustainability of our food system. Morison explained, “Consumers need to get more involved in their communities. You’re not only sustaining farms, but the communities as well.” Kirby commented on the disconnect between consumer expectation and the realities of the food we eat: “When you get your cheap yogurt at the mall you’re not thinking about how now someone can’t use their well water anymore.” Niman encouraged eaters to do their homework, understand the systems they support with their food dollars and offered the following rule of thumb:  “I want all my food to come from farms I want to visit.” Dr. Whisnant agreed, encouraging us to “start from the consumer side and demand change.”

We were honored to host such an accomplished and articulate panel.  Their work is creating a truly sustainable path forward – one that sustains farm families, animals and the communities that depend on them.

For more quotes from the event visit us on Twitter (@AWAapproved). We will be posting video footage soon!