Jill Johnson and Mary Wills raise Animal Welfare Approved hogs and laying hens on Crane Dance Farm in Middleville, MI. Named for the Sandhill Cranes that make the farm their home each spring, Crane Dance Farm is nestled among the rolling hills, beautiful woods, and wetlands of Barry County.

Cherrie and Lee Nolden both came from agricultural backgrounds. Cherrie was raised on a five acre “farmette” and Lee spent his summers on his uncles’ farms in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin. The couple began their own farming ventures in 2001 and since then have raised livestock both in Wisconsin and Kansas. They presently raise Animal Welfare Approved laying hens, meat goats and meat sheep on their 56 acre property next to the farm Lee’s family still owns in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin.

Shanen and Beau Ebersole moved to Kellerton, a small town “down in the hills,” 80 miles south of Des Moines, Iowa in 1999 to raise a family. Although Shanen had raised horses, she was a city girl who says she never would have considered eating an animal she had known—until she married a cattleman. After five years of raising a small herd and selling their calves in the conventional market, the Ebersoles began finishing their cattle on the farm in a rotational grazing system. This allowed them to focus on what Shanen says is “truly the most important thing—how we handle and care for the cattle.” Ensuring high-welfare husbandry practices for their cattle also ensures better quality beef that results in better tasting steak, she believes.

Sassafras Valley Farm, in Morrison, Missouri, raises free-range Embden and Toulouse geese. The Cunningham family practices Low Impact Sustainable Agriculture to raise geese in a traditional and environmentally sensitive fashion. The geese have continuous access to fresh pasture and water. Pastures are carefully planted with a mixture of grasses and other plants that reflect the traditional diet of domesticated geese and the requirements of the local microclimate. Geese are raised in a chemical and pesticide free environment. Predator control (typically coyotes, feral dogs, and hawks) is accomplished through the efforts of several Great Pyrenees livestock guardian dogs rather than by trapping, poisoning, or shooting.

Painted Creek Farm sits amidst rolling pastures with a wonderful bluff overlooking Pine Creek in Willow Springs, MO. Farm owners Rochelle and Corky McCracken spent years looking from Vermont to Colorado before finding the perfect tract of land to begin their dream farm when they came across the acreage they now call home.

Raymond and Cindy Rasor raise grassfed cattle on 1500 acres in southern Missouri. Along with their three daughters, son-in-law and one full-time employee, the couple tends 600 cows and their offspring. Raymond grew up farming and has been farming all of his life. He says of their farm, “It’s a way of life more than a business.” The Rasors became part of Animal Welfare Approved because, as Raymond explains, “We want to be part of something that reflects how we want to raise livestock.” Rasor Farm is committed to traditional, sustainable methods, using horses to work the cattle and maintaining the natural landscape. Though Rasor Farm’s primary market is through a wholesale marketing group, beef is also available for purchase by individual customers.

The Kubitschek Family, owners of Green Beef and 7 Springs Farm in Mansfield, Missouri, are fourth generation farmers and are dedicated to keeping the family farming tradition alive. They believe in raising their cattle naturally, the “green” way, and are fully committed to practicing sustainable agriculture. They strive to provide a superior product – one that is healthier for their family and yours. The Kubitscheks have one warning for customers: once you try their flavorful, fresh-tasting “green” beef, they doubt you will be able to go back to the beef you were eating before!

Rene and Bruce Gelder raise Animal Welfare Approved laying hens at Ellis Family Farms in Benton Harbor, MI. Rene and Bruce both come from farming backgrounds- Bruce is a co-owner of a farm equipment dealership that has been in his family for four generations, while Rene grew up on Ellis Family Farms when it was still managed by her grandparents.

Kallan Maxwell received his first introduction to organic farming as a child. He recalls, “Dean Swenson, an organic farmer for 25 years, had a farm up the road from my parent’s house. When I was 12 years old he knocked at our door and said he needed help unloading hay. So I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll unload hay.’ I thought I was tougher than I was and I made it through about a load and a half and I had to quit. Dean gave me a hard time so I thought well, I’ll show him.” Kallan began working for Dean after school and fell in love with farming and working with the animals. He knew that someday he was going to have a farm of his own.

Edward Baker raises Animal Welfare Approved Angus beef cattle on 3000 acres in the hilly land around Ellsinore, Missouri. Edward was raised on a farm just 35 miles north in Ellington that raised hogs, horses and cattle.