Links

The following links offer valuable information about grassfarming, food and related topics:

Websites

STOCKMAN GRASSFARMER.COM is the official website of The Stockman GrassFarmer, a monthly periodical started by Allan Nation and now edited by Joel Salatin, about the science and art of raising ruminants on pasture. This magazine is the "glue" that keeps the far-flung grassfarming community together. http://stockmangrassfarmer.com.

THE ABCs OF PASTURE GRAZING by Ben Bartlett, Michigan State University is an 11-page article providing information on why well-managed pastures are "Always the Best Crop for the environment, for the grazing animal, and for you." It is a part of the L P E S (Livestock and Poultry Environmental Stewardship) Small Farms Fact Sheet series.

AGRICOLA is an extensive government database of books and articles about agriculture. http://agricola.nal.usda.gov/.

The (AGA) AMERICAN GRASSFED ASSOCIATION focuses on all species of pasture-raised animals. The group is involved in communication, education, research and marketing. AGA has annual conferences, regular newsletters, and frequent e-news. One of its goals is to safeguard the term "grassfed" so that it really means grassfed. Producers, professionals, and private memberships are available. Contact AGA by calling 877-77-GRASS or visiting http://www.americangrassfed.org.

The AMERICAN PASTURED POULTRY PRODUCERS' ASSOCIATION (APPA) is a nonprofit educational and networking organization dedicated to encouraging the production, processing, and marketing of poultry raised on pasture... APPPA's world vision is to see pastured poultry adopted as the model for environmentally, emotionally, and economically sensible poultry production. This vision includes decentralized food systems, farmstead-sized processing, and as much interaction as possible between producer and consumer." Great people! http://apppa.org

The ANIMAL WELFARE APPROVED program audits and certifies family farms that use high-welfare farming methods. Animals on AWA farms are raised on pasture or range with the “most stringent” standards, according to the World Society for the Protection of Animals. AWA is the only USDA-recognized label that prohibits feedlots, cages and crates. Their website includes a search tool to find where their farmers' products are available for purchase, as well as a blog about food, agriculture and farm animal welfare, and definitions of many common—and not so common—food labels: https://awionline.org/sites/default/files/products/FA-AWI-FoodLabelGuide-Web.pdf

The ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE has been dedicated since 1951 to reducing animal suffering caused by people. They seek better treatment of animals everywhere - in the laboratory, on the farm, in commerce, at home, and in the wild. Check the following pages for information related to farm animals: http://awionline.org/content/farm, http://awionline.org/content/high-welfare-alternatives, and http://www.awionline.org/foodlabelguide.

ATTRA SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE is a program developed and managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). ATTRA is committed to providing high value information and technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, Extension agents, educators, and others involved in sustainable agriculture in the United States, especially those who are economically disadvantaged or belong to traditionally underserved communities. Learn more at https://attra.ncat.org/index.php

BEGINNING and SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMER and RANCHER LAND CONTRACT GUARANTEE PROGRAM. New farmers looking for financing or established farmers ready to sell theirr land and retire, may be interested in this USDA's Farms Service Agency (FSA) program. A pilot program in nine states since 2002, now available nationwide, it reduces the financial risk for retiring farmers who sell their farmland to a beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher by providing a federal guarantee of three years of "prompt payments" if the beginning farmer runs into trouble making timely payments. The program also offers a second option of a standard 90 percent guarantee of the outstanding principal on the land contract. The retiring farmer has the option of choosing the prompt payment guarantee or the regular guarantee on the value of the asset. For more information about eligibility and requirements, read the FSA fact sheet, or visit https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/farm-loan-programs/index.

The EAT WELL GUIDE is a free online directory of family farms, restaurants, markets and other outlets of fresh, locally-grown food throughout the United States and Canada.. http://www.eatwellguide.org/

FACTORYFARMS.ORG. The focus of this website is to "eliminate factory farming in favor of a sustainable food production system which is healthful and humane, economically viable and environmentally sound." http://www.factoryfarm.org

FOOD LABELING – Animal Welfare Approved has an extensive list of particulars about common food labels such as grassfed, free range, uncaged, fair trade, heirloom, halal, etc. The list is a good tool for educating customers and yourself about what these labels mean—and don't mean. Find it here: https://awionline.org/content/consumers-guide-food-labels-and-animal-welfare.

FOOD ROUTES connects you with local farmers throughout the United States who produce the freshest, tastiest food around. In addition, Food Routes provides information about local markets, and CSAs. They've got the bases covered. The site is also an excellent resource for information about the benefits of choosing locally produced, sustainably grown food. http://www.foodroutes.org/

FUND-A-FARMER PROJECT is a project of Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT). Founded in 1982, FACT is a national nonprofit organization based in Chicago that promotes humane farming and advocates for for the safe production of meat, milk, and eggs. FACT also helps consumers make humane and healthy choices. FACT believes that all farm animals should be granted adequate space, access to the outdoors, clean water and air, the opportunity to express their natural behaviors, and safe feed. ACT’s Fund-A-Farmer Project awards grants and facilitates peer-to-peer farmer education to increase the number of animals that are raised humanely. To learn more about FACT, their main website at www.foodanimalconcerns.org.

GRASS-BASED FARMING: A DEMO DAIRY PROJECT. An article about grass-based dairies, published in Agriculture Research magazine, a publication of the Agricultural Research Service. http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/oct99/dairy1099.htm

HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL is a comprehensive educational website with over 150 pages of information about Holistic Management. This site includes a secure server to order products, as well as a regularly updated events calendar. You can learn about holistic management principles either from the detailed descriptions or from the many on-line articles available to you free. http://www.holisticmanagement.org

HUMANE FARM ANIMAL CARE (HFAC). Since its inception in 2003, HFAC's mission has been to improve the welfare of farm animals by providing viable, credible, duly-monitored standards for humane food production and ensuring consumers that certified products meet these standards. This has been accomplished through the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® certification and labeling program. Over the last 6 years, HFAC's "Certified Humane" program has expanded from 143,000 animals raised under the standards to over 22 million animals in 2008 alone. http://www.certifiedhumane.org

The INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH and EDUCATION (IERE) is a non-profit organization dedicated to fact-based environmental decision making. IERE has a sustainable agriculture program based on farm environmental management systems that measure performance based on Life Cycle Assessment. IERE has offices in Vashon, Washington and Davenport, IA. http://iere.org

LIVESTOCK for LANDSCAPES. Are you wasting forage because you don't know that many weeds are edible? This website offers tips on what weeds your livestock can eat, as well as how to train them to eat them: http://www.livestockforlandscapes.com/edible.htm

LONGEVITY & HEALTH IN ANCIENT PALEOLITHIC vs. NEOLITHIC PEOPLES : Not what you may have been told. This article by Ward Nicholson summarizes research into the downturn in health that accompanied the agricultural revolution. http://www.beyondveg.com/nicholson-w/angel-1984/angel-1984-1a.shtml

The MEATRIX is a wonderful, animated cartoon about the differences between pig farms and hog factories. If you haven't seen this yet, you're missing out. http://www.themeatrix.com/

NATIONAL CENTER FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY INFORMATION'S PUB MED. Go here to read abstracts of the medical studies cited in this website and in the Comments and Endnotes section of Why Grassfed is Best! If you want the complete papers, you'll have to retrieve them at a medical library. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/

NICHE MEAT PROCESSOR ASSISTANCE NETWORK (NMPAN) is a network / hub for people and organizations who want small meat processors to thrive. A part of the agricultural extension program, they develop and distribute tools and information for small processors and the people who depend on them — producers and small brands. Their website provides information for individuals who want to expand, upgrade, or build a new plant; information on meat processing rules and regulations; state listings of meat processors; extensive information about mobile processing units—and more: http://www.nichemeatprocessing.org/

NATURAL BEEF: CONSUMER ACCEPTABILITY, MARKET DEVELOPMENT & ECONOMICS. Thinking of becoming a grassfarmer? This University of California Sustainable Research and Education (SARE) sponsored study gives you a realistic look at some of the factors involved. One of the conclusions of this study is that "transportation was the most sensitive item in the expenditures. The major consideration in grass-fed beef is location: the location of the nearest USDA-inspected processing plant, and the location of the target market. Thus, strategically locating the grass-fattening operations near a processing plant and the target market greatly reduces the operational costs." Eatwild update 10/22/16: Unfortunately, this publication appears to no longer be available online. For more information, visit http://www.worldcat.org/title/natural-beef-consumer-acceptability-market-development-and-economics/oclc/62405847

ON PASTURE: Research and Experience Translated into Grazing Practices You Can Use NOW. Online weekly newsletter that brings you 5 new, timely articles every week covering Grazing Management, Pasture Health, Livestock, Money Matters, and "something interesting for you to think about." The newsletter can be read for free, but donations are encouraged to keep them in business. http://onpasture.com/

PASTURE FOR DAIRY CATTLE: CHALLENGES and OPPORTUNITIES. This article by Donna M. Amaral-Phillips, Roger W. Hemken, Jimmy C. Henning, and Larry W. Turner gives a comprehensive overview of grass-based dairy nutrition. http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/asc/asc151/asc151.htm

SUSTAINABLE DISH.COM. Website of Diana Rodgers, RD, a “real food” nutritionist and sustainability advocate near Boston, Massachusetts. She’s an author, runs a clinical nutrition practice, hosts the Sustainable Dish Podcast, and has served as an advisory board of numerous nutrition and agriculture organizations including Whole30, Animal Welfare Approved and Savory Institute. She speaks internationally about the intersection of optimal human nutrition, regenerative agriculture, and food politics. An advocate for the calue of meat in the human diet, she is co-author of Sacred Cow: The Case for (Better) Meat and the director, producer of the companion film, Sacred Cow. Her new initiative, the Global Food Justice Alliance, advocates for a nutritious, sustainable and equitable worldwide food system. https://sustainabledish.com/.

VIDEOS

• Joel Salatin, Polyface Farm, has produced a series of DVDs. The first is Pigs 'n Glens, a 40-minute video that provides "a virtual hands-on lesson at Polyface Farm learning the ecological benefits and logistics of raising pigs in a patch of woods." See a preview: http://www.youtube.com/embed/ujkrm8FCUT4?rel=0
  
  
• White Oak Pastures. The University of Mississippi, The Southern Foodways Alliance, and Whole Foods Market partner each year to produce documentaries. These films focus on producers in the Deep South who embrace southern traditions in their effort to provide non-industrial food for consumers who appreciate fine dining. These documentaries embrace food traditions that honor sustainable, artisan, and humane production practices that are perpetuated by southern family farms. In 2009, Ole Miss filmmaker Joe York to produced one of these documentaries highlighting Georgia Eatwild supplier Will Harris and his farm White Oak Pastures. Joe named the documentary “CUD.” View it online at http://vimeo.com/6177004.
  
  
• Lake Village Farm Homestead, a working farm for over 30 years, features grass fed, free ranging, all natural cattle and pigs. An Eatwild producer since 2005, the farm is also the focus of a documentary Directed by Ryan Booms. Founded in 1971, Lake Village was once a "hippie community," but is now a thriving cooperative farm that emphasizes cultivating community in harmony with the earth. The documentary can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drN8zbLhl3o.