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This Family Is Reviving Small-Scale, Humane Hog Farming

4 weeks ago | foodtank.com | Emily Payne |climate. Based

Larry Banowetz has raised pigs on his family farm in eastern Iowa for 45 years. But the hog industry, or pork industry as it’s now referred to as, has changed dramatically over that time. Larry says that in the United States, it is almost impossible to have a profitable small business as an independent pork producer. “On the commercial market, you just kept losing outlets to sell your pigs,” says Larry.
We’re Ignoring a Major Public Health Crisis-Farmer Mental Health

2 months ago | foodtank.com | Emily Payne |climate. Based

Farmers in the United States are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population, according to theNational Rural Health Association. Research from South Dakota State University, the University of Nevada, Reno, University of Georgia, and more have found that farmers experience significantly higher stress levels than the general population.
Family Farmer Finds a Connection to Eaters Through Livestock

Jan 10, 2025 | foodtank.com | Emily Payne |climate. Based

As a third-generation farmer, Randy Hutton Jr. always knew he wanted to raise his own family on a farm. He has farmed in the Chesapeake Bay watershed since the early 2000s and now works full-time with his son, Matt, growing corn, soybeans, and wheat while humanely raising pigs. “I’ve always liked working; the challenge of [farming], the freedom of it, the personal responsibility of it,” says Hutton.
Sustainability Means ‘Freedom to Really Farm How We Should Be Farming’

Nov 1, 2024 | foodtank.com | Emily Payne |climate. Based

Trisha and Nolan Zachman farm in a small town two hours west of Minneapolis, Minnesota. They grow a variety of crops including corn, soybeans, rye, wheat, sorghum, and peas; pasture-raise pigs for specialty meat company Niman Ranch; and care for chickens, sheep, ducks, geese, alpacas, and numerous cats—in addition to raising two young children and running a farm stay experience. As a fourth-generation farmer, Trisha says that her farm today looks a lot different from her childhood.
Easy and 'Modern' Isn't Always the Best Way: The Promise of Sustainable, Humane Pig Farming

Oct 4, 2024 | foodtank.com | Emily Payne |climate. Based

Kody McCleary wants more consumers to understand the work that goes into sustainable and humane pig farming. “Pig farmers, they’re there 365 days a year taking care of those animals,” says McCleary, a fourth-generation farmer at McCleary Farms in West-Central Illinois. “Going to Florida on vacation isn’t always an option for a livestock farmer.
A Young Farmer Makes the Business Case for Humane Hog Farming

Jul 19, 2024 | foodtank.com | Emily Payne |climate. Based

Ethan Roberts enjoyed pushing back on the status quo as a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. When his agriculture professors taught about conventional hog production, he would ask questions like, “What about letting these animals get outside a little bit?”“These big universities, the agricultural departments are pretty much paid off by Big Agriculture,” says Roberts.
We Need to Change the Conversation about Food and Climate

Jul 1, 2024 | foodtank.com | Emily Payne |climate. Based

Food Tank just returned from an inspiring day of discussions at Food Tank’s first Annual London Climate Action Week Summit, held in partnership with Google Cloud and Nomad Foods, in collaboration with Compass Group, Oatly, and the Sustainable Food Trust, and advised by the Center for Food Policy at City, University of London. I’ll start by sharing one of my favorite lines of the day: Just crying about climate change is not enough.
Revitalizing Rural Communities Means Supporting Small Farms

Jun 28, 2024 | foodtank.com | Emily Payne |climate. Based

In the United States, consolidation throughout the agricultural sector makes it difficult for smaller, independent farms to survive. According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, large farms comprise only 4 percent of the total number of farms in the U.S. but control two-thirds of agricultural land. Now many are calling for solutions to help support beginning farmers and revitalize rural communities.
Bringing Youth Back to the Farm in Rural America

May 3, 2024 | foodtank.com | Emily Payne |climate. Based

Iowa is the number-one pork producer in the United States, but it has relatively few hog farms. Large factory farm facilities have replaced smaller family farms. The state lost nearly 90 percent of its hog farms from 1982 to 2017, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Census data. And now many young people lack the resources and education to pursue a career as a hog farmer.
Empowering Women Researchers in West and Central Africa

Feb 12, 2024 | foodtank.com | Emily Payne |climate. Based

The West African Regional Center of Excellence on Improving Adaptation to Drought (CERAAS), a research organization based in Senegal, is building resilience in West and Central Africa by empowering women in agriculture. “Women in rural areas are the labor workforce in Africa’s food system,” says Marème Niang Belko, Agronomist at CERAAS.