Who We Are
Our Mission:
To strengthen Western Pennsylvania's local food network by promoting ethical animal farming practices and supporting local, ethical animal farmers.
Our Core Values
Animal Welfare
Raising animals to be food is a decision that should not be taken lightly. We support the many farmers out there that strive to give their livestock a happy and comfortable life, and we enable consumers to redirect their support from factory farmed foods to humanely raised foods.
Environmental Stewardship
Ensuring a healthy planet for the future means supporting local, sustainable farms as much as it means conserving water and electricity. Farming humanely tends to mimic natural processes, which can not only reduce our environmental impact, it can also benefit the planet.
Human Health
Pastured meats, eggs and dairy are more nutrient-dense and often leaner than industrial foods, and are free of antibiotics and added growth hormones. With the growing epidemics of obesity and antibiotic resistance, food that is nourishing and produced without antibiotics is more important than ever.
Local Support
Buying food produced locally is increasingly important for strengthening your local economy and for the livelihoods of your farming neighbors. We connect Southwestern Pennsylvanians with humane animal farms in the area.
Transparency
A strong food system must enable trust between those who produce the food and those who consume it. Our role is to ensure that consumers have the tools to make informed decisions about what they eat.
Our People
Board of Directors
Hannah Cranville
Hannah is a Digital Advertiser with a passion for delivering strong, effective messages, to engaged audiences. Hannah hopes to expand reach and inform consumers about their diet decisions, choices and impact. She strives to deliver environmental stewardship by bringing brand awareness strategy and tactics to the Ethical Farming Fund. An eater her whole life, she believes we are what we eat and that transparency is key.
Kate Langford
Kate was raised in Pittsburgh and returned here after several years working overseas as an English teacher. She has always been an animal lover, but also grew into a foodie as she traveled through Asia, eating and visiting local markets. Her conundrum: animals are delicious (and an efficient source of nutrition). Her solution: support increased animal welfare and sustainable agriculture through the Ethical Farming Fund. Kate hopes that her participation in EFF will help to raise awareness and support for local farms and products, as well as greater concern for the environmental effects of agriculture. Kate currently works as an attorney in employment, black lung and whistleblower law.
Hannah Ridge, Co-Founder
Hannah has always loved animals and thus has struggled in the past with the idea of eating meat. Her study brought her to the conclusion that properly raised animals are important to the diet and to the environment. This belief became manifest in the founding of the Ethical Farming Fund with Tim Trout. Hannah is hopeful about the future of agriculture, and is excited and humbled to be playing a role in it. She holds a bachelors degree from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Arts in Food Studies from Chatham University.
Officers
Tim Trout, Vice President, Treasurer and Co-Founder
Tim comes to Pittsburgh from nearby Greensburg, where he has enjoyed hunting with his family for many years. He has also volunteered and worked on farms across the country, learning about agriculture and its effect on the environment. These experiences molded his idea of what sustainable agriculture means and through the Ethical Farming Fund Tim hopes to have a hand in shaping it.