I think everyone would prefer to buy food from animals that led happy lives. And yet, the vast majority of meat that Americans buy is produced in the inherently cruel factory farm model. If improving animal welfare standards is as simple as opting for humanely raised animal products, why isn't everyone doing just that? Simple—humanely raised food is considerably more expensive than industrially produced food. Most small farms raising their animals humanely are not trying to g

Under the shade of sassafras and cherry trees in Natrona Heights, PA, we watched the pigs enjoy their lunch. Some huddled around a large tree trunk, gnawing at the bark and loudly crunching mouthfuls of it like potato chips. Other pigs happily buried their snouts in the dirt, lifting the soil like a trowel, and ripping the fine roots with the sound of tearing cloth. The whole area occupied by the group had been razed to bare earth within the past week. Shrubs and saplings, up

Not all meat is created equal. The way food is grown has a significant impact on its nutritional quality--fruits, vegetables, and animal products alike. When it comes to meat, eggs and dairy, the difference really comes down to what the animal ate. It just so happens that raising livestock on pasture, a more natural habitat than a barn or a feedlot, results in healthier food for humans. (Our animal welfare standards don't dictate outdoor access for every species, but we do be

Will you be celebrating Thanksgiving this year? Do you love animals? If you answered "yes" to both of these—I especially hope you love animals—and you live in Western PA, you've come to the right place. While Thanksgiving tends to sneak up on those that are in charge of cooking, farmers are thinking about America's most popular holiday several months in advance. You should be, too. Why not be prepared by ordering your turkey months in advance from a local farm? Local, pasture

The federal government recently decided that it would not include environmental impact when updating the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), which they do every five years. Sylvia Burwell, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Tom Vilsack, the Secretary of Agriculture, co-authored the guidelines and announced the decision on October 6. Their reasoning: while the sustainability of our food choices is important, “we do not believe that the 2015 [Dietary Guidelines

Our infographic "Know the Difference," which highlights the main differences between pasture-based and industrial farming methods, has gained a lot of exposure. A few people have noted that the infographic is one-sided in favor of pasture-based farming, a bias which we aren’t afraid to admit. The Ethical Farming Fund’s vision is a world without factory farms, so naturally we wouldn’t favor industrial animal farming. But one could argue that CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding

There are a lot of differences between pasture-based farming and factory farming, so many that we decided to make an infographic about them! This infographic was made possible by Casey Kovach and Stacey Zeto. You can see more of their work at www.caseykovach.com and www.staceyzeto.com. Thanks, guys! #infographic #pasture #factoryfarming