By Larissa McKenna, Humane Farming Program Director

When we first started our farmer grants program 10 years ago, I wasn’t sure where it would lead. We knew that there was quite a bit of interest from livestock farmers and a huge, unmet need for this type of financial support, but would we be able to rise to the occasion? Could we make a difference in the lives of humane farmers and their animals? Upon reflection, I think that the answer is a resounding “yes.”

Back then, in 2012, we started small. We awarded nine grants and each grant was $1,500 or less. After a decade of growth and experience, this year we topped out at 60 grants of up to $3,000 each – awarding more than $170,000 to farmers in 27 states.

We estimate that 735,000 farm animals have benefitted since our first round of grants, including beef cattle, bison, broiler chickens, dairy cows, ducks, geese, goats, laying hens, pigs, sheep, and turkeys. The grant recipients themselves are innovative and adaptive, working in all parts of the country, across different landscapes and climates. They also come from different backgrounds and life experiences. FACT is committed to addressing racial inequity in the agricultural sector and making our programs and services accessible to historically marginalized populations. Of this year’s grant recipients:

20% are military veterans.
45% are farmers who identified as Black, Indigenous or People of Color.
53% identify as women-owned operations.
70% said that they are beginning farmers or ranchers (operated a farm or ranch for less than 10-consecutive years).
80% reported that they are first generation farmers or ranchers.

Some of the funded projects include: mobile housing and shelters to help keep animals on pasture protected from predator and inclement weather, portable fencing to allow farmers to “rotationally graze” their animals and frequently move them to fresh grass, and water systems that make it possible for livestock to enjoy clean, potable water in remote areas of pasture.

Why does all of this matter? Well, this winter we conducted a survey of our past grant recipients and found that the grants have produced a wide range of long-term benefits. Overall, 98 percent of farmers reported that their FACT-funded projects improved animal welfare, 95 percent have experienced a positive environmental impact, and 88 percent found that the grant improved their farm’s financial viability. Individual farmers report that their FACT-funded projects have increased biodiversity, improved soil fertility, enhanced livestock health and comfort, and reduced stress for both the farmer and their animals.

After a decade of grantmaking, there is no doubt that our Fund-a-Farmer Grants are significantly benefiting farmer livelihood, animal welfare, and environmental health. We here at FACT believe that partnering with - and investing in - humane farmers is one of the best ways make a difference in the lives of food-producing animals. We trust that the innovative, ethical farmers in our ever-expanding network know what is best for their land, animals and communities.

We couldn’t do it with them. Or without the financial support of our funders, including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA), Butcher Box, and the scores of individual donors who have given to this worthy cause.

As 2022 grant recipient Wendy Johnson of Jóia Food Farm in Charles City, Iowa said, “Thank you so much for providing Fund-a-Farmer grants to farmers! It is so helpful especially when making capital purchases to enhance the safety and respect of the animals. They give us so much, the least we can do is give them a safe, respectful and healthy life on farms.”

Here’s to another 10+ years of Fund-a-Farmer Grants and all of the positive change they inspire.

For more on all of this year’s funded farms and projects, please visit our website.