The Transfarmation Project

With a grant from Transfarmation, these Georgia family farmers were able to begin their transition to growing specialty crops! For this project, they envisioned transitioning their commercial poultry farm into a sustainable plant-based farm, starting with specialty mushrooms. Eventually, they plan to include a “pick-your-own” or agritourism model with seasonal produce. Key lessons learned? ?? They wish they’d had better knowledge of realistic expectations for farm transitions, including time frames. ??They anticipated a learning curve and were willing to learn from the process. ?? When farmers have done preparatory work to identify buyers and set prices, they can quickly bring a mushroom operation online. ?? At the six-month mark, they had grown 155 pounds of lion’s mane mushrooms, selling 120 pounds of that yield at $20 per pound directly to customers they met through Facebook Marketplace. Read more about this farm transition here: https://bit.ly/41mFlMk.

Each year, slaughterhouses dump millions of pounds of feces, blood, and other contaminants into rivers and streams across the United States. In fact, slaughterhouses and meat-processing facilities are top industrial sources of phosphorus and nitrogen pollution, which promotes the growth of algae blooms. These blooms can make water unsafe for drinking or outdoor recreation and create oxygen-deprived zones that cause aquatic animals to flee or die. Our industrial, consolidated food system will always prioritize corporate profits over environmental welfare. We’re working with farmers to build something better. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gV4CePAV. #WorldWaterDay

Prices for eggs went up in some regions BEFORE avian flu affected flocks and egg production, according to a new report by Food & Water Watch. The analysis also notes that when things began to improve in 2023, prices did not come down. ?? DID YOU KNOW? ?? ?? Cal-Maine Foods produces one in every five eggs eaten in the United States. ?? Cal-Maine increased shareholder dividends 40 times from 2022 to 2023.? ?? The company’s profits tripled between 2021 and 2024. ?? Cal-Maine sold 7% more eggs in 2024 than in 2021, before the current bird flu outbreak. ?? A separate report also found that the 61% increase in egg prices over the past six months cannot be explained by avian flu alone. “The working class is struggling to afford groceries while companies like Cal-Maine are raking in huge profits and rewarding their shareholders.”? —Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) Our corporatized food system is fragile and unreliable. This will continue unless we work together and demand a better food system. Learn how The Transfarmation Project? is working with farmers to build one at https://lnkd.in/gV4CePAV.

As an organization that champions small farmers, we’re frustrated by these latest USDA budget cuts. They represent much more than a loss for farmers—they’re also a loss for children and families across the country who rely on food banks and similar programs. We have to ask—if these programs aren’t aligned with the goals of the USDA, what exactly are the USDA’s goals? In spite of all this, Transfarmation? believes a better food system is possible. Learn how we’re working with farmers to build it at https://lnkd.in/gV4CePAV.

"To put that into perspective, just $0.26 of the $10 you spend on eggs at the grocery store goes to the family farmers producing the eggs. Meanwhile, Cal-Maine reported $356 million in gross profits during its most recent quarter."

Paula Hamilton’s journey in farmer advocacy began with a call to Farm Aid’s emergency hotline. It culminated in sharing drinks with Farm Aid board member Nathaniel Rateliff and directors Carolyn Munger and Glenda Yoder. Though Paula’s journey to advocacy was unconventional, her passion in standing up for farmers is exceptional. We’re proud to highlight her work as both a farmer and a powerful voice for small farmers. Learn more about Paula and our other farmers at https://lnkd.in/gV4CePAV.

Today, we celebrate the farmers who are the backbone of our food system. We also celebrate what we know our food system could be. Factory farming as the dominant means of food production has caused extensive environmental, social, and economic damage. It is also a heavily consolidated system that prioritizes corporate profits over all. We must break free from the grip of corporate control. We need policies that support a free, competitive market of small independent producers. We must stop propping up an industry that is destroying communities and the planet for profit. The Transfarmation Project? is proud to offer an alternative for farmers looking to escape industrial animal agriculture. Farm transitions not only benefit farmers but help communities, the planet, and animals. Learn more about our work at https://lnkd.in/gV4CePAV.

The Transfarmation Project? is working directly with farmers to build a more sustainable and just food system. One of the main ways we do this is through repurposing their factory farms for growing plants. All of the resources we create and the data we collect are made accessible to other farmers and organizations to facilitate widespread farm transitions. Since industrial animal agriculture has been exported all over the planet, any farmer in the world can benefit from our work. Read more farmer stories at https://lnkd.in/gV4CePAV.

Paula and Dale Boles felt like failures as poultry farmers. Working in the contract system, they were isolated from other farmers and had no say over how their chickens were raised or what they were fed. In 2015, they decided it was time for a change. Equipped with Dale’s expertise in construction, the pair set out to convert their poultry houses into greenhouses where they could grow a variety of plants. With little money for the conversion, Paula and Dale got creative with what they had. They reused as much material from the chicken houses as possible, including the cool cells, chicken feeders, and watering system. They even repurposed the expensive computer system their integrator required, using it to control lights and fans in their greenhouses. Learn more about the Boles and other Transfarmation farmers at https://lnkd.in/gEEHeR4R.

It’s time to #TalkAboutTyson. These plant closures can leave contract farmers with millions of dollars in debt. Some closures have even prompted antitrust investigations and lawsuits. Meanwhile, Tyson’s top five execs earned a combined $36.5 million in 2023 and topped $53 million in 2024, a contrast that cannot be ignored. DID YOU KNOW? ?? Tyson processes one of every five pounds of chicken, beef, and pork sold in the United States. Because they control so many brands, avoiding them can be hard! ?? Tyson supplies every McDonald’s chicken nugget. They’re also responsible for much of the meat served in schools and fast-food chains. ???? Nearly all of Tyson’s farmers are independent contractors. This means that farmers bear the lion’s share of financial risk and responsibility, leaving many to feel like “indentured servants” on their own land. ?? According to Violation Tracker, Tyson has paid over $100 million in penalties for price-fixing or anticompetitive practices. ??? Imagine if we replaced the major corporations that control our food system with better ones. We could demand healthier, more nutritious, and more sustainable food. The power is in our hands. Can you #TalkAboutTyson? What’s your story? Help us spread the word by sharing these posts and using the hashtag.