The Transfarmation Project

The Transfarmation Project? gives farmers the freedom to grow food that is healthier, better for the environment, and more profitable—and more money for farmers means more money circulating through the local economy. Learn more about our work at https://lnkd.in/gV4CePAV.

“Transfarmation has been life-changing for my family and I. They came in with resources and tools we needed to get out of the poultry industry.” —Morgan Salis-Deany The Halley farm raised around one million chickens per year before they ended their contract in 2019. Today, the Halleys are focusing on farming and rescue opportunities that save life rather than take it. Learn more about the Halleys’ farm transition at https://lnkd.in/gEEHeR4R.

Since 1954, total U.S. farmland has decreased by 24%. The amount of land lost is greater than the combined area of California and Texas! In contrast, the number of land animals raised for food each year in the United States recently surpassed 10 billion. What does this mean? Farms are getting bigger and bigger, and smaller farms are shuttering. Operations are rapidly consolidating—shifting power into the hands of megacorporations. The Transfarmation Project? is here to help! We work directly with farmers to transition their animal operations to specialty-crop production. Every plan and lesson learned is available on our website for free so that anyone anywhere can put them into practice. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gV4CePAV. #FarmTransitions #FoodSystems #ContractFarming

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.