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Turning Page Farm receives Food Animal Concerns Trust grant to expand humane farming

MONSON — Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT), a national nonprofit that promotes the safe and humane production of meat, milk and eggs, awarded a Fund-a-Farmer Grant to Turning Page Farm, owned by Joy and Tim Bueschen. This grant is designed to expand humane farming. Turning Page Farm will use its award to improve pasture and install fencing for goats and chickens on pasture.

“We are thrilled to partner with Turning Page Farm to expand humane farming and increase farm animal welfare.” said Larissa McKenna, FACT’S humane farming program director. “Small and mid-sized sustainable farms are essential to meeting consumer demand for humanely-raised food, but often face financial challenges due to high costs associated with economies of scale. Our organization supports farms like Turning Page Farm by funding projects that improve animal welfare and help farmers increase their profit margins.”

Turning Page Farm Monson

Observer file photo/Stuart Hedstrom
GRANT FOR TURNING PAGE FARM — Turning Page Farm, on the North Guilford Road in Monson, owners Joy and Tim Bueschen have been awarded a Fund-a-Farmer Grant from Food Animal Concerns Trust, a national nonprofit that promotes the safe and humane production of meat, milk and eggs. The grant is designed to expand humane farming and Turning Page Farm will use its award to improve pasture and install fencing for goats and chickens on pasture.

This year FACT awarded more than $94,000 to independent family farmers across the country to help them achieve a high level of animal welfare. Selected projects improve pasture-based farming systems, increase capacity, as well as complete capital improvements that will allow them to attain animal welfare certification.

The 38 grants FACT awarded in February included 20 Pasture Improvement Grants, 11 Animal Welfare Certification Grants, and seven Capacity Building Grants. Since 2012, FACT has cumulatively awarded 157 grants totaling over $355,000 to family farmers across 34 states, directly impacting more than 97,000 animals.

A recent survey of past grant recipients found that 91 percent of the projects still are in use, 95 percent had highly improved animal welfare and 91 percent had improved the farms’ financial sustainability, by improving profits, creating recurring cost savings and increasing their customer base.

With this grant to Turning Page Farm, residents of Monson and the surrounding area will have additional humanely raised options to bring home to their kitchen table. For more information on humane products, please visit FACT’s website at https://foodanimalconcernstrust.org/. Please also visit Turning Page Farm’s website at https://www.turningpagefarm.com/ to learn more.

For more information on FACT’s farmer services, please visit www.foodanimalconcernstrust.org/farmer. In addition to awarding grants, FACT also offers mentorship, webinars and conference scholarships as part of a suite of services benefiting family farmers.

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