FACT Announces This Year's Grants to Advance Livestock Welfare

Bob Benenson
1 day ago
6 min read

75 Farms Across the U.S. Received Fund-a-Farmer Grants Totaling $280,000

Local Food Forum has long worked closely with Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT), an animal welfare organization that focuses on humane treatment of livestock. Last week we shared an article about FACE Ag, a new collaboration between FACT and ASPCA to encourage pasture-raised livestock farmers to organize in pursuit of public policy that supports their interests and those of the animals they raise.

LEARN ABOUT FACE AG

In this article, we are pleased to share just-released news about FACT's annual Fund-a-Farmer grants. Here is how the organization describes the grants:

Since 2012, FACT has awarded 839 grants to farmers totaling over $1,840,000 to improve farm animal welfare, expand humane farming, and support capital and operational work. This year, we distributed almost $280,000 to 75 farms.

Our 2026 grants to farmers seeking or holding animal welfare certification were generously underwritten by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), with grants to farmers within a 200-mile radius of Chicago graciously funded by Food:Land:Opportunity. The rest of 2026’s funded projects were made possible by generous donations from our fantastic FACT community.

This year, we were happy to be able to expand the Systems Change and Innovation Grant, a grant for up to $10,000 for projects making significant changes on their farms, from 2 projects to 4 thanks to continued support from The ASPCA.

Many current and past grant projects have focused on fencing, converting to slower-growing chicken breeds, transitioning animals out of confinement and onto pasture, replacing watering systems, or building mobile animal shelters. Farmers have also completed a variety of unique projects involving constructing cattle scratching stations, planting trees to improve access to shade, and purchasing equipment for fly control.

The link below will take you to the full list of funded projects. As most Local Food Forum readers are in the Midwest Great Lakes region (plus Iowa), we follow with a list of region-specific recipients that are representative of the kind of projects FACT funds.

ACCESS THE FULL LIST OF RECIPIENTS

GREAT LAKES MIDWEST FARMS

CATEGORY: FENCING PROJECTS

Crane Dance Farm in Middleville, Michigan was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to purchase supplies to install perimeter fencing for an additional around 5.5 acres of land to rotationally graze finishing hogs and cattle in conjunction with the adjacent 40 acres we currently use for cattle. (Funded by ASPCA)
Grand View Beef in Clarion, Iowa was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to purchase fencing material to expand grazing access to cattle and extend the grazing season into winter by fencing and rotationally grazing an additional 60 acres of perennial pasture.
Haywood Farms in Forkland, Indiana was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to Install permanent fencing on four additional acres to implement rotational grazing for goats, improving pasture recovery, forage quality, and herd health.
Justin Farm and Construction in Rosedale, Indiana was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to purchase fencing to integrate beef stocker calves into a row crop rotation by planting cover crops after harvest and letting the calves graze the cover crops through the winter and rotationally graze different fields throughout the farm.
Laxey Creek Sheep Ranch in Mineral Point, Wisconsin was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to replace woven wire fences in their corral sort pens with solid wooden fences to block visual contact between groups and facilitate low-stress handling of ewes and lambs
Big Springs Farm in Pekin, Indiana was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to purchase portable fencing to rotationally graze kune kune/Idaho Pasture Pigs and install piping to supply water to pasture lots.

CATEGORY: SHELTER AND SHADE PROJECTS

Bluestem Springs Farm in Potomac, Illinois was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to build a welded, wheeled, moveable shade shelter—with shade cloth and a compact drill for secure staking—to protect their growing flock of up to 50 sheep during summer grazing.
Genoa Bluffs Farm in Marengo, Iowa was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to add a lean-to with three outdoor runs to expand shelter, exercise space, reduce overcrowding within our existing building, improve goat comfort and welfare, support better herd management, increase access to outdoor areas, create a healthier; more efficient environment for daily care and long-term productivity.
Henson Farms in Byron, Minnesota was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to build portable shelters durable enough to protect their herd from heavy rain and wind to expand access to pastures and enable rotational grazing.

CATEGORY: IMPROVED ANIMAL HANDLING AND LOADING PROJECTS

Crooked Gap Farm in Knoxville, Iowa was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to purchase a low-stress sheep handling system that allows them to monitor and care for their Katahdin sheep more effectively, especially for parasite resistance and overall health.
DuChick Ranch in Cissna Park, Illinois was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to purchase sheep handling equipment to ensure that they can safely and humanely handle their sheep as needed to treat for illness or injury, trim hooves, vaccinate, and other veterinary care needs.
Grass Powered Poultry in Hilsboro, Ohio was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to build a humane cattle handling and loading facility that allows them to safely bring animals in for routine care and sorting, replacing their current unsafe setup where cattle have escaped and been injured due to lack of safe and strong materials.
MKONO Farm in Bloomington, Indiana was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to add a mobile sheep handling system to improve safe, low-stress handling of Navajo Churro sheep while increasing efficiency, animal welfare, and ease of movement within a pasture and silvopasture rotation system.

CATEGORY: YOUNG ANIMAL CARE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

Songbird Hill Farm in Kankakee, Illinois was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to upgrade their poultry brooder by installing automatic nipple-drinker lines, radiant propane heating, and insulation to maintain dry bedding, improve air quality, and reduce early-life stress, disease, and mortality for pasture-raised broiler chickens.
Willowbrook Farms in Cassopolis, Michigan was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to optimize early-stage welfare for slow growth Pioneer Breed pasture-based poultry
WonderPork LLC in East Lynn, Illinois was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to transform the farrowing aspect of their farm by purchasing some individual hog farrowing huts for our sows to birth their hogs in humanely with access to the outdoors on pasture.

CATEGORY: PASTURE IMPROVEMENT OR SILVOPASTURE PROJECTS

Missing Mountain Acres in Adrian, Michigan was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to improve pasture quality by establishing silvopasture, rotating animals daily, and improving pasture shelter to implement winter bale grazing.
Wanda Farms in Harvard, Illinois was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to convert 40 acres of highly erodible land that was previously managed in row crops into a rotational grazing pasture with perimeter fence, interior fence, and waterlines.
Wild Type Ranch in Fitchburg, Wisconsin was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to Purchase portable cattle handling facilities to enable conversion of cropland acres to adaptively managed grazing.

CATEGORY: FEEDING AND WATERING IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

Diamond P Ranch in Blue Grass, Iowa was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to install water lines and automatic water system for their cattle.
Happy Chaos Farms in Brazil, Indiana was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to purchase and install piping to supply water to pastures for animal rotation, as well as quality seed for better grazing.
Kakadoodle in Frankfort, Illinois was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to install a winterized, heated poultry watering system to ensure their hens have consistent access to clean, unfrozen water in their high-tunnel housing.
Prairie Hills Farm in Selma, Indiana was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to add about 700 feet of waterlines and frost free spigots to the 3 main pasture areas to supporting more efficient rotational grazing for the livestock.

CATEGORY: OVERALL ANIMAL WELFARE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

Birdie & The Bees Farm in Ellettsville, Indiana was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to improve pastured pork welfare by adding enhanced mobile housing, portable fencing, and improved forage to support humane rotational grazing.
Stock Family Farm in Helenville, Wisconsin was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to purchase mobile coops, feeders, waterers, and nest boxes to transition 1,500 laying hens from stationary hoophouses to a rotational, pasture-based system that improves animal welfare and pasture health.
Pursuit Of Perfection in Plymouth, Wisconsin was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to install an expanded permanent fencing and watering system to implement a more intensive rotational grazing schedule for their beef cattle, enhancing pasture health and animal welfare.
The Pasturage in Montague, Michigan was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to expand perimeter woven wire fence to enclose all of their woods, install winter shelter, and install winter watering facility inside shelter for their pigs.

CATEGORY: SYSTEMS CHANGE AND INNOVATION GRANT RECIPIENTS

Over the Moon Farm in Coggon, Iowa was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to install a permanent perimeter fence in order to move sows from barns and dry lots out to pasture for spring farrowing.

PROJECTS THAT DEFY CATEGORIZATION

Pigeon River Farm in Clintonville, Wisconsin was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to install a remote gate solution to prevent livestock crowd injuries and improve farmer safety in winter feeding operations. (ASPCA funded)
Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery in Champaign, Illinois was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to add scratching enrichment and improved ventilation to their milking goat holding pen area, which will reduce stress and improve animal welfare during daily milking routines.

LEARN MORE ABOUT FACT

SUBSCRIBE TO LOCAL FOOD FORUM