Press release from Food Animal Concerns Trust:
(Chicago, IL – July 13, 2020) Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT), a national nonprofit organization that promotes the safe and humane production of meat, milk, and eggs, recently awarded an emergency mini-grant to Rooster Head Plantation. The farm is located in Brevard, NC and owned by Jaye and Jacqui Edens. Rooster Head Plantation is using its grant from FACT to purchase two freezers to store their poultry and pork. The appliances will allow the farm to offer “no contact” sales where members of the local community can purchase pasture-raised meats in a clean and safe environment.
Earlier this spring, as farmers’ markets and businesses began to shutter due to the COVID-19 pandemic, FACT launched an emergency mini-grant program to help independent livestock and poultry producers respond to the challenges they faced as a result of the crisis.
Since April, FACT has awarded more than $95,000 in mini-grants to 202 farmers located across 40 states. Funded projects included purchase of cold storage units to manage inventory and/or use at self-service on-farm stores; website upgrades and development of online farm stores; materials and supplies for home delivery and shipping of perishable food items; and sanitation-related supplies to ensure the safety of farm workers and their customers.
“The global coronavirus crisis has exposed the fragility of the industrial food system. It’s become crystal clear that family farms are an essential part of a more resilient food system,” said Larissa McKenna, FACT’s humane farming program director. “We value the hard work that small farms are doing to care for their animals and feed their local communities. FACT is pleased to support farms like Rooster Head by funding projects that help them adapt to shifting markets.”
While many of the funded projects are still underway, so far over 97% of the funded farmers report that the mini-grant has helped their farm business to address a challenge related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 93% report that their mini-grant has already helped the financial viability of their farm business.
Residents of Asheville and the surrounding area can find food produced by Rooster Head Plantation at the on-farm store for curbside pick-up, online for local delivery, and at the Chop Shop Butchery in Asheville. For more information on humanely-raised products, please visit FACT’s website.
In addition to awarding grants, FACT also offers free webinars, conference scholarships and a mentorship program as part of our suite of services benefiting family farmers. For more information on FACT’s farmer services, please visit foodanimalconcernstrust.org/farmer. If you have questions about Rooster Head Plantation’s mini-grant, please contact Larissa McKenna at (773) 525-4952 or lmckenna@foodanimalconcerns.org.
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