Transfarmation Allies are farmers who are interested in and supportive of Transfarmation but may be unable to take transition steps just yet. For example, high debt may limit transition options for a farmer in the short term, but they can still work with us to advocate for alternatives to industrial animal agriculture and spread the word about Transfarmation to other farmers. We also consider farmers who have transitioned their farms independently of Transfarmation, as well as those who support our mission, to be allies.
Farmers who receive a research and innovation grant from us are pursuing pilot projects to transition former industrial animal facilities into plant-focused operations. For example, a farmer may receive a grant to begin cultivating specialty mushrooms in a former chicken barn.
Cohort farmers work closely with the Transfarmation team to build out and scale their transition to plants. They receive the one-on-one support outlined in the “Transition Plan” step listed above, including guidance on infrastructure conversion, technical assistance from our roster of subject matter experts, assistance in finding and securing grant opportunities, and brainstorming on branding and marketing. In exchange for these services, cohort farmers report valuable lessons learned and outcome data to Transfarmation to create resources that will benefit future farm transitions. You can read about our cohort farmers here.
Introducing Transfarmation's first demonstration hub. This is the newest category of Transfarmation farmer engagement. We have selected two sites, one former chicken farm and one former pig farm, where farmers will work hand in hand with Transfarmation to convert their entire barns for mushroom and specialty-crop cultivation. These sites will serve as crop-testing facilities and learning centers where the Transfarmation team will share and educate on all the exciting possibilities of Transfarmation. We are eager to share more about these sites as they develop.
Leah Garcés is the CEO and president of Mercy For Animals and author of Grilled: Turning Adversaries into Allies to Change the Chicken Industry. With more than 20 years of
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