2026 Funded Projects
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.
Check out this year’s creative projects.
Fencing Projects
Haywood Farms
Bar W Ranch in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant for fencing that would be used to divide larger pastures for rotation and parasite control and flock health.
2. Born Again Farm in Somerset, Texas was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to purchase and install 1,300 square feet of fencing to protect existing animals from predators, securely contain livestock, and expand farm operations to include additional animals such as goats and sheep.
3. BOTL Farm in Ashford, Connecticut was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to purchase portable fencing to subdivide a newly enclosed 20 acre parcel in order to expand production of rotationally-grazed pork while maintaining sustainable land stewardship for their Animal Welfare approved, pasture-based farm. (Funded by ASPCA)
4. 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)
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Jinto Farms in Honolulu, Hawaii was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to reinforce half a perimeter fence so that they can bring their pigs back to the farm.
8. 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.
9. 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
10. Pink Moon Farm in Eatonville, Washington was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to install permanent perimeter electric fence for improved protection and pasture access for laying hens and sheep.
11. Rancho La Paz in Imperial, California was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to purchase and install perimeter fencing to provide a herd of goats with access to invasive plant species that serve as viable forage.
12. SOVA Farm in Norwich, New York was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to develop the capability to rotational graze their cows and improve the capability for the sheep, layers and pigs that includes the fencing requirements (posts and wire) from barn to fields in a safe manner.
13. 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.
14. Twin Pines Farm in Spring Lake, North Carolina was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to purchase and install fencing to expand pasture access and implement rotational grazing for poultry, goats, and cattle, allowing animals to regularly move onto fresh forage while improving animal welfare, pasture health, and long-term sustainability of the farm’s livestock management system.
15. Virginia Free Farm in Kents Store, Virginia was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to transition from a continuous grazing set up to a rotational grazing system.
Young Animal Care Improvement Projects
Marcinek Farms
1. EcoGrazing Solutions in Bolton, Connecticut was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to purchase a hoophouse barn for a winter lambing/kidding; to improve lamb/kid survivability and general welfare.
2. Marcinek Farms in Jonesville, Florida was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to build dual purpose breeding/farrowing pens for their pasture and forest raised Berkshire hogs so that they can better control breeding and have increased survivorship of litters.
3. May's Menagerie in Hot Springs, North Carolina was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to expand their coop to hatch and raise chicks on pasture.
4. Mollayo Farm in Port Townsend, Washington was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to make major brooder improvements by purchasing a shelter to significantly expand housing capacity, automate water delivery systems, and upgrade to safer, energy-efficient heaters.
5. 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.
6. 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
7. 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.
Feeding and Watering Improvement Projects
Harlow Ranch Bison Company
1. Alchemist Farm in Sebastopol, California was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to create gravity fed watering systems for each of their 16 breeding groups, allowing them to have constant access to clean water that also does not attract wild birds which will protect us from potential Avian Influenza contamination.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Harlow Ranch Bison Company in Sanders County, Montana was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to replace a broken water line to allow them to fill a large stock tank and utilize a 300-acre paddock year-round, adding 8 months of use to this paddock and dividing this paddock in the summer, providing better grass growth for the animals and healthier soil microbes for the grass.
5. Kakadoodle in Frankford, 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.
6. Bountiful Roots in Beggs, Oklahoma was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to install a pasture water system to provide more reliable, accessible water for all their livestock throughout the year.
7. MY9 Ranch in Floresville, Texas was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to greatly improve the availability of fresh water on their property to improve herd health and help with implementation of rotational grazing.
8. Oak and Barrel Meats in Mackville, Kentucky was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to install underground and above-ground water lines to supply fresh drinking water directly to multiple pasture paddocks, enabling more frequent rotational grazing, reducing animal travel distances, and improving overall livestock welfare during the grazing season.
9. Prarie 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.
10. Reed Farm in Sunderland, Massachusetts was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to purchase a grain wagon to serve as a mobile feed delivery system, allowing efficient distribution of non-GMO feed across pasture housing areas while reducing labor demands, vehicle traffic, and pasture compaction, and supporting more consistent pasture rotation and improved living conditions for poultry.
11. Sly Fox Farm in Sandpoint, Idaho was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to extend pressurized water from an existing domestic water system to pasture areas by installing approximately 850 feet of underground water line and six frost-free hydrants, providing reliable access to clean drinking water for pasture-raised pigs and seasonal water access for laying hens and broiler chickens.
Certification Projects
Fawn Crossing Farms
1. Fawn Crossing Farms in Bridgewater, Virginia was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to obtain an Animal Welfare Approved Certification. (ASPCA funded)
2. Ozark's Treasured Acres Farm in Ava, Missouri was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to enhance animal welfare and farm sustainability by working towards bringing their dairy goat facilities into compliance with HFAC Certified Humane® housing requirements. (ASPCA funded)
Projects That Defy Categorization
Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery
1. County Line Farm in Kents Store, Virginia was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to improve the living conditions of all of their livestock by reducing the stress and disease caused by biting flies through the addition of Purple Martin housing to attract natural fly predators, and adding specialized, humane cattle handling equipment for safer and less stressful handling of their cattle herd.
2. 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)
3. Finca La Abundancia in Ithaca, New York was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to create “Condensed Tannin Corridors”: Targeting grazing of established high tannin, non-bloating, perennial forage species (Onobrychis viciifolia, Lotus corniculatus, Cichorium intybus) to support pasture productivity and ecological function, whole ruminant heath and reduced fecal egg counts.
4. 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.
5. The Edge Farms in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to purchase and install a motorized stationary shredder to recycle and process cardboard into clean, absorbent bedding for dairy goats and pasture-raised poultry, improving sanitation during kidding and brooding seasons, reducing waste and input costs, and enhancing animal comfort, compost production, and regenerative pasture fertility across multiple rotational grazing zones.
Shelter and Shade Projects
Bluestem Springs Farm
1. Blue Wildrye Farm in Princeton, Idaho was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to acquire portable housing to provide their pasture-raised Berkshire breeding sows with durable, weatherproof shelter that improves comfort and welfare year-round while supporting their rotational pasture management by allowing them to move shelter with the herd and reduce mud, compaction, and exposure during wet or cold conditions.
2. 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.
3. Crea Ranch Beefalo in Benton City, Washington was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to purchase a heavy-duty, moveable loafing shed to provide reliable windbreaks and sheltered resting areas for cows and newborn calves during winter calving, improving comfort and overall animal welfare.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Hummingbird Agrotek in Campo, California was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to retrofit a damaged high tunnel to safely house their birds, providing natural forage, sunshine, and fresh air while protecting them from weather and predators.
7. Snyder Family Farm in Atwater, California was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to build chicken mobiles to feed egg laying hens on pasture.
Improved Animal Handling and Loading Projects
Graylight Farm
1. Bee Branch Farm in Newport, Virginia was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to construct a guard rail cattle handling pen to improve the safety, welfare, and management of 60 cattle on the farm.
2. Blue Pepper Farm in Jay, New York was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to purchase a tilt table for calmer and easier sheep care, such as hoof trimming and vaccine administration. (Funded by ASPCA)
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. North Plain Farm in Great Barrington, Massachusetts was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to build a proper, stress reducing handling system for pregnancy and health checks and provide access to a covered space for animals to recover from illness or be kept warm.
8. Pearl River Pastures in Poplarville, Mississippi was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to purchase two portable livestock corrals to improve low-stress handling, health checks, and rotational grazing management for pasture-raised cattle, reducing animal stress, improving safety, and enabling more frequent pasture moves and welfare-focused handling during the grazing season.
9. Toluma Farms in Petaluma, California was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to purchase a portable sheep & goat handling chute system, which uses natural circular animal behavior, to safely and efficiently manage livestock in pasture, for tasks such as vaccinating, deworming, hoof trimming, sorting, to reduce stress, minimize physical strain, and increase the goats and sheep's time on pastures. (ASPCA funded)
Pasture Improvement or Silvopasture Projects
Wild Type Farm
1. Finicky Farm in Northfield, Massachusetts was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to install Silvopasture on home farm fields to provide summer shade along with diversification of summer diet through tree fodder and high protein winter fodder via 'tree hay' and seed/mast production.
2. Goode Game Gardens in Atlanta, Georgia was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to pioneer a regenerative holistic feeding system for meat sheep flock, integrating rotational silvopasture with a species-specific medicinal herb garden to achieve complete nutritional self-sufficiency while demonstrating enhanced animal welfare and soil health outcomes. (ASPCA funded)
3. 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.
4. The Daniel Farm in Klamath Falls, Oregon was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to lay water lines to grow forage and local fodder, thereby making rotational grazing possible.
5. The Herb Hill Farm & Micro-Dairy in Pepperell, Massachusetts was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to expand access to well-managed pasture by establishing a new silvopasture paddock, which will improve the daily living conditions and overall welfare of goats and poultry by providing consistent shade, diverse forage, and rotational grazing.
6. 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.
7. 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.
Overall Animal Welfare Improvement Projects
Twisted A Farm
1. 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.
2. Causey Farm in Franklinton, Louisiana was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to install essential infrastructure—including fencing, shade, and water systems—to support a rotational grazing system that improves cattle welfare, pasture recovery, and long-term land stewardship.
3. Epic Pastures in Farmville, Virginia was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to enhance flock resilience by transitioning Katahdin sheep to a year-round, high-welfare pasture system supported by mobile shelters, biological pest control, and behavioral enrichment. (ASPCA funded)
4. KN Quality Meats in Winter Haven, Florida was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to transition their current confined poultry operation to a pasture-based, rotational management system that improves animal welfare and long-term sustainability.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Twisted A Farm in Salinas, California was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to install fencing for multiple pasture paddock areas; purchase gates, portable fencing, grass seed and supplies to rotationally graze dairy goats, kunekune pigs, ducks and chickens on pasture. (ASPCA funded)
Systems Change and Innovation Grant Recipients
Greene Kitchen Farm
Greene Kitchen Farm in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to research the viability of using mulberry fruits as feed for chickens, using various feed ratios to learn if there are significant drawbacks to including mulberry fruits as large portions of chicken diets.
Over the Moon Farm
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.
Pumpkin Vine Family Farm
Pumpkin Vine Family Farm in Somerville, Maine was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to purchase portable shelters and stock panels to create a pastured nursery for goat kids
Riverbird Farm
Riverbird Farm in Shelton Washington was awarded a Fund-a-Farmer grant to support infrastructure and equipment costs, sourcing of genetics, and marketing investments to help their pastured poultry farm establish a new heritage breed layer enterprise with the purpose of transitioning the farm’s core business away from commercial breed broiler production and towards heritage breed egg layer production.