by Denver Frederick | Jul 30, 2019 | Guest Interview
The following is a conversation between Adele Douglass, Founder and CEO of Humane Farm Animal Care, and Denver Frederick, Host of The Business of Giving on AM 970 The Answer WNYM in New York City.
Denver: When in the meat or dairy aisle at the grocery store, have you ever seen the label that reads “Certified Humane Raised and Handled®”? Have you wondered when and how the certification process got started? Well, tonight, we’ll find out directly from the person who started it. She is Adele Douglass, the Founder and CEO of Humane Farm Animal Care.
Good evening, Adele, and welcome to The Business of Giving!
Adele: Thank you very much. It’s a pleasure to be here.
Denver: Share with us the mission and goals of Humane Farm Animal Care.
Adele: Well, the mission is: we’re a non-profit certification organization, dedicated to improving the lives of farm animals in food production, from birth through slaughter. The goal of the program is to improve the lives of farm animals by driving consumer demand for kinder and more responsible farm animal practices. When you see the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® label on a product, you can be assured that the food products have come from facilities that meet precise objective standards for farm animal treatment.
Denver: Now, you were raised in New York City, Adele, and not on the farm. So, what got you interested in this subject? Was there a moment when you decided that something had to be done?
Adele: Yes, yes and yes. I worked for a member of Congress, and then I lobbied Congress on behalf of children and animals. I was asked in the late ‘90s to be part of various animal welfare committees, and they figured, “Well, she doesn’t know anything about farm animals, so we can do whatever we want.” Well, it didn’t work out that way. Because I was – when I went and saw how chickens were… how hens were…. in cages and they couldn’t move, they couldn’t stand up, they couldn’t sit down at the same time – I was appalled. I thought, “If consumers knew this, they wouldn’t buy this food.”
So, I asked friends who were scientists to show me the opposite, to show me different ways animals are raised, and that was very inspirational. And I thought, “Well, I’ve got to do something to help farm animals. This helps farmers, and it helps consumers; so therefore, who would object to this?” I needed money to start it, so I cashed in my 401k so I had money, and then I got some funding from HSUS, from ASPCA, and that was for four or five years. We’ve been on our own ever since.
Click here to read more and listen to the interview.
Posted: October 11, 2019 by Certified Humane®
Shenandoah Valley Organic
ABOUT Farmer Focus
Founded by sixth-generation farmer Corwin Heatwole in 2014, Farmer Focus is a unique USDA organic and Certified Humane® chicken brand with a mission to promote and protect generational family farms. By shifting farm-level decision-making and chicken ownership back to farmers and empowering them to farm the way they know is best, Farmer Focus significantly improves the financial viability of the farm and farmer profit. Available in 2,800 stores throughout the East Coast and Midwest, including major retailers like Publix, Kroger, Harris Teeter and more, Farmer Focus is committed to consistently producing exceedingly delicious, 100% USDA organic and Certified Humane® chicken that is better for people, the planet and animals.
Visit FarmerFocus.com to learn more.
For information on where to buy Certified Humane® products in your area, visit our Shop page or download our free mobile app.
Posted: August 8, 2019 by Certified Humane®
Adele Douglass, Founder and CEO of Humane Farm Animal Care, Joins Denver Frederick
by Denver Frederick | Jul 30, 2019 | Guest Interview
The following is a conversation between Adele Douglass, Founder and CEO of Humane Farm Animal Care, and Denver Frederick, Host of The Business of Giving on AM 970 The Answer WNYM in New York City.
Denver: When in the meat or dairy aisle at the grocery store, have you ever seen the label that reads “Certified Humane Raised and Handled®”? Have you wondered when and how the certification process got started? Well, tonight, we’ll find out directly from the person who started it. She is Adele Douglass, the Founder and CEO of Humane Farm Animal Care.
Good evening, Adele, and welcome to The Business of Giving!
Adele: Thank you very much. It’s a pleasure to be here.
Denver: Share with us the mission and goals of Humane Farm Animal Care.
Adele: Well, the mission is: we’re a non-profit certification organization, dedicated to improving the lives of farm animals in food production, from birth through slaughter. The goal of the program is to improve the lives of farm animals by driving consumer demand for kinder and more responsible farm animal practices. When you see the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® label on a product, you can be assured that the food products have come from facilities that meet precise objective standards for farm animal treatment.
Denver: Now, you were raised in New York City, Adele, and not on the farm. So, what got you interested in this subject? Was there a moment when you decided that something had to be done?
Adele: Yes, yes and yes. I worked for a member of Congress, and then I lobbied Congress on behalf of children and animals. I was asked in the late ‘90s to be part of various animal welfare committees, and they figured, “Well, she doesn’t know anything about farm animals, so we can do whatever we want.” Well, it didn’t work out that way. Because I was – when I went and saw how chickens were… how hens were…. in cages and they couldn’t move, they couldn’t stand up, they couldn’t sit down at the same time – I was appalled. I thought, “If consumers knew this, they wouldn’t buy this food.”
So, I asked friends who were scientists to show me the opposite, to show me different ways animals are raised, and that was very inspirational. And I thought, “Well, I’ve got to do something to help farm animals. This helps farmers, and it helps consumers; so therefore, who would object to this?” I needed money to start it, so I cashed in my 401k so I had money, and then I got some funding from HSUS, from ASPCA, and that was for four or five years. We’ve been on our own ever since.
Click here to read more and listen to the interview.
Posted: August 8, 2019 by Certified Humane®
Fassio Egg Farms
In the 1940s, a fire in a chicken-coop rental property lead to the construction of new on-site facilities, and in the 1960s, young members of the Fassio family began acquiring poultry science and agribusiness degrees from leading universities to solidify the future of their family’s business.
Property developments and the modernization of facilities and equipment followed in the 1970s and 1980s, with major expansions in the early 2000s to maintain Fassio Egg Farm’s status as the leading egg producer in the state of Utah.
Today, Fassio Egg Farm remains as a family-owned and operated business, “proud that the average employment of its people is 10 years, with 28% of its employees being with the company for over 17 years,” according to their website.
Their mission states, “Since 1915 Fassio Egg Farms has been in the egg production business. We have experienced and
will continue to experience new technologies and new methods of producing the best product, while fostering the mutual respect of employees, neighbors, community, and egg industry leaders alike.”
To learn more, visit their website at: www.fassioeggfarms.com
Posted: August 8, 2019 by Certified Humane®
Idyll Farms Certified Humane® Alpine Goats in Northport, Michigan
Goats instinctively choose to eat what their bodies need and crave, resulting in changing properties in their milk according to the season. Alpine goats in particular, known for producing sweet nutritious milk, are descendants of livestock from the French Alps so they are hardy and well suited to the climate in Northern Michigan. Each goat produces about a gallon of milk per day and has distinctive markings (and distinctive personalities!) that makes them distinguishable from one another.
French cheese making consultants, using old world techniques, trained the Idyll Farms team. Now, with state of the art cheese caves for temperature and humidity maintenance, Idyll Farms is able to create award-winning cheeses they describe as, “bites of heaven from nature”.
To learn more, visit their website at: IdyllFarms.com.
For information on where to buy Idyll Farm products and other Certified Humane® products in your area, visit CertifiedHumane.org/Shop or download Certified Humane’s free store locator mobile app.
Posted: April 30, 2019 by Certified Humane®
Braswell Family Farms
Today, Braswell Family Farms is in its fourth-generation under the leadership of Trey Braswell, who continues to move the company forward. He oversaw the addition of Braswell’s first pasture-raised farm that began production in the spring of 2018. “The creation of our pasture-raised farm allows us to supply a growing area of the egg market that is important to our customers,” says Trey. Braswell Family Farms’ second pasture-raised farm began producing eggs in February of 2019. The family farm plans to continue its expansion into free-range and pasture-raised farming.
Braswell Family Farms not only strives to provide the safest, highest quality eggs to consumers, but it also strives to produce the feed for its hens in the same manner. Braswell Family Farms operates one of the largest organic feed mills on the east coast and is proud to supply other like-minded producers with nutritious feed for their livestock.
Braswell Family Farms is committed to environmental stewardship, animal welfare, food safety and quality assurance. In addition to being Certified Humane, the family farm has the following certifications: American Humane, United Egg Producers (UEP), Safe Quality Food (SQF), Organic, OU Kosher and ISO 14001.