Leaving CAFOs Behind: Diverse Opportunities for Independent Family Farms - JFAN Annual Meeting

Two different farming families share what it took to transform their CAFOs into two, completely different independent, sustainable farming operations.
Tim, Deleana and Curt Roseland, owners of the Roseland Family Farm discussed how and why they retrofitted three CAFO buildings and built a series of hoop houses to raise hogs for Niman Ranch.
Tanner Faaborg, founder and manager of 1100 Farm talks about how he converted his family's former 2200-head CAFO growing hogs for Iowa Select into a specialty mushroom farm.
Ron Mardesen, Niman Ranch farmer, mentor and spokesperson, shares the findings of a 2019 Iowa State University report on how much Niman Ranch’s independent livestock producers contribute to Iowa’s economy.
Kara Shannon, Director of Farm Animal Welfare Policy at the ASPCA, gives a brief overview and status report of the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act being negotiated in the Farm Bill that could hurt farmers like the Roselands and Mardesen.
An audience Question and Answer session followed the presentations.
Introduction
The Roseland Family
Ron Mardesen
Tanner Faaborg
Jocelyn Engman
Kara Shannon
Question and Answer Session

[@madilinkenmeyer]

Excellent stories from Iowans. They give me hope.