FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 29, 2008
CONTACT: Beth Hauptle, (703) 836-4300
www.AnimalWelfareApproved.org
MATTHEW HIGHT’S MACON, NC FARM EARNS ANIMAL WELFARE SEAL
FOR HIGH-WELFARE HOOG PRODUCTION
MACON, North Carolina— Matthew Hight of Macon, North Carolina has recently been awarded the
"Animal Welfare Approved" seal for high-welfare animal husbandry. Animal Welfare Approved is a free accreditation program granted to family farmers who adhere to the high animal welfare husbandry standards outlined by the non profit program. Accredited farms use the Animal Welfare Approved logo on their products, assuring consumers that the animals were raised humanely on pasture and allowed to exhibit natural behavior with minimal environmental impact. Animal Welfare Approved, with more than 600 participating farms, is "setting the standard for how farm animals should be taken care of," according to Robert. F. Kennedy, Jr. This accreditation was recently endorsed by the World Society for the Protection of Animals as having the most stringent animal welfare standards of any third-party certifier.
Matthew Hight is either upholding tradition or bucking convention, but he's doing something right. Hight has just been awarded the Animal Welfare Approved seal for his achievements in highwelfare hog production. The twenty-three year old Macon native has been farming his whole life, and is continuing that tradition on land that has been in the family for generations. All in all, his family farms about 800 acres. They run a diversified operation, incorporating pastured hogs into a corn and soy rotation, along with various other crops. The Hight family is not new to pasture-based management, but has witnessed the trend towards confinement operations and market consolidation.
"My family raised hogs on pasture until 1996. Then the bottom fell out of the market, and pork prices went to 8 cents a pound," says Hight. The Hight family took a break from raising pigs for ten years, until Matthew decided to try it again. He now runs a 20-sow farrow-to-finish operation entirely on pasture. A new consumer awareness of animal welfare and environmental issues, as well as taste, has expanded the market for high-welfare livestock and opened new niches. Hight saw the Animal
Welfare Approved seal as a way to tap into this growing trend. "It opens up new markets and opportunities, and it's a good standard to base production on."
Hight markets his hogs primarily to Whole Foods Market and Weaver Street Market, but would also like to do more direct marketing through buying clubs and farmers' markets. Marketing is often a challenge for niche farmers far away from their target markets, but Hight is thinking about creative ways to approach this. He likes the buying club model, where consumers can buy directly from the
Animal Welfare Approved is a Program of the Animal Welfare Institute
P.O. Box 3650, Washington, DC 20027 | (703) 836-4300 | www.AnimalWelfareApproved.org

farmer, either choosing by the cut or buying variety packs that highlight some of the lesser-known cuts of meat.
Hight is one of many recent North Carolina farmers to receive Animal Welfare Approved status.
In order to be awarded this seal, farmers must adhere to husbandry standards developed by a board of scientists, farmers, and other experts on sustainable livestock production. Compliance is audited annually, and processing plants are also reviewed to ensure low-stress processing. For pigs, Animal
Welfare Approved standards include access to pasture, no subtherapeutic antibiotics, access to fresh water and nutritious food, and the space and environment to express their natural behaviors.
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OTHER NEWS
GRANTS FOR FARMERS: The Animal Welfare Program is pleased to announce a new initiative that will offer grants of up to $10,000 for the sole purpose of improving animal welfare on farms. Current
Animal Welfare Approved farmers and those who have applied to join the program are eligible to apply for these grants. A farmer may submit a proposal for one or two different projects, for a total maximum grant of $10,000. Grants will be awarded based upon the projects’ potential to deliver the greatest benefit to farm animals. In order to receive a grant, applicants must meet the eligibility requirements, submit an application and a budget by October 15, 2008, and propose a project that meets the purpose of this program. All applications will be evaluated by a review panel.
Examples of eligible projects include conversion of buildings; fencing and paddock division; silviculture; improvement of water services; mobile housing; farm planning, farm health visits from recognized practitioners; alternative identification methods; alternative genetics; innovative chick transportation; alternatives to antibiotic use; and improvements in the slaughter process. Eligible costs include design fees, contractor costs, materials, slaughter equipment, new mobile housing, and incubators.
Guidelines and an application form are available at www.AnimalWelfareApproved.org or by contacting Julie Munk at (703) 836-4300.
ALFRED STATE COLLEGE (ASC) AND THE ANIMAL WELFARE INSTITUTE (AWI) ARE PLEASED TO
ANNOUNCE A PARTNERSHIP TO ESTABLISH PIONEER FARM, a model farm to be operated by the college in accordance with AWI’s Animal Welfare Approved standards. It will focus on teaching grazing systems and animal husbandry practices that enhance land use and animal well-being. In addition to providing a grant to support Pioneer Farm operations, AWI will provide funding for a minimum of eight annual scholarships for college students who demonstrate interest in high welfare husbandry and grazing systems.
Pioneer Farm will include 40 cleared acres of pasture, hay, and small grain fields for animal husbandry;
50 acres of woodlot; animal housing; pasture fencing, watering, and feeding systems; equipment for cleaning barns, producing crops, and other farm operations; and classroom and laboratory space. The farm grounds are located within the Alfred State College Farm Laboratory, but managed separately from other Alfred State College animal operations. Additionally, the Center for Organic and Sustainable
Agriculture (COSA) will provide organizational assistance to faculty experts interested in participating in workshops on organic production, local food systems, and sustainable energy technologies.
Programming at Pioneer Farm will include courses in managed grassland agriculture and silviculture
(woodland production) and the practical implication of high animal welfare.
Animal Welfare Approved is a program of the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI). The Animal Welfare
Approved program and food label promote the well-being of animals and the sustainability of humane family farms, uniting conscientious consumers with farmers who raise their animals with compassion.
Animal Welfare Approved is a Program of the Animal Welfare Institute
P.O. Box 3650, Washington, DC 20027 | (703) 836-4300 | www.AnimalWelfareApproved.org