What is important about preserving independent family farms and ranches?
Niman Ranch is proud to support more than 650 sustainable U.S. family farms and ranches. We believe that saving America’s family farmers and ranchers is vital to our nation’s future. People who own the land they’re working and living on have a greater stake in protecting the long term health of their land and the welfare of their animals than absentee industrial operators. In the case of pork, raising hogs in the U.S. has shifted from small and medium family farms to large factory-style contract farms. This trend is illustrated by a few key facts. In 1950, the number of hog farms in the U.S. was approximately 3 million. In 1998, there were fewer than 100,000 hog farms, but the number of hogs produced was about the same. The number of cattle ranches has also dwindled in recent years and, combined with soaring land prices, this way of life is rapidly disappearing. Most cattle ranchers today must sell their calves to large companies and have no influence over how they’re treated or where
