Support Humane Farming Caitlin Drennen Today, most farms are no longer what they used to be.  The idyllic image of cows grazing in the field with their calves, chickens scratching around the yard, and pigs rooting around outside is a thing of the past.  Instead, the vast majority of farms have become factories, where animals are treated like machines rather than as living beings capable of suffering.  And like factories, these farms aim to produce as much as possible, in the shortest amount of time, and at the lowest cost.  This efficiency is achieved by confining the animals to cages, crates, and feedlots, all of which severely reduce the amount of space the animals have to live and to fulfill their natural desires.  In addition, they are often given growth hormones to unnaturally accelerate their development so they can be slaughtered sooner, and antibiotics to avoid the spread of disease in these horrid conditions.  These animals are handled by workers who often mistreat and abuse them, killing the sick ones inhumanely or leaving them to die of starvation. Fortunately, there is a movement to get back to methods of farming that take the needs of animals into consideration when possible.  Products that display the Certified Humane logo guarantee that the animals were never restricted to cages or crates, allowing them sufficient space to express some of their natural behaviors and to live more comfortably.  The logo also assures that they had ready access to clean water and nutritious food, that antibiotics or hormones were never administered, and that the animals were handled by trained workers.  There are different certification groups, including Certified Humane and The Humane Touch.  Other labels include “cage-free,” which ensures that eggs came from laying hens that were not kept in battery cages (small wire cages that house 4-5 birds each).  “Free-range” eggs come from hens that were not kept in cages, and have some access to the outside.  To ensure even higher standards, it is best to buy from small, local farms. While they may not have any certification, their small size allows them to avoid the more intensive practices seen on larger farms.  New Morning is dedicated to providing our customers with products from such farms that are committed to humane practices, and has made efforts to ensure they have appropriate animal welfare standards.  These farms include Grey Ledge, Laurel Ridge, Stone Ridge, Murray’s Chicken, Arethusa, and many more.  If you would like to know more about these farms and their practices feel free to ask us at the store - we would be more than happy to answer all of your questions.  Top image: Arethusa Farm, Litchfield Middle, Bottom: Ox Hollow, Ridgefield