I hope this finds you looking forward to at least a little down time with loved ones. It’s been a heck of a year. Like everyone we were heartbroken to see the devastation from the tornadoes and other severe weather earlier this month. The most common response when we checked in with farms was ‘How can I help?’, which tells you a lot about the farms we work with. We appreciate those helping on the ground and will keep working together for resilience in our food system and agricultural communities.

On the outreach side we’ve spent the last few weeks helping folks find AGW-certified foods and gifts–and making sure they know that for every AGW-Certified, Animal Welfare Approved ham, carton of eggnog or cheese dip they bring into their celebrations, they’re supporting independent sustainable farmers, ensuring high-welfare animal husbandry and environmentally sustainable rural communities. Read on for more, and how you can help spread the word.

Year End Office Hours
Greener World will be closed for the holidays from Friday, December 24 through Sunday, January 2. Emails and voicemails will be checked periodically. If you need immediate assistance during this time, please call 800-373-8806. Please plan ahead for any orders of egg cartons, labels or AGW merchandise materials.

Greening the Holiday Season
To help people find resources on how to have a positive impact in their holiday celebrations, here are a few resources you’re welcome to share far and wide: 1) AGW’s online directory of certified farms, brands and products; 2) Our curated Gifting Green list of holiday specials (please note shipping deadlines); 3) Our tips on how to green your holiday season.

Featured Resource: Technical Advice Fact Sheet 20 – Pre-Slaughter Stunning: Why It is Important for Poultry
This technical paper explores the issues of pre-slaughter stunning of poultry. Key topics include minimizing pain and stress at slaughter, evidence of pain and the time to loss of consciousness without prior stunning, and what happens when an animal is stunned.

Sustainable Farming Magazine Subscription Reminder
Notice to print subscribers: We are now transferring all Sustainable Farming Magazine print subscriptions to digital UNLESS you are either an AGW-certified farm or business or you sign up to receive the hard copy ($36/year–also makes a great gift!). This change helps us save valuable non-profit funds.

With best wishes,