In partnership with Vital Awareness, this year’s conference includes a farm tour of White Oak Pastures in Bluffton. The agenda is here.

MISSION

• To connect farmer to farmer: to bring humane livestock farmers together so each can learn from their peers through workshops and seminars about best practices for pasture raising and humane handling of livestock, and raise a good end product.
• How to increase the market for meat from sustainably/humanely raised livestock through taste and quality so that consumers demand meat from pastured animals as opposed to ‘factory meat’.  Many consumers prioritize taste and quality over moral/ethical concerns, especially if they have to spend more for humanely produced meat, dairy, and eggs – so humanely produced protein has to be worth their dollars.
• To hold workshops on marketing and best business practices, and to help farmers increase their market and sales so that humane farming methods can become profitable, otherwise it ends here!
• To create a community amongst like-minded farmers – for farmers to come together to share ideas in farming practices and business practices.
• To bring farmers and processors together to discuss best practices in humane processing and provide information and ideas as to how humane processing facilities can be readily sourced and implemented, including mobile processing unit shares.
• To hold seminars for consumers that focus on how, where and what to purchase to ensure they have access to clean meat of the highest standards in animal welfare.
• To foster relationships between farmers and consumers (individuals and businesses).
• To build a permanent body for Southeastern Sustainable Livestock, that will support farmers and educate consumers, and serve as a platform for a working network of humane and sustainable farming in the Southeast.