Husbandry Institute channels its efforts into three complementary and broadly defined approaches. Our activites first seek to contribute to increase the capacity of projects already being implimented. Only after carefull consideration that there is both a need and an opportuinty to develop an original program will HI do so. Throught this process, internal evaluation and collaborative outreach are valued as key componenets of success. Pleae contact us with your questions and comments, we hope to hear from you.

Education and Messaging:

Ask For Change! Campaign (AFC!)
[ www.askforchange.org ]
A wallet-size card helping consumers understand and make the best choices when buying meat in a store or restaurant. AFC! is designed to compliment and contribute to the essential efforts of groups across the country that seek to replace industrial animal agriculture and support sustainable family farmers who raise nutritious, safe meat, with respect for animals and the environment.
more about AFC! »

'Parsing Pork' - A Pork White Paper
[ download .pdf ]
Examines pork husbandry, animal welfare issues, and navigates specific quality claims. Parsing Pork is a resource for both chefs and consumers.

Culinary School Sustainable Food Curriculum
A sustainable food curriculum program offering support resources for current sustainable food education programs in culinary school, as well as providing augmentation resources for the introduction of sustainable food concepts in existing courses.

Front of the House Awareness (FHA)
Multimedia educational program assisting the restaurant industry, especially restaurants providing sustainable fare, in communicating to guests the qualities of the ingredients they offer. FHA materials will include quick and easily communicable information about the issues and benefits. By team up with restaurants who provide sustainably sourced foods and developing a clear, common message for consumers, restaurants will both differentiate themselves, and provide valuable front-line access for increased consumer awareness and demand.

Technical Assistance:                     [ to top ]

Sustainable Food Procurement Initiative (SFPI)
A foundational step in sustainable food procurement, SFPI provides customized support throughout event planning and general food procurement. The goal is to enhance our shared commitment to safe, healthy food and communities, and to sustainable agriculture, society and its development. By increasing institutional food procurement of sustainable farm products, and continuing to develop supply networks and cultivate sustainable purchasing programs with large-scale food distributors, consumers and food providers of all sizes and sorts can begin to gain easy access to family-farmed, sustainable foods.

Partners and Collaboration:           [ to top ]

Eat Well Guide
[ www.eatwellguide.org ]
An on-going effort to assist the Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE) in strengthening this valuable consumer resource by identifying outlets offering meat raised humanely and sustainably by family farmers.

Health Care Without Harm
[ www.noharm.org/food/issue ]
A broad-based coalition of which we are a part, seeking to provide information to health care institutions, hospitals, and their Group Purchasing Organizations (GPO) on food purchasing choices that will improve rather than harm, community health.

Chef’s Collaborative
[ www.chefscollaborative.org ]
Chefs Collaborative works with chefs and the greater food community to celebrate local foods and foster a more sustainable food supply. The Collaborative inspires action by translating information about our food into tools for making knowledgeable purchasing decisions. Through these actions, our members embrace seasonality, preserve diversity and traditional practices, and support local economies.