Alternatives to Livestock
Table of Contents
Plant-Based Farming:
Resources for Farmers
Resources for Farmers
Alternatives to Commercial Grazing(PDF) "A guide for farmers in an age of climate emergency and public goods" This document includes information about reducing the animal carrying load of the land to help encourage recovery for the soil and other resources.
Transition Hub of the Rancher Advocacy Program This Texas based organization has helped other livestock farmers transition to greener business models, and has collected resources spanning various topics.
Suggested Alternatives to Livestock Farming
Many of these suggestions are directly copy/pasted from FarmersForStockFreeFarming.org You can click the title of each section to read more about the suggestion FarmersForStockFreeFarming offers, or check out the resources we've added for each option.
Film Shoots
Green Burials
Lazy Beds
‘Leafu’ or Leaf Protein Concentrate Production
Ecosystem Restoration | Rewilding
Ecosystem Restoration Camps "The goal of Ecosystem Restoration Camps is to help local communities establish camps across the world in order to support planetary scale ecological restoration through local action."
Wetlands and Wetland Restoration (USA) "Recommendations of the Wetland Expert Panel for the incorporation of non-tidal wetland best management practices (BMPs) and land uses in the Phase 6 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Model"
SEPA's Engineering in the Water Environment Good Practice Guide, Riparian Vegetation Management (Scotland) "This document is one of a series of good practice guides produced by SEPA to help people involved in the selection of sustainable engineering solutions that minimize harm to the water environment. This Guide provides guidance on the establishment and sustainable management of vegetation in the riparian zone of rivers, lochs and wetlands for the benefit of the environment and people."
Music Festivals
Native Tree Planting
Outdoor Weddings
Polycrubs "Polytunnel/greenhouse hybrid designed in Shetland and built to withstand high wind speeds and the harshest of climates."
Secure Dog Walking Click here for a map of secure fields for dogs in Scotland.
Ecosystem Restoration Camps "The goal of Ecosystem Restoration Camps is to help local communities establish camps across the world in order to support planetary scale ecological restoration through local action."
What is Leafu?
Easement Opportunity
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) for US landowners "protects the agricultural viability and related conservation values of eligible land by limiting nonagricultural uses which negatively affect agricultural uses and conservation values, protect grazing uses and related conservation values by restoring or conserving eligible grazing land, and protecting and restoring and enhancing wetlands on eligible land."
Legumes
The legumes listed in the link above include types that can be grown in Europe, but farmers in places like Africa may want to try alternatives such as Cowpeas which are often used as livestock feed, but are just as nutritious for human consumption.
Seaweed
Seaweed farming boosts eco systems, combats dead zones, protects coastlines, and absorbs carbon emissions.
Programs to Support Farmers
The Dairy Farm Transition (DFT) provides new opportunities to dairy farmers who want to grow organic specialty crops like herbs, fruit, legumes, vegetables, and grains that we will purchase to contribute to our supply chain and R&D efforts.
Archery
Bird Watching
Grass Sledging
Hovercrafting (grass or water)
Kayaking
Paddle-boarding
Paintballing
Painting Classes - Landscaping, flowers, old buildings, mountains, etc.
Segway Hire/Adventures
Speedboat Tours
Straw Bale Maze
Zip wire rides
Art and Craft Holidays
Birdwatching
Den Building
Foraging Workshops
Guided Nature Walks
Wildlife Watching
Anaerobic Digesters
Geothermal/Heat Pump
Solar Panels
Wind Turbines
Children’s Holiday Club
Gin Distilling
Meeting Venue
Mushroom Growing - Be warned that it is vital to have an appropriate ventilation system and safety equipment to reduce the amount of spores that workers inhale. Worker in improperly ventilated grow rooms have reported higher than average rates of respiratory illness.
Pet Boarding Facilities
Renting the Space for special events, classes, social gatherings such as dances, weddings, etc.
Storage Space Rental
Vertical Farming
Wedding Venue
Art Supplies Shop - This could include materials grown on your own land, such as natural dyes and textiles. Products created by local artists could add variety while showcasing how the textiles and/or dyes can be used.
Farmers’ Markets
Farm Shop
Garden Centre
Veg Box Scheme
Vending Machines
Bamboo can be used to make anything from hairbrushes and tooth brushes to sustainable furniture, even clothing and crafts.
Echinacea - Medicinal tea. (USA native)
Essential Oils for example lavender.
Hemp
High Erucic Acid Rapeseed (HEAR) According to StockFreeFarming.org this product pays a higher premium than conventional rape. It has industrial, cosmetic, and food uses.
Linen/Flax Seed
Milkweed (USA native) This is a vital host plant for the
Peppermint
Ramie
Rattan is being unsustainably harvested from the wild, but is otherwise a very strong and sustainable material for furniture, baskets, and more.
Rapeseed Oil
Rosemary
Roses - for flower shops, petals for popori, rose hips, rose teas, etc.
Seaweed/Kelp/Algae - Click here to learn about kelp crofting.
Modern Spirulina Farming Technology - Microalgae Cultivation and Harvest in a Greenhouse 8:33 minute video
Milkweed Info (for US Farmers)
Farmers find a way to turn a profit off milkweed, for the sake of the monarchs "The milkweed makeover began when researchers in Quebec transformed the plant’s silky fibers into a high-end insulation material for winter clothing and advanced other commercial uses for it, like sound insulation and absorption for oil spills. Winter coats stuffed with milkweed fiber reached outdoor retailers in 2016, fetching $800 or more apiece. The Canadian Coast Guard tried milkweed garb and liked it. And as a side benefit, the distinctive honey from milkweed fields is prized."
Farmers for Monarchs "There is a wealth of information out there to help you make your decisions, including several one-page documents created by Farmers for Monarchs outlining several topics for farmers interested in pollinator habitat and conservation. We have also created a shareable postcard about Farmers for Monarchs."
Milkweed Regions & Seed Needs "There are 73 species of native milkweeds in the United States. Many of these species are rare, threatened, and endangered. Monarchs utilize about 30 of these species as host plants with some regularity."
Updated USDA Program Enables Farmers and Ranchers to Help Monarch Butterflies
AirBnB
Farmhouse B&B
Hikers’ / Campers’ Café or Restaurant
Self-Catering
Shepherd Huts
Yurts
Organizations
This section includes organizations working to help farmers transition to eco-friendly alternatives to livestock farming or deforestation.
This Miyoko's program may be international or just for the USA, haven't formally determined which yet.
North America
Oceana
Australia
"AgWe® creates a digital profile for farms to promote their most sustainable farming practices, get recognised for their achievements and rewarded for their environmental work."
South America
Peru
Camino Verde "With over 400 native tree species planted to date, Camino Verde’s reforestation centers and tree nurseries form a one-of-a-kind Living Seed Bank of Amazonian biodiversity. Our database currently includes 663 plant species planted at our centers."
Resources
Africa
Which Crops Have the Most Potential in a Changing Climate? Use the tabs at the top of this site to narrow your search to vegetables, fruit, etc. Includes a colour-blind option in the top right corner.
Maps
Africa
Which Crops Have the Most Potential in a Changing Climate? Use the tabs at the top of this site to narrow your search to vegetables, fruit, etc. Includes a colour-blind option in the top right corner.
Organizations
Europe
UK
Earthwatch Europe’s Farming with Nature Programme "helps farmers to increase sustainability by working with natural processes, using local nutrient cycles and adapting agriculture to local conditions."
Grants & Funding
International
Animal Charity Evaluators "ACE Movement Grants (formerly “Effective Animal Advocacy Fund”) is for anyone who is interested in making the animal advocacy movement more effective."
A Well Fed World "Apply for a grant to support your plant-based feeding, farming and/or advocacy."
Awesome Foundation "Every two months, the Vegan Chapter of the Awesome Foundation grants $1000 to an awesome vegan project, no strings attached."
Beyond Animal "Where investors and vegan businesses meet" "Using technology, for online funding, networking and business services, to accelerate the transition to an economy free of animal exploitation. Our vision: a kinder, cleaner, healthier world."
EA Animal Welfare Fund "The Animal Welfare Fund supports advocacy, research, and movement-building work aimed at improving the wellbeing of nonhuman animals, primarily farmed and wild animals. This includes corporate and policy advocacy, research, and the promotion of alternative products."
Farmed Animal Funders "Our group is open to all individuals and foundations giving more than $250,000 per year to end factory farming."
Lush Charity Pot "Charity Pot grants range from £100, up to a maximum of £10,000 per project/application. The average Charity Pot grant is between £2,000 - £4,000. It is unusual to award the maximum of £10,000, as this reduces the range of projects that can be supported."
The Pollination Project (TPP) "is a vegan foundation that offers seed funding to grassroots activists working to build a kinder, more compassionate world for human & non-human animals.
TPP focuses on early stage ideas and funds individuals directly. Over the years, they’ve seen the power of bottom-up, community-led grassroots activism. Through “pollination philanthropy”– a democratic model of peer-to-peer decision-making — TPP works with a global network of grantees, community partners, and volunteer advisors to identify extraordinary project leaders who, due to the grassroots nature of their work, are often not in a position to receive funding from other foundations or institutions.
They make micro grants 365 days a year to grassroots global change agents and have a growing global community of 4,500 grassroots leaders in 150 countries. They support vegan outreach projects around the world, and have a special program for farmed animal activists in Brazil, India and Mexico. Their goal is to offer not just seed funding, but capacity-building support and connectivity with other activists working in the same geographic or issue area."Pro Veg Grants "We offer financial and training support in vegan advocacy and meat reduction efforts through grants, which fund work to reduce and eliminate animal consumption and through our skill-building accelerators, which offer advocates the skills they need to manage effective organizations and campaigns."
VegFund "offers grants to help you do just that! VegFund accepts applications for funding outreach in three areas: Community Events, Special Projects, and Online Campaigns."
Europe
UK
Lush Charity Pot "Charity Pot grants range from £100, up to a maximum of £10,000 per project/application. The average Charity Pot grant is between £2,000 - £4,000. It is unusual to award the maximum of £10,000, as this reduces the range of projects that can be supported."
Vegan Society "The Vegan Society Grant is open to individuals and grassroots organisations. It exists to support projects which will encourage non-vegans to go vegan and stay vegan. There is no maximum grant, but a typical award is no more than £1,000."
North America
USA
A Well Fed World "Apply for a grant to support your plant-based feeding, farming and/or advocacy."
Eat The Change "ETC Impact™ is a grant program working to promote and expand access to climate-friendly foods. We're donating more than $1.25 million over three years to support a diverse group of changemaking nonprofit organizations."
Vegan Hacktivists: Grants "We connect you with funders providing up to $1,000 USD in seed funding for animal rights activism! We seek individual and grassroots groups whose primary purpose is to help reduce suffering for farmed animals."