Robin's Nest from American Humane - Haley Grimes, Director, Farm Program Operations at American Humane

Episode Date: April 15, 2024

In this episode of Robin's Nest, Georgia Boyer talks with Haley Grimes, Director of American Humane’s Farm Program Operations. American Humane is a leader in improving animal welfare in agriculture and has created standards in concert with a Scientific Advisory Committee comprised of leading experts in agriculture, species-specific animal behavior, and ethics. Certified farmers create an environment that fosters the mental and physical well-being of animals by providing, among other things, appropriate space, lighting, air quality, food, and water to their animals.

Welcome to Robin's Nest. So many of us have a deep connection with the animals around us and want to protect them from the pets in our homes to endangered species in the wild. That's why I joined American Humane. As one of the oldest and most effective animal protection groups, we help billions of animals around the world. Join us as we explore how we can build a more humane world together. Today's episode is hosted by Georgia Boyer, my communications colleague at American Humane, who is a longtime animal lover. I'm so excited to introduce you to our guest, Haley Grimes. Haley has been with American Humane for the past six years and serves as the director of American Humane for the past six years

and serves as the director of American Humane's Farm Program, the country's first and largest independent third-party farm animal welfare certification program. Let's listen to her conversation with Georgia. Haley, welcome to Robin's Nest. Thank you so much for joining us today. We're so happy to have you. Thanks so much for having me. I'm excited to talk about our farm program. Yes. Let's just jump right in and start from the beginning because I feel like what you do is very unique. So how did you fall into this profession? Great question. So I've been in the farm space and agriculture space basically my

entire life. I actually come from a farming family. We have a national bicentennial farm, so it's been in our family for over 200 years. I'm actually the ninth generation and now I'm teaching the 10th generation of family farmers. So it's really rewarding the opportunity to get to work with the animals directly and have that background on agriculture and how animals are impacted by the different things we do on farm. So it's really led really well into this position at American Humane. In my background, I also went to school for animal agriculture, specifically animal science. I did some meat science and food safety as well. So I really tried to focus on the entire span from conception of the animal to the time it reaches the consumer and really understanding how each point in that process is impactful and how very valuable each person in that process is to creating a wonderful product for consumers. So I had wonderful opportunities to be involved in multiple different species that have a swine background.

used to be involved in multiple different species that have a swine background, did a lot of work with swine farmers and truck drivers and all the folks in between the process. And it's just been so wonderful to be able to bring that to American Humane and apply it as well. Yeah, that's awesome. You're truly, truly an expert in your field. And it started at a very young age. So it's so nice to hear those stories too. There's a job out there for everyone. If you have a passion, you can find something that aligns. So that's so cool. Absolutely. So for our listeners here, you and I know a lot about the farm program because we work at American Humane, but would you mind just taking a step back and explaining the farm program and what you guys do for animal welfare? Absolutely. So I always love to start out with the fact that American Humane was founded around

farm animal welfare. So way back when, over 140 years ago, there was several local groups that banded together around animals in transit. And that point, it would be via railway. The local groups felt like there needed to be some sort of guidance towards how long an animal could be transported before it had to be allowed to have access to feed, water, and rest. And those local groups actually banded to what became the National Group of American Humane, and it would eventually lead to the 28-hour law in livestock transportation. So even though our certification program as it stands now started in 2000. We've been in the space over 140 years. So I love to point that out. Obviously, American Humane went on to grow and expand into different areas. And we brought our official certification program for farm on in 2000. So we're in the 23rd

year, which is very exciting. It's awesome to see how it's grown over time from, you know, the first few farms onboarding to now a large portion of the animal agriculture industry covered under our third party certification. And we actually now certify over one billion animals in the space. So it's really wonderful to see it grow and see that commitment grow by the folks that are in the industry. Yeah, that's wonderful. Wonderful. And then as far as delving a little bit more into the animal welfare piece of it, what are some aspects that you guys cover with the certification? Yeah, absolutely. So we have standards on a variety of different species. We work with a variety of different species. They're actually all very transparent. Our tools are transparent.

You can actually go on our website, which is humaneheartland.org, and you can see the actual audit tools that are going to be completed on farm by our auditors. And basically they include a variety of different topics has to do with lighting and air and environment and handling and everything. Basically, you can imagine to create a great environment for the animal that we're auditing. So it's really a focus and a dedication of producers to animal well-being, animal care, and animal health, which can be achieved in a variety of different settings. So we have a wide group of producers, everything from your small family farms to companies like Butterball and everything in between. It truly is their dedication to animal welfare and focus

on animal care that's at the top priority in order to become certified and meet the standards that we have for our program. So again, a wide set of standards are each different for each species. There's some things that tie in from species to species like record keeping and things of that nature. But we have specifics, whether it's lighting, thinking about the lighting for specific birds. You know, I think the biggest challenge is to keep in mind that we need to be constantly considering what is truly best for the animal. We as humans might perceive something some way, but that's not the way the animal technically sees it. So birds see lighting very differently from us. So we're always trying to look at what is the best environment for the

bird. So it's a really wonderful program. We have a scientific advisory committee that helps us guide our seniors and keep up to date with new technology, new research, new equipment, all of that stuff, making sure we're keeping on task and on focus with stuff that's coming up so we can reflect that in our seniors and continuously improve over time. So it's, again, a really robust program considering the variety of species that we work with. And then our program is third-party audited. So we work with third-party audit groups to go out and complete our audits. It's not American Humane ourselves that's doing the audit. We work with very experienced auditors, which is wonderful

because they know the animals well, they know the equipment well, and they're really great to be able to go in there and assess the welfare of the animals. So, you know, once that audit is done, it comes back to our team. We review it, make sure to follow up on any needed items, and then certification is issued. And then there's a revisit every year annually thereafter to maintain certification. Yeah, that's wonderful. There's just so much that goes into it that goes, that happens behind the scenes. Correct. And it does take a huge team to do it. Absolutely. That's great. Now, do you have some good examples of some certified producers that you've worked with and how they've helped with

animal welfare? Absolutely. I think the biggest thing that's kind of lost in the picture for a lot of consumers is that connection back to the farm. And it's unique for us because we get to work with them every day, but to get to connect with those farmers and ranchers and producers and processors on their care for animals and what they do and how passionate they are behind that. So I've just in my time at American Humane and in my agriculture background, I've heard such amazing stories of producers and what they're doing to care for their animals. We've received wonderful feedback about implementing our standards on farm and what that meant not only for the animals, but that people further down the line could see

the impact as well overall on production and many other factors in addition to the wonderful improvement in animal welfare. So that's just one story there. We work with a wide variety of families and companies, and there are several companies we have where people will stay on board with that company for generations. So it's not just the one individual. They are there, their parents are there, their grandparents work for them because they love the company so much and they care about what they're doing and they care about the animals. We even had one producer that fell off his roof and broke his back and modified a wheelchair so that he could make sure that he could get in to see his birds every day. So these are the stories that unfortunately don't always make it to the consumer to help connect them with the producers that are in the farmers and ranchers that are making and caring for the birds behind what they purchased at the store.

And it's cool for me to be able to go to the grocery store and see product with our American Maine certified logo on it. And it's fun for me to show my kids and say, I've been here, I've been to this farm. I know these farmers, I know these ranchers, I know the folks behind this label, and they're wonderful. And I'm so excited to be able to purchase that product. I mean, at any given time, my refrigerator and my freezer is filled with American Humane certified product. But I'd love to get to a point where consumers can feel that excited too. And they should be able to feel excited about, you know, filling their carts with certified product, what I know has been held to a certain standard with American Humane and our third-party auditing. Yes, absolutely. And now, Haley, remind me how long you've been at American Humane now? So about five and a half years.

It's been five and a half years, but you've been in the industry essentially your entire life? Pretty much, pretty much. It seems like just yesterday, the industry is always constantly moving and adapting and changing. I think a lot of people get the picture of farm in their mind, but it's amazing what the agriculture industry is doing in terms of technology and science and research.

And it's changing. I feel like nobody I don't think can ever consider themselves the exact expert in the field because it's ever. I feel like nobody I don't think can ever consider themselves the exact expert in the field because it's ever morphing. Right. So it's been fun for American Humane for us to be a part of that too. Are there areas where we can look at where there's maybe opportunities for us to be a part of that conversation and help elevate animal welfare and look at new science so that we can continue to improve the lives of animals on farms and regions? And then also looking at the technology, you know, technology is wonderful to be able to

improve care of animals and track different data so that we can continuously improve as well. So it's ever morphing, but it's been so fun to be a part of that. It's constantly a state of learning, which is wonderful. And I so appreciate the opportunity to learn from everybody because there's so much expertise out there. Yeah, absolutely. And so over the years, with all the changes that are going on within the industry, what are some of the things that are the most challenging that you've come across? Sure. Yeah, there's quite a few challenges. I'd say some of the bigger ones we see, and it happens in multiple different species groups as well, is shifts in production. So what you would have seen from a swine standpoint when they moved from gestation stalls to what's

considered open pen, or if they would have in the egg industry moving from cage production to cage free production. And the biggest thing is not only the changes in the equipment and everything that's changed out in the farm, but there's also a huge change in management and training. So it's a big hurdle for folks to overcome, especially when they're first making that transition, but it's definitely the way the industry is moving. So how we help to help producers and provide resources for them to make that change and adapt to the changing environment. And then also we see a lot of movement in terms of like state requirements and what different states are doing coming up with different regulations. How do we help and assist producers and processors and farmers and ranchers navigate those changes? How can we be a resource for them? And fortunately,

we've had the wonderful opportunity to work with multiple different states as they're looking into these different items and goals that they've set and be a resource for them and highlight our program and how we've been in the space for quite some time. And it's been a really wonderful opportunity to work with our producers on that front as things are continuing to shift. And a lot of that truly comes from consumer behavior. So what the consumers are asking for. We've really seen a shift over the past 10 years in the purchasing of products and how important animal welfare is. So what would have been like, oh, it's a nice to have has now shifted to I expect it.

And I think everybody in the industry understands that. And they really want to meet that goal for the consumer because they know that they want to provide, you know, that opportunity for their producer to purchase products that have that third party certification for animal welfare. And, you know, that shift has been really interesting to see across the board and how it impacts the animal ag industry and making sure that we're keeping up to date with all the changes and making sure that it is truly an improvement for the animals. Again, going back to really elevating animal welfare and improving it. So, you know, it's been an interesting change,

but American Humane is excited to be here along for the ride and offer up ourselves as a resource for those that are navigating that space. Right. It's been a positive trend for sure. Right. So where could the everyday listener go to if they wanted to find out more information on the farm program or just to educate themselves a little bit more on farm and animal welfare? selves a little bit more on farm and animal welfare. Absolutely. The ag industry has really been focusing on putting a lot more resources out there, especially in terms of sustainability. That's a big goal for a lot of different groups out there, whether it's the ag industry themselves, if it's the consumers, everybody's pushing towards that goal of sustainability. So there's been a huge amount of effort put towards that throughout the industry to really make that move for

consumers. And there's a lot of great resources out there throughout the industry to really make that move for consumers. And there's a lot of great resources out there when it comes to state sustainability. Animal welfare is a huge piece of that sustainability puzzle, you know, as we're looking at different factors that tie into sustainability. And I would definitely recommend that they visit our website, humaneheartland.org. It has all the information on our program, information on our scientific advisory committee, some of the different materials we've put out to update on what's going on in the industry. AmeriHumane has also done some really great outreach and YouTube videos.

There was an Age in Action series that talks in depth about our farm program. We actually had the opportunity to interview several of our producers and get their stories and why they care so much about the animals that they raise. And I would definitely direct folks, if you haven't checked out our YouTube channel, be sure to do so. That's wonderful. Yes. Now, Haley, let us know, what is your favorite farm animal, since you're always around the farms? I love that question. And it's so funny, because my daughter, she'll come in and she'll ask me this like every day. Okay, which one's your favorite? Which one's your favorite?

I feel like it's a test that I've never fully prepared or studied for, but it's constant. So I love that question. And I'm so hard pressed. Each one has their own unique, you know, wonders about them. We have cattle here. My family has cattle. So I have appreciation and love for cattle. I also work with pigs. And I used to be in with pigs every day. There were times where I wouldn't see a single human. I was just with pigs. And I can't say I loved it. You know, I do miss being in pigs all the time. But that's the beauty about American Maine is we work with a variety of different animals. So some days I might be in a poultry barn for eggs. The next day I might be on a swine barn and or I could be here at home working with my cattle. So I'd say it's probably a toss up between pigs and, you know, cattle there. So, yeah, it's really interesting to see. And what's really cool is just to see the commitment that farmers and ranchers have towards their animals and engagement with their animals. And, you know, a lot of people don't realize that farmers and ranchers, actually,

many of them have full-time jobs. So this is what they do on the side. Or they might have multiple animals. So they might have dairy cattle and they might have poultry and a combination of the two. So it's really going above and beyond just the general every day, go to job, you know, nine to five and then come back home. They might be going to their job and they have to get up really early in the morning to go feed their animals and check on five and then come back home, they might be going to their job and they have to get up really early in the morning to go feed their animals and check on them and then come back home and spend more time in the afternoon feeding and checking on them. And then, you know, it might be eight o'clock before they actually get to sit down for a meal and then spend time with their family. So it really is a huge dedication on their part to be able to do that

and care and really want to provide wholesome food for consumers. Can you talk to us about the different size farms that you work with that American Humane works with? Yeah, absolutely. So we could be working with a very, very small dairy that has maybe 50 cattle. And then we work with some larger companies that have multiple farms. I think a lot of people don't realize that many of even those larger companies still have small family farms behind them. So it's a lot of the still the small families that have the livestock locations that would eventually move animals into that company. So it's really a relationship that they have with those larger groups to produce those animals. So a wide variety, you know, there's always different

personalities, which is so fun. I think that's that's part of the uniqueness of the job. Everybody has a story. That's some of my favorite part of getting to meet with producers. They have a world of experience seeing what happens on farm. And that's another big piece for us, too, is we're so focused on science and we really want to make sure science is also reflected on farms. So there's a big piece there to say there's a lot of academic research that's being done and there's a really a lot of research and ingenuity that's happening on the farm. And how do we bring those two together? And American Humane is in a really unique position to be able to be part of that conversation and connect that communication so that we can improve the lives of animals and keep in mind how does what's happening in the academic realm and the research realm actually apply on farm and how can we use it to continually improve the lives of animals. So that's been another really fun piece of being

part of that puzzle at American Humane. Yes, and I think it's a key piece that sets us apart from everyone else. As a consumer, when you go into the grocery store, there are so many labels out there right now on the counters and shelves. What should you be looking for as a consumer if you are concerned and care about animal welfare and what products you're consuming? Great question because we get asked it very, very often. We actually take inquiries through our website. So if you have a question, feel free to reach out to us. We'd love to answer that for you. So yeah, I think overall, there's been a huge shift over the past few years in what you're seeing in labeling on the products that you purchase in the grocery store.

And I think there's quite a bit of confusion. There's some labeling out there that's backed by third-party certification and these third-party programs like American Humane and American Humane Certified. There's some individual labeling. And I really think there's been a huge call for consumers to get some clarity around that. What does it mean to be free range? What does it mean to be pasture raised? What is cage free? What is outdoor access? Fortunately for us, all of our stuff is very transparent, available on our website. So you could go in at any point and see what do we hold free range to? What do we hold pasture

raised to? So you can be informed about the products that you're buying. It's really unique and interesting to see from the consumer side. I mean, I find it overwhelming and I'm in the industry and understand it. So I can only imagine from the consumer level how overwhelming it would be to be standing at the grocery case, I'm sure, as multiple people are reaching for eggs or something at the same time to try to figure out what you're wanting to purchase and feed your family. So I definitely appreciate those questions. And I would highly encourage to look up the labels that you're seeing on products and

making sure that they're backed by a program that is independent and third party. If you can find that there's a lot of animal welfare claims out there. There's a lot of claims towards whole hormone usage and all of those things. A big, big important point of that is, you know, there's specific items that are on labels that aren't actually even allowed in products. So it's just really important to make sure that you educate yourself on what products you're purchasing and making sure that the labels make sense to you and what your goal is for purchasing products for your family. So I would highly encourage everybody, take a look. I think most people are very surprised to find out just how much product is American Made and Certified that they can find locally. We

actually did an assessment a couple years ago looking at the retail space and how much product is American Made and Certified. And we were pleased to find out that 10 of the top 12 retailers in North America actually carry American Made and Cert certified products. So it's likely very the case that if you were to go anywhere in the US and go into a retailer grocery store, you could probably find American being certified product. And you know, that's wonderful for them. Feel free to look for it. It's the yellow sunburst with the red barn. And it has our website underneath, which will direct you to our standards and all that additional information that's really helpful. And do you mind just sharing the website now for the listeners? Absolutely. It's humaneheartland.org. That'll lead you directly

to our farm page and it's connected to our overall American Maine page. So if you get to browsing and learning about farm and you want to learn about more of our programs, feel free to connect to the American Maine page as well. Yes. HumaneHeartland.org. Correct. For everyone listening. All right. Well, Haley, thank you so much for joining Robin's Nest today. It was a joy to talk to you. You're definitely an expert in the field and your knowledge is so important for the everyday consumer to understand what they're purchasing when they're at the grocery store. So we value you. I love working with you. And thank you for joining us today.

Thank you so much. I appreciate being here today. Thank you so much for being with us today and being part of Robin's Nest. Here's some of my Nest members right here with Mr. Darcy. Special thanks to Georgia for hosting these incredible guests today and being part of Robin's Nest. But most of all, we are grateful for you. Thank you for listening to this episode.

And we look forward to providing more information and content on how we can together build a more humane world. Thank you.