SWEET FARM FOUNDATION

SWEET FARM,ESTABLISHED IN 2016, INITIALLY BEGAN AS A FARM ANIMAL SANCTUARY. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT OUR FOOD AND CLIMATE SYSTEMS ARE SO DEEPLY INTERTWINED THAT THEIR STORIES CANNOT BE TOLD INDIVIDUALLY. TO DRIVE TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE, OUR CO-FOUNDERS REALIZED IT WAS ESSENTIAL TO CONSIDER ALL ASPECTS OF OUR FOOD SYSTEM AND ITS TIES TO ENERGY, WASTE, AND MATERIAL SYSTEMS. BY 2017, SWEET FARM HAD EXPANDED ITS INITIATIVES TO ENCOMPASS REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE AND TECH & INNOVATION, DRIVING IMPACT FROM LOCAL TO GLOBAL SCALES. AS THE FIRST CLIMATE SANCTUARY, OUR FOCUS REMAINS ROOTED IN FOSTERING CLIMATE-CONSCIOUSNESS AND AMPLIFYING IMPACT THROUGH HOLISTIC, SYSTEMS-BASED APPROACHES.SWEET FARM HAS EXPERIENCED THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE FIRST HAND; EVACUATING OUR ANIMALS DUE TO WILDFIRES IN 2020 AND BEING FORCED TO CLOSE OUR AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS IN 2021 DUE TO CALIFORNIA'S DROUGHT. WITH NO END TO THESE CLIMATE DISASTERS IN SIGHT, IN 2021 WE MADE THE DECISION TO RELOCATE OUR FARM, ANIMALS AND PROGRAMS TO THE MORE CLIMATE SECURE REGION OF UPSTATE NEW YORK. THIS MOVE WAS COSTLY FOR OUR ORGANIZATION, BUT OUR NEWLY BUILT 50-ACRE FARM IS PROVIDING A MORE SUSTAINABLE HOME TO ALLOW US TO GROW THE IMPACT OF OUR PROGRAMS IN THE LONG TERM.OUR EXPERIENCE AS CLIMATE REFUGEES PUTS US IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO CONNECT OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO THE REALITIES OF CLIMATE CHANGE. WE ALWAYS TAKE A PRAGMATIC AND POSITIVE APPROACH IN OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, AMPLIFYING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS THAT CAN MOVE THE NEEDLE FORWARD TOWARDS A MORE COMPASSIONATE AND SUSTAINABLE WORLD.CENTRAL TO OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ARE THE STORIES OF OUR FARM ANIMAL RESCUE ANIMALS ALSO KNOWN AS OUR ANIMAL AMBASSADORS. AS OF 2023, SWEET FARM NOW CARES FOR OVER 100 RESCUED FARM ANIMALS ON THE FARM. THIS YEAR WE RESCUED A MOTHER PIG AND HER THREE PIGLETS FROM A HOARDING SITUATION. A BACHELOR FLOCK OF 15 ROOSTERS JOINED US FROM ANOTHER SANCTUARY. AN EXTREMELY OVERWEIGHT PIG NAMED ELLIOT CAME TO US FROM AN ABUSE CASE AND IS ON A WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM RUN BY OUR ANIMAL CARE TEAM. WE WORKED TO MINIMIZE THE LOCAL FERAL CAT POPULATION THROUGH A WELL MANAGED TNR PROGRAM AND ADOPTION OF NEARLY 20 KITTENS. AND WE HELPED LOCAL WILDLIFE RESCUERS IN SAVING 3 BABY SQUIRRELS AND 7 BABY RACCOONS.IN ADDITION TO THESE RESCUES, SWEET FARM CONTINUED OUR TRANSFORMATIONAL PARTNERSHIP WITH MISSION BARNS. LOCATED IN SAN FRANCISCO, MISSION BARNS IS A FOOD COMPANY CULTIVATING PORK FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEM. ITS PRODUCTS ARE MADE WITH CULTIVATED PORK AND PLANT PROTEIN, REQUIRING ONLY A SINGLE ANIMAL COMPONENT-A HARMLESS STARTER SAMPLE FROM A PIG-WHICH IS FED PLANT BASED NUTRIENTS IN A CULTIVATOR. TWO PIGLETS, NAMED DAWN AND DUSK, PROVIDED A SMALL SAMPLE TO DONATE THE INITIAL CELLS TO MISSION BARNS FOR ITS PRODUCTS, THEN JOINED A PIG SOUNDER HERE ON THE FARM. THIS TRANSFORMATIVE TECHNOLOGY COULD PRODUCE THE SAME AMOUNT OF MEAT AS MILLIONS OF FARM ANIMALS, HELPING TO CREATE A WORLD WITH FEWER GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, REDUCED LAND AND WATER USAGE, AND FREE FROM ANIMAL HARM-ALL WHILE KEEPING US SAFE FROM ANIMAL-BORNE DISEASES. MEANWHILE, DAWN AND DUSK LIVE HAPPY, HEALTHY LIVES AT SWEET FARM. TOGETHER WITH MISSION FARMS, SWEET FARM WILL TELL THE STORY OF HOW THESE TWO PIGS WILL CHANGE THE FOOD SYSTEM FOR THE BETTER.ADDING NEW RESCUES TO OUR SWEET FARM FAMILY WAS DONE THROUGH CAREFUL INTEGRATION. THE CARE OF OUR ANIMALS IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY, WHICH INCLUDES DAY-TO-DAY CARE, MEDICAL CARE AND ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES TO MAKE SURE OUR ANIMALS ARE HAPPY AND HEALTHY. IN 2023 WE ALSO HAD TO CONTEND WITH HIGH COSTS FOR MEDICAL CARE FOR OUR ANIMALS. MANY OF OUR ANIMAL AMBASSADOR SPECIES ARE TRADITIONALLY RAISED FOR FOOD AND NOT FOR LONG LIFE, WHICH LEADS TO A HIGH FREQUENCY OF MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS AS THE ANIMALS AGE.IN 2023, OUR VIRTUAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS REMAINED STRONG WITH WELL-ATTENDED WEBINARS ON THE PHILOSOPHICAL CONSIDERATIONS OF ANIMAL AGRICULTURE, AS WELL AS ZERO-COST AND SMALL-SPACE GARDENING. WHILE IN PARALLEL WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR IN-PERSON EDUCATION. WE DEVELOPED A WIDE VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS RANGING FROM: A) TECH AND INNOVATION TRENDS IN FARMING, B) MUSHROOM CULTIVATION AND FORAGING, C) DEBUNKING PLANT-BASED MYTHS TO INSPIRE PEOPLE TO SHIFT TO A MORE PLANT-BASED DIET, D) BACKYARD COMPOSTING AND WINDOWSILL HERB PLANTING, AND E) KIDS PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON ANIMALS, PLANTS, AND THE PLANET. WE ARE PARTICULARLY EXCITED TO BE DEVELOPING A 4-H CURRICULUM FOR KIDS THAT WILL LAUNCH AS A GROUP IN EARLY 2024. WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE LOCAL 4-H LEADERSHIP TO CREATE A GROUP THAT WILL FOCUS ON LONG-TERM CARE OF FARM ANIMALS AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.OUR TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION PROGRAM REMAINS A CORNERSTONE OF HOW WE SCALE OUR IMPACT GLOBALLY. START-UPS THAT ARE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SWEET FARM HAVE NOW COLLECTIVELY RAISED OVER $500M AND ARE BUILDING PRODUCTS THAT WILL DISRUPT OUR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE SYSTEMS FOR THE BETTER, WITH IMPACT AT A GLOBAL SCALE. IT'S EXCITING FOR US TO SEE SOME OF OUR EARLIEST TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM PARTNERS MAKING THEIR IDEAS A REALITY IN 2023. THIS YEAR INNERPLANT LAUNCHED MAJOR PARTNERSHIPS WITH JOHN DEERE AND OTHERS FOR EARLY SATELLITE BASED DETECTION OF FUNGUS IN CROPS WHICH WILL LEAD TO REDUCED CROP AND REDUCED CHEMICAL USE FOR FARMERS AT SCALE. TURTLETREE ALSO ACHIEVED A MAJOR MILESTONE BY OBTAINING THE FIRST EVER SELF-GRAS STATUS FOR PRECISION FERMENTATION DERIVED LACTOFERRIN ALLOWING THEM TO COMMERCIALIZE IN THE UNITED STATES AND TAKE ANIMALS OUT OF THE PRODUCTION PROCESS. AS CULTIVATED MEAT NEARS ITS FDA APPROVAL AND COMMERCIALIZATION IN THE COMING YEARS, WE EAGERLY ANTICIPATE OTHER SIMILAR PARTNERSHIPS REACHING CONSUMERS' HANDS.IN 2023, OUR REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE PROGRAM IS GROWING ROOTS AS WE BUILD OUT OUR MARKET GARDENS IN NEW YORK STATE. WE HAVE ALREADY PLANTED OVER 1,000 GARLIC BULBS TO OVERWINTER, WITH OVER A THOUSAND PEONY AND DAHLIA TUBERS IN THE GROUND FOR THE FLOWER PROGRAM. WE ALSO HAVE OVER 6,000 HEIRLOOM PLANT SEEDS WARMING IN THE SOIL AT THE GREENHOUSE. WE ARE EXCITED FOR THESE PLANTS TO SHOWCASE THE BEAUTY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY IN OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS NEXT YEAR, WITH THE PRODUCE GOING TO LOW INCOME FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY. THROUGH A GRANT FROM THE ROCHESTER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, THOUSANDS OF PLANT STARTS WILL BE HEADED OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY THIS SPRING TO FAMILIES FACING FOOD INSECURITY.AS WE LOOK TOWARD OUR FIRST FULL YEAR IN ONE OF THE LAST REMAINING CLIMATE-STABLE REGIONS IN AMERICA: THE FINGER LAKES REGION IN UPSTATE NEW YORK, WE SEE OUR VISION BECOMING REALITY. SWEET FARM IS TRULY BECOMING A ONE-OF-A-KIND LOCATION THAT TELLS THE STORY OF A BETTER FUTURE FOR THE PEOPLE, ANIMALS, PLANTS, AND PLANET.