At Farm Sanctuary, we’ve worked for 35 years to bring to light the horrific treatment of farm animals and to end their exploitation. We also acknowledge the interrelated harms caused by today’s exploitative food system on farmworkers and food chain workers across the United States. In honor of World Food Day, let’s take a moment to better understand farmworkers’ experiences.

Jenny pressed her snout against the walls of the crate, choking through the blazing heat for a breath of fresh air. She should have spent this kind of day rolling through the cooling mud, coating each outstretched limb with nature’s sunscreen. But her throat was dry; her cramped legs ached. And nobody knew the little pig needed help.

These mouthwatering plant-based meals are the perfect way to share the love with your friends and family, no matter what time of day.

Dogs are “man’s best friend.” Cats rule our homes—and the Internet. So where do turkeys fit into our lives? Some might argue, “on a plate.” In 2019, the United States slaughtered and processed nearly 230 million turkeys as food. Roughly 20 percent—46 million—were killed just for Thanksgiving, a.k.a. “Turkey Day.” It’s a fate we would never subject to our companion animals. But Thor, Lady Sif, Freyja, Brunnhilde, and Sheila turkeys were companions. Their former owner, a small hobby farmer, refused to let any harm befall them—even though most other farmers would raise them for meat.

In 2018, Farm Sanctuary added 96 acres of neighboring land to our New York shelter. With that expansion came the “Pig Woods”: an improved living space for our rescued pigs more akin to their natural habitat.

A Library of Resources for Pre-K to College and University Educators

35 Sanctuary Moments You May Have Missed

Hans was a young goat, wandering the streets on his own—likely after escaping slaughter. Like the billions of farm animals killed for food each year, Hans did not want to die. Something had lit the fire in his belly, causing him to flee from the life he knew. Maybe he found loved ones on the chopping block. Maybe something felt off and he took that as a sign to bolt. He was worlds away from the comforts of a warm, clean barn and protection from his herd. But he was alive.

All Boots wanted was a family. He was a twin, and his mother only had the strength to feed one lamb, so she had rejected him shortly after birth. To make matters worse, they lived on a sheep farm that breeds lambs for meat.