There are many farming systems that are at times hard to navigate when making healthy and sustainable choices. While all these systems aim to improve the quality of the land, they each have their own characteristics.

We break down what Sustainable Agriculture is and all that encompasses it. We have provided brief overviews of some of the main alternative farming systems in the US including Organic Farming, Regenerative Agriculture, Agroforestry, Biodynamic Farming, Permaculture, and different Grazing Systems.

Many labels and claims are in the market today. Some of which are regulated by the US government, some by third-party certifiers, and some that have no meaningful definition at all.

We have outlined Resources to help with insight and education on Grass Fed terms, Organic Labels, local midwestern state resources, constructed easy to understand Animal Welfare guides, and more.

The Midwestern Plate advocates purchasing products from local farmers who use sustainable farming practices and have a high standard for animal welfare. We recommend shopping for products that have third-party verification labels that audit farms and producers to ensure quality and faithfulness to the label’s standards. We help clarify what these labels really mean and what to look for when you are shopping for your family. We offer guidance in the unscrambling of different grass labels in Grass FAQs, differences found in GMO seeds, how to read Organic Labels, and more over in the Resources section.

However, getting certified is not always possible for small farmers as it can be a huge financial hurdle to overcome. Many small farms go above and beyond certification requirements without the label.

It’s important to know your farmer, their values, and how that translates into the products that they offer. You can find tips and resources on what you should be thinking about when choosing a farmer to purchase from here.

Find your local farmer by visiting our Midwestern Food Directory. Farmers tell their stories directly to you through our Podcast, and soon our Midwestern Volumes, By being transparent and precise, you can be certain of the quality of food you bring into your home and on to your plate. Reconnecting people to their food and community while making clear information accessible is important to us. We hope we can be a useful tool on your journey.

We want to be as literal, diligent, and transparent as possible when presenting information on The Midwestern Plate. You can find a list of all the references we used in the creation of information used for this site under References Cited, or under the specific topic you are reading about near the bottom of the webpage.

Education

• Farming System Overviews

• Animal Welfare Guides

• Grazing System Charts

Connection to Farmers

• Food Directory

• Podcast

• Publications

Resources

• On Choosing a Farmer

• Label Updates & Explanations

• Additional State-Specific Resources