Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, wants to end the country’s reliance on factory farming and make America healthy again. In our last article, we considered whether small scale farming can produce enough meat to replace industrial agriculture. Now, let’s look at whether small scale farming can produce food that’s truly healthier. By “healthier”, we mean greater nutritional value, fewer chemical residues, and more sustainable and humane practices.
Healthier Food Through Ethical Animal Husbandry
Did you know that the ethical treatment of animals can affect the quality of meat? As Will Harris of White Oak Pastures Farms explains in the video below, “humane animal treatment means allowing the animal to express instinctive behaviors”. For example, cows instinctively roam and graze. They weren’t meant to stand in a feedlot. Yet cows on factory farms live in crowded, stressful environments that increase their risk of disease and lead to heavy antibiotic use.
Pasture-raised animals such as cows and chickens produce meat that is both more humanely raised and nutritionally superior. For example, grass-fed beef contains higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and antioxidants such as vitamin E compared to grain-fed, industrially raised beef. Similarly, eggs from pasture-raised hens typically contain more vitamin D, vitamin A, and lower cholesterol levels.
Plus, because small-scale farmers avoid the routine use of antibiotics and growth hormones, the resulting meat carries fewer chemical residues. The overuse of antibiotics in industrial agriculture has been linked to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a threat to public health. By limiting antibiotic use and focusing on prevention through proper animal care, small-scale farms can reduce this risk while producing meat that is both healthier and safer.
Nutrient-Rich Vegetables Through Regenerative Practices
Many small-scale farms use regenerative or organic growing practices, which enrich the soil and, in turn, the crops grown in it. Soil health is the foundation of nutritional quality in vegetables. Healthy soil that’s teeming with microbes and organic matter can enhance the availability of essential nutrients to plants, such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, and trace minerals. As Jeff Lowenfels, author of several award-winning books about organic growing and soil health told us, success is truly a “team effort”.
Industrial farms typically rely on synthetic fertilizers, which can produce high yields but degrade soil structure and microbial life over time. These methods often strip the soil of its natural fertility, leading to nutrient-depleted produce. By contrast, small-scale farmers often practice crop rotation, composting, and cover cropping. All these practices support soil health and, in turn, the nutritional value of crops.
Today, many small-scale farms are also more likely to grow heirloom and diverse vegetable varieties rather than focusing solely on high-yield hybrids. This contributes to a richer diet for consumers and can provide higher levels of certain phytonutrients and antioxidants, which are essential for long-term health and disease prevention. Ultimately, however, whether small scale farming can make America healthy again isn’t just about farmers. It’s also about consumer preferences.
That’s the subject of our next article in this series.