Iowa Pasture Pig Farmer Honored as Sustainability and Animal Welfare Leader, Champion for Small Family Farms

This week at the Fancy Food Show, Niman Ranch’s Founding Hog Farmer Paul Willis received the esteemed Specialty Food Association Leadership Award for Sustainability. Paul grew Niman Ranch from his one family farm to a network today of over 600 Certified Humane® independent family farmers and ranchers raising pork, beef and lamb sustainably and with no antibiotics, hormones or crates. Niman Ranch meats are served at many of the country’s finest restaurants, at values-driven fast casual chains and in specialty grocers nationwide.

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Paul Willis grew Niman Ranch from his one pasture-based pork farm to a network today of over 600 Certified Humane® independent family farmers and ranchers raising pork, beef and lamb sustainably and with no antibiotics, hormones or crates. (Photo: Niman Ranch)

“Paul Willis shows how the specialty food industry can drive change and build a better, more sustainable food system,” shared Phil Robinson, SVP, Member Development at the Specialty Food Association. “Thanks to Paul’s vision and tenacity—and the support of Niman Ranch customers looking for the best-tasting pork—hundreds of family farmers can make a living raising pigs humanely and sustainably. These qualities are what earned Paul SFA’s 2024 Leadership Award for Sustainability.”

Paul’s involvement in sustainable agriculture began after he graduated from the University of Iowa and joined the Peace Corps where he served in the Northern Region of Nigeria as the Young Farmers Club organizer. He returned to the United States in 1975 to start his own farm in Thornton, Iowa, continuing his family’s legacy as a fifth-generation farmer. As demand for his pork grew—starting in the California Bay Area at restaurants like Chez Panisse and quickly expanding nationwide—Paul added like-minded farmers to the network to help grow supply. The rest is history.

Over the past thirty years, Paul has been and continues to be active in dozens of organizations supporting animal welfare and small farmers. He is a co-founder of Food Democracy Now and was co-author of the country’s first pork animal welfare certification standards. He has worked with organizations ranging from the United Nations to Drake University in Des Moines to improve the lives of animals and the viability of independent family farmers, both in the U.S. and abroad. He is a friend and mentor to many.

It is not uncommon for farmers to tell Paul that were it not for him and Niman Ranch, they would have lost the family farm. Paul is particularly proud to see today second and even third generation Niman Ranch family farms.

Today, Paul continues to be a key voice for Niman Ranch and the initiatives it pursues. He spends his spare time bird watching on his 160-acre native tall-grass prairie, tending to his garden and beloved heirloom tomatoes and advising others hoping to build a better food system. As Niman Ranch’s Farmer #1, he has no plans to stop. “I want to continue to be a spokesperson and an advocate for this type of production, for the farmers and the animals,” shared Paul.

Photos of Paul Willis for media use can be downloaded here. Please credit Niman Ranch.

About Niman Ranch

Niman Ranch is a community of over 600 independent family farmers and ranchers who raise pork, beef and lamb traditionally, humanely and sustainably to deliver the Finest-Tasting Meat in the World®. Niman Ranch is the largest farmer and rancher network in North America to be Certified Humane®. The protein of choice for America’s most celebrated chefs, Niman Ranch is also the premier option for discerning home cooks looking for meats Raised with Care®, with no crates, antibiotics or added hormones—ever.

About the Specialty Food Association

The Specialty Food Association (SFA) was founded in 1952 and is the not-for-profit trade association of the $207-billion specialty food industry. Representing more than 3,600 businesses worldwide, SFA champions industry participation and success for a diverse community of makers, buyers, importers, distributors, and service providers by developing resources, information, education, and events that celebrate innovation and inclusivity.

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