Our Story
Ever since I could remember, cows have been special to me. As a child, I would poke my head out of the car window, yelling “mooooo” as we drove past, as if I was saying hello or I love you, and they’d understand. As I got older, I would semi-jokingly tell friends and family that one day, I would buy a ton of land and either put a doggy retirement home on it or start adopting cows to lay in a field and snuggle them all day.
Initially, I saw the declining demand for dairy and cattle as an opportunity to help with rehoming efforts, but as we progressed and had more conversations, our board realized that the cows weren’t the only ones who were caught in this mess – family farmers were going bankrupt, selling off their livelihood, and, even worse, experiencing incredibly high levels of depression and were at great risk of suicide.
We knew we had to do something to help bridge this gap between love for animal-based farmers and their families and love for the animals they farm. So, in January of 2023, Buckeye Pastures was formed. We hope you will join us in our mission to transform lives.
-Melissa, Founder & President
our board
Melissa McWilliams
President & Founder
Chuck Hopper
Secretary
Kim Steward
Treasurer
We are looking for exceptional individuals
who want to make a difference.
You’ve got questions, We have answers
Why Cows?
Dairy & beef cows represent over 70% of the animals used for food and are the most expensive to keep, which makes them difficult to rehome.
Consumption of meat and dairy is rapidly declining, affecting the livelihoods of small family farmers and the workers they employ.
Cows have one of the largest negative ecological impacts in the world as they require the most land, consume incredible amounts of water, and omit some of the most greenhouse gas emissions.
What are your current operating costs?
Right now, we do not have any staff as we are 100% run by our board, and, per our bylaws, our board does not receive income. Current operating costs include items related to technology (website, hosting, etc.) and any fees associated with organizational compliance.
We are completely transparent and always will be. Feel free to contact Melissa, Founder and president, to review any financial questions.
Buckeye Pastures 2023 990-N
Do you have cows I can come visit? Where do they go?
We do not have pastures at the moment. We are focusing our fundraising and outreach efforts on keeping the cows on the land they are currently on and creating a network of fosters and adopters. We are finalizing a long-range plan that will include a capital campaign to find and locate land in the Northeast Ohio region for cows to live.
What do the donations go to help with?
Our first priority is to use the funds raised to hire a part-time Executive Director to take the helm to begin securing grants, fundraising, and working with our officers to develop a well-rounded, fiscally responsible board of directors. Additionally, we will continue to grow our fundraising efforts to provide grants and resources to farmers who keep the cows on their land, as well as to long-term fosters.
Curious to learn more?
Have a question that isn’t listed? Let’s chat!
We are a proud member of the Plant-Based Foods Association.
They are the first and only trade association representing the nation’s leading plant-based food
companies and working to champion, strengthen, and elevate members and the plant-based food industry.