In sheer number of mink farms, Franklin, Idaho is near the top of the list. What is also exceptional about the town is that many of the farms are “micro-farms”, backyard operations that appear to house less than a few thousand mink (very small by current mink farming standards). Most of these farms are clustered in a residential area that doubles as downtown Franklin (less than a mile from the Utah border). The name and specific address of one of these farms was a mystery, but recently Coalition Against Fur Farm has obtained specifics: WHITEHEAD MINK RANCH, LLC Owner: JERRY WHITEHEAD 205 S 200 E FRANKLIN, ID 83237 View the business filing with the state of Idaho here....

Coalition Against Fur Farms has received a report about a possible fur farm first reported in The Blueprint 2010 Supplement. The farm was reported as having lynx and bobcats. Both of these animals command more money as pets than they would for their pelts; and most bobcat and lynx farms breed the animals for pets, not fur. The report states that the animals on the George Lentz farm in Kalispell, Montana appear to be extremely domesticated. The cages are said to be very close to Whitefish Stage Road. There are six bobcat and two lynx held at the farm, and it is believed they are being raised for pets. The farm in question is: George Lentz 1920 Whitefish Stage Road Kalispell, MT 59901 Notes: Bobcat and lynx...

Coalition Against Fur Farms has received a report that United Farms in Graham, WA imprisons more than mink – they have a wolf. The report states that a large pen on the edge of the property holds a female breeding wolf. This is the farm that was reported in an old fur farming magazine to, at one time, imprison “twelve species of fur bearing animals”. It is not known the extent of the species currently held at United Farms, however this confirms the farm has an interest in exotic species. Presently, only mink and the wolf are confirmed to be at the farm. Submit any more info on United Farms to whistleblower [at]...

Relatively recently, Dr. Austin Larsen took over veterinary research duties at the Fur Breeder’s Agricultural Cooperative based in Sandy, Utah. As detailed in an earlier post, that plant is closed after a fire, and it is not known how this has affected research operations (the property also has feed research facilities that may or may not still be in operation). The FBAC has an additional plant in Logan, Utah. A previous head vet at the feed plant was imprisoned for child...

These addresses were recently added to www.finalnail.com. The Coalition Against Fur Farms site exists, in part, to track all changes and updates to this site. Recent additions: North Star Fur & Trading 12515 Morris Trail Marine on Saint Croix, MN 55047 Phone: (651) 433-2803 Fax: (651) 433-2804 Web: www.northstarfur.com Contact: Jim Rosenwald, Jon-Paul Rosenwald Notes: Wild fur buyer. Manufactures “ranch mink handling gloves”; advertises in fur industry publications. Chuck LaCourt N2795 Shore Drive Marinette, WI 54143 Contact: Charles & Sharon LaCourt Notes: Located north of Rader Road. Entrance to farm is just south of the Shore Crest bar. Whalen Foods Inc. 584 Bavaria Lane, Suite 200 Chaska, MN 55318 Phone: (866) 547-6510 or (952) 368-6077 Fax: (866) 432-3189 or (952) 368-6046 Web: www.whalenfoodsinc.com Notes: Supplies ingredients for mink feed; advertises in fur industry publications. Wayne A. Sieverding 36414 130th Street Dundee, MN 56131 Phone: (507) 425-3205 Contact: Wayne & MaryAnn Sieverding Notes: Fox farm. Located at the end of 130th Street, on West Graham Lake. Autumn River Fur Farm W5379 Eagle Road Juneau, WI 53039 Phone: (920) 386-2990 Contact: Mike & Marion Mclay, David McLay Notes: Mink farm. Located 1/2 mile west of State Hwy. 115, south side of...

An issue of the fur farming newsletter “Fur Farm Letter” lists the winners of a recent fox pelt contest. Most of the names are familiar entries on existing fur farm lists, however three fox farmer names were new: Tim Allaman. Lloyd Bussiere Lyle Reap These names are not familiar to Coalition Against Fur Farms, and are not associated with any known fur farms. Very little is known about fox farming, and fox farms are generally small backyard operations with very little paper trail to trace. We believe the above names are the owners of previously unknown fox farms. If you have any information about the location of this fur farm, please submit to whistleblower [at]...

For those with a serious interest in fur farming science, download a PDF file of 23 reports from the Danish Fur Breeders Research Center.  

An internal document titled “SYNOPSIS OF FCUSA’s PROGRAMS”  reveals the makeup of the Fur Commission USA, the largest fur farming organization. Much of the information outlined in this document is not widely known. Among the details revealed in this 2-page document: *Their public relations work *Their (bizarre) charity work called “Furry Friends” *Pro-fur farming lobbying effort, “Fur Wraps the Hill” *Grants *Legislative Monitoring *An email list called “AgRights” *Farm certification (the foxes watching the henhouse) *”Ranch Services” (vet support for fur farms) *Their “neighborhood watch” program, monitoring the work of activists. *Newsletters they publish Download the PDF here. Or read the full text of the document below:   “SYNOPSIS OF FCUSA’s PROGRAMS Education/Public Relations FCUSA communicates to a variety of audiences by a range of methods. Our primary method is the Internet, and our main vehicle is the website furcommission.com. Page views annually range from 300,000 to half a million. Found here are an extensive Press Kit section featuring statistics and general info on the fur industry, key articles and opinion pieces, plus special features grouping key info on hot issues of concern to the media. Special features include eco-terrorism (Safe Farms) and the misuse of tax-exempt status to promote eco-terrorism (Regulating the Conflict Industry), essentially the public face of our Fair Business Practices Program (Red Flag Reports). Other special features cover the European Union, and the domesticated dog/cat fur issue. Fur farming videos are located in our Fur on Film section, while our Education section offers a host of materials for teachers. Our password-protected Members’ section includes items of interest to farmers but its eco-terrorism library is also of great value to law enforcement. FCUSA also maintains maninnature.com which focuses on the broader issues of sustainable use and helps with general coalition-building. Furry Friends A valuable promotional and coalition-building tool for FCUSA is our Furry Friends program of teddy bears made from donated pelts and fur garments. Please remember us if you have damaged pelts or old coats to donate! Fur wRaps The Hill Fur wRaps The Hill is a grassroots lobbying effort focused on two issues: trade and eco-terrorism, as addressed by our elected federal representatives. This is a joint project of...