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First, Some Little-Known Labeling
Facts
Natural — Any meat or poultry that
contains no artificial ingredients, coloring, or chemical preservatives
can be called "natural." The term "natural"
has nothing to do with what the animal was fed or how it was raised.
For detailed answers about feeding and animal housing practices,
you must go directly to the producer.
Hormone-free —
Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in poultry or hogs,
whether or not the phrase "no hormones administered" appears
on the product label.
Organic — The new
USDA organic seal (which goes into effect October 21, 2002) will
be a useful and meaningful guide to indicate which farm animals
have been raised organically. For now, organically raised livestock
is certified by independent agencies, which may have varying definitions
of what "organic" means. See the National
Organic Program website for details: www.ams.usda.gov/nop/facts/standards.htm
Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA), Oregon
Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO), and California Certified Organic
Farmers (CCOF), are a few of the more widely-known certifying agencies
which have the kind of organic standards that are traditionally
assumed, such as 100% organic feed for livestock, environmentally
careful farm practices, verifiable third party inspections, and
other stringent guidelines.
Private agencies set their own standards and, for
example, may allow non-organic feed to be used. This is the case
with as Organic Standards, Inc. of Florida, which is the certifying
agency for Springer Mountain Farms chicken, and also happens to
be run by a consultant to Springer Mountain. Currently this is legal,
since there is no regulation of the term "organic." After
October of 2002, Springer Mountain will not be able to label their
chicken as "organic" unless their practices are changed
to the USDA definition of organic.
POULTRY
Misty Knoll Farm
Fresh natural free-range chicken and turkey
RR#1, Box 232B
New Haven, VT 05472
802-453-4748
www.middlebury.net/mistyknoll
Visitors welcome.
No antibiotics, preservatives, or artificial ingredients.
Feed: All grain diet, no animal byproducts
Housing: Raised in open barn with access to pastures, shelter, grain,
and water.
Processed on site in own facility.
Stonewood Farm
All natural frozen Vermont turkey and turkey dogs
(Available fresh during holiday season)
Paul A. and Frances L. Stone
105 Griswold Lane
Orwell, Vermont 05760
802-948-2277
www.stonewoodfarm.com
Visitors welcome.
No antibiotics, preservatives, or artificial ingredients.
Feed: commercial grain and grain by-products only, no animal by-products
of any kind.
Housing: Free range during the day, housed at night.
Processed on site.
Murray’s
All natural chicken
334 Main Street
South Fallsburg, NY
800-770- 6347
www.murrayschickens.com
Visitors welcomed by appointment.
No antibiotics, preservatives, or artificial ingredients.
Fed 100% vegetarian diet with no pesticides.
Free to roam in housing, not free-range outside.
Processed on site.
Applegate
Farms
Deli turkey breast, frozen uncured turkey dogs, and natural beef
burgers
10 County Line Rd, #22
Branchburg, NJ 08876
(866) 587 5858
www.applegatefarms.com
No antibiotics, steroids, preservatives, or artificial ingredients.
Feed: Vegetarian, corn, soy, vitamins, and minerals only.
Housing: Free-roaming, not in cages. Raised on small farms in large,
open-sided houses to allow fresh air and sunlight.
Processed in small facilities.
Applegate Farms works with local Amish and Mennonite farmers who
use low-tech, natural, and humane practices.
Springer Mountain Farms
(Division of Fieldale Farms Corporation)
Certified organic chicken (certified by Organic Standards, Inc.)
Baldwin, Georgia
706-776-1087
www.springermountainfarms.com
Visitors welcomed.
No antibiotics, preservatives, or artificial ingredients.
Feed: Non-organic grain. No animal by-products.
Housing: Not free-range outside, but raised in a low stress, environmentally
controlled farm.
Processed on site.
Fieldale Farms is a family business, still owned by its founders,
but has grown to become one of the largest independent poultry producers
in the world.
Springer Mountain Farms qualifies for the American Humane Association’s
(AHA) Free Farmed label. This voluntary, fee-based service certifies
that farm animals are raised in a humane manner according to AHA
animal welfare standards.
Their certifying agency criteria do not meet the planned USDA definition
for organically raised livestock.
BEEF
Bowman Road Farm
Certified organic frozen ground beef (certified by NOFA-VT)
Leo LaDouceur
Bowman Road Farm
RFD 2 Box 149C
South Royalton, VT 05068
(802) 763-7454
Organically raised and fed.
No antibiotics, steroids, preservatives, or artificial ingredients.
Feed: All grass and hay grown on farm, plus small amount of organic
grain.
Housing: Free-range.
Locally processed by Sharon Beef in Sharon, VT.
Wallace and Cook (Northeast
Representative)
Natural Choice Beef
Steak, stew beef, ground beef
Supplied by Colorado Meat Packers, Inc.
Denver, CO 80216
718-617-7600
No antibiotics, steroids, preservatives, or artificial ingredients.
Feed: 100% grass, until finished on corn in feed lots for approximately
100 days. No animal by-products.
Housing: Free-range.
Extensive residue testing for over 60 steroids, pesticides, and
antibiotics. Guaranteed to be free of these residues.
Applegate Farms
Frozen natural beef burgers, turkey dogs, and deli turkey breasts
(See "Poultry")
Valley’s Family of Farms
Frozen organic uncured beef dogs (certified by Oregon Tilth Certified
Organic)
Organic Valley/Coulee Region Organic Produce Pool (CROPP Cooperative)
507 West Main Street
LaFarge, WI 54639
(888) 444-6455
www.organicvalley.com
No preservatives, hormones, or antibiotics
Feed: 100% organic from the last third of gestation. No rendered
animal by-products.
Pasture grazed in organic fields.
Organic Valley Family of Farms™ is the largest organic farmer-owned
cooperative in North America. Farm families are the direct owners
of the business.
BISON/BUFFALO
Grand River Buffalo Company/West Side Meats
Frozen Pure Ground Buffalo meat and patties
713 W. Grand Crossing
Mobridge, SD
605-845-2271
No antibiotics or hormones.
Feed: Commercial grain, grass, and hay. Their commercial grain company
has stated in writing that it has procedures in place to prevent
prohibited materials from entering its facilities. (The FDA allows
commercial grain to contain certain animal by-products.)
Housing: First six months of life raised in pasture, then finished
in their own feedlot.
Family-owned South Dakota company that raises, slaughters, and packages
its own livestock.
FARM-RAISED VENISON
Atlantic Game Meats
Frozen farm-raised venison
Hampden, ME
207-862-4217
Farm open to public 365 days a year.
No growth hormone or antibiotics. Deer given a lepto and clostridial
vaccination to prevent abortions.
Feed: grain, corn silage, hay, and grass. Totally vegetarian.
Processed at USDA-approved Windham Butcher Shop, Windham ME
For further processing (jerky, pies, etc) sent to other USDA-inspected
facilities in Maine.
They have a 400-head range. Deer are also purchased from local farmers
in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and eastern New York.
FARMED RABBITS, DUCKS, QUAIL,
OSTRICH
Provisions International
Norwich, VT
800 281-1933
Peking ducks
No antibiotics or hormones.
Feed: grain
Raised: Maple Leaf Farm in Indiana
Rabbits
Feed: alfalfa, oats, wheat, barley, and vitamins
Raised: Arizona
Quail
No growth hormones or preservatives. Antibiotics used when needed.
Not given within seven days of processing
Feed: corn, wheat, milo, sorghum, vitamins
Pokanoket Ostrich Farm
Frozen ostrich steaks and ground ostrich
Dartmouth, MA
www.pokanoket.com
No antibiotics, hormones, preservatives, or artificial ingredients
Feed: no animal by-products,
Housing: Free-range. Birds raised in Midwest.
Processed in USDA-approved facility.
PORK and LAMB
No local suppliers available at this time
Let us know if you
have recommendations of local farmers
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