Alden’s Ice Cream (Oregon Ice Cream)
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | Eugene, OR |
| Products | Ice cream |
| Website | www.aldensicecream.com |
| Market Area | Nationwide |
| Total Score | 0 |
Alden’s Ice Cream participated on a previous iteration of the dairy scorecard but is not currently transparent with our investigators. Because brand information was difficult to confirm outside of their participation, brands like this one may damage the organic marketplace as a whole by undermining confidence in the label and pushing ethical farms out of the industry. Answers refer to old investigation results but may not be current.
Even low-quality organic dairy has been shown to contain no residues of antibiotics, and toxic pesticides, while the risk of those residues being present in conventional milk is high.
| Criteria | Points | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 1600 plus extra credit) | 0 | 1-Cow Rating | Poor |
Farmstead dairies earn the most points. Corporations that have a history of skirting the organic rules receive the fewest. Ownership structure | 0 | Family owned buisness |
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Farms that produce 100% of their milk receive the most points. Milk from "open market" or known confinement dairies receive the fewest. Milk Supply | 0 | No answer but previous answer shows source milk of integrity |
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100% organic farms receive the most points. Split operations with conventional dairy on the same property receive the fewest. Organic Production | 0 | Mixed conventional and organic; unknown if on same property or not |
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Farms that completed the survey in detail received the most points.
Disclosure of Information for Verification | 0 | No response, lack of transparency despite previous participation |
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Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier. Organic Certification | 0 | Organic Certifiers |
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Animal Welfare Approved and Biodynamic certifications receive the most bonus points. Producers are not penalized for not having additional certifications beyond organic. Other Labels/Standards | 0 | No answer |
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100% grass-fed with independent verification of standards Grass-fed | 0 | No answer - previously mets minimum standards for grazing. |
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No points are given for this but the information may be useful to certain consumers looking to avoid soy. Soy Free Ration? | 0 | No answer. Soy is probably used in feed. |
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Sliding scale based on policies, enforcement, acreage/cow, days/year on pasture, and permissible exemption. Pasture | 0 | Previously meets minimum organic standards for pasture |
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One time/day receives the most points. Two times per day is standard. Times Milked | 0 | Two times a day (standard protocol on legitimate organic dairies) |
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Lower cull rate scores better, with under 10% receiving the most points. Cull/death Rate | 0 | Old answer shows low cull rate |
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Farms with closed herds receive the most points. Farms that sell organic calves and buy conventional replacements receive the fewest. Replacements | 0 | No answer; minority of organic animals purchased are conventional |
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Standard practice is removing calves shortly after birth, with extra points given for unique ways of managing calves
Calves | 0 | No answer |
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Farms that prohibit antibiotics receive the most points. Farms that allow young stock to receive antibiotics (under one year), receive the fewest.
Antibiotic Use | 0 | None according to previous answers |
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No hormones is the standard, however some farms do use oxytocin for therapeutic purposes. Hormone Usage | 0 | None according to previous answers |
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Farmstead dairies (owner lives on-site) receive the most points. Fewer points are given as oversight declines. Farm Support | 0 | Old answer shows all dairies are visited regularly by staff |
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All ingredients sourced from inside the organization or on the farm receives the highest points. Ingredients from confinement factory farms and/or imported ingredients receive the fewest. Procurement of Ingredients | 0 | Previously no outside ingredients |
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Various levels of extra credit given for 1) providing full organic systems plan, 2) providing details on all farms (multi-farm brands, details on largest five required), and 3) sourcing feed on-farm or domestically. Extra Credit | 0 | None |
