Clover Sonoma
| Rating |  |
| Products | Fluid Milk, Kefir, Yogurt |
| Website | https://cloversonoma.com/ |
| Market Area | West, CA |
| Total Score | 780 |
| Rubric | Points | Comments and Notes |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 1100 (plus extra credit)) | 780 | 4-Cow Rating | Excellent |
| Transparency and Disclosure | 100 | Superb transparency |
Brands that rate highest have a close relationship to their milk suppliers. Those that buy milk from industrial or unknown organic suppliers rate lowest. Milk Supply and Ownership Structure | 50 | Sources organic milk primarily from organic farms, most of which do not have split operations. A small amount (less than 5%) milk purchased to supplement supply. Also has large conventional line. |
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Brands that only produce organic products make the biggest investments — in time and money — in the organic systems that benefit us all. Commitment to Organic Label | 50 | Brand has both conventional and organic products with limited split operations |
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Pasture management refers to how outdoor areas are managed, with top-rated brands utilizing multiple strategies to maintain high quality pasture, providing environmental and animal welfare benefits. Pasture Management | 75 | Organic farms have good pasture management exceeding minimum standards for main suppliers |
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The grass-fed percentage category reflects diet, with top-rated brands far exceeding the minimum requirements laid out in the organic pasture rule. Grass Fed Percentage | 40 | Suppliers confirmed to meet minimum 30% DMI, and many often exceed this amount during the grazing season |
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This category focuses on the sourcing of feed, supplements, and any added ingredients in the diet. The category also accounts for brands that source organic dairy from other operations. Top-rated brands produce all feed on farm or buy inputs locally. Supplemental Feed and Ingredients | 50 | Brand sources feed and extra ingredients that likley originate exclusively from a domestic source |
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Industry standard is to immediately remove calves from their mothers and individually house them. High scores in this area show that brand suppliers use group housing or otherwise promote calf socialization. Calves | 50 | Calf treatment varies widely among suppliers. Most suppliers use single calf hutches before moving to group housing; some suppliers keep calves with mother for a few days while others go directly to group housing |
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High scoring brands milk only once or twice per day, allowing maximum time for cows to be outside exhibiting natural behaviors. Times Milked Per Day | 100 | 2x daily |
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Lower cull and death rates receive more points (with some exceptions), as it is one indicator of high animal welfare. Deaths & Culls | 75 | Low cull and death rates for main suppliers (meeting American Humane Certified standards) |
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Brands that closely monitor environmental factors, including soil and water quality, native species, and wildlife, receive the most points. Brands with specific policies and programs to boost environmental sustainability also receive high points. Environmental Impacts and Stewardship | 90 | Good attention to environmental sustainability on most supplier farms, including doing regenerative audits on-farm, high percent vegetative cover (avoiding bare ground), support wildlife, re-using manure, etc. A member of the Dairy Methane Action Alliance and makes efforts to do sustainable packaging. |
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Brands with specific policies and practices to support animal welfare score best. Brands may lose points in this category if they have a history of animal welfare concerns. Animal Welfare | 75 | Good attention to animal welfare without history of concerns with closed herds |
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This category is non-scoring and provided for information. Organic Certifier (Informational) | QCS (handling) with other mixed certifiers for each farm | |
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Third-party labels carried by individual brands or product lines are listed here for more information. These are not scored, but some third-party labels may receive extra credit. Add On Labels (Informational) | American Humane Certified, Non-GMO Project (for milk, not on packaging), B-Corp Certified | |
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Herd size refers to the number of adult cows in the milking herd. The general denotation for herd size (large, medium, and small) is based on the legal definition of “Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation”. Herd Size(s) (Informational) | Small, medium, and large farms | |
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Brands may receive extra credit for practices and polices not reflected in the scorecard (see notes for details). Extra Credit | 25 | Clover Cares Program gives back some profits to the community (see website for more details) |
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The adjustment section is where any notes and adjustments to the score are indicated, such as penalties for non-compliances. Adjustments & Notes | None |
