Meant To Be Natural Food
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | Spring Valley, NY |
| Products | Cheese, fluid milk |
| Website | http://www.meanttobefood.com/ |
| Market Area | NY, NJ |
| Total Score | 1515 |
This is a kosher brand that can be found at Nature’s Warehouse in Lakewood, NJ, and a number of natural food stores in New York. Visit www.meanttobefood.com and click on contact for more information.
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 1600 plus extra credit) | 1515 | 5-Cow Rating | Top-Rated |
Farmstead dairies earn the most points. Corporations that have a history of skirting the organic rules receive the fewest. Ownership structure | 80 | Family-owned business |
|
Farms that produce 100% of their milk receive the most points. Milk from "open market" or known confinement dairies receive the fewest. Milk Supply | 90 | Sources from two family farms |
|
100% organic farms receive the most points. Split operations with conventional dairy on the same property receive the fewest. Organic Production | 100 | 100% organic |
|
Farms that completed the survey in detail received the most points.
Disclosure of Information for Verification | 100 | Full disclosure |
|
Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier. Organic Certification | 90 | PCO/MOSA |
|
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 | 80 | PCO Grass-fed certified |
|
100% grass-fed with independent verification of standards Grass-fed | 100 | PCO Grass-fed certified |
|
No points are given for this but the information may be useful to certain consumers looking to avoid soy. Soy Free Ration? | No Soy | |
|
Sliding scale based on policies, enforcement, acreage/cow, days/year on pasture, and permissible exemption. Pasture | 100 | Excellent pasture compliance |
|
One time/day receives the most points. Two times per day is standard. Times Milked | 100 | One time per day |
|
Lower cull rate scores better, with under 10% receiving the most points. Cull/death Rate | 100 | Very low cull rate |
|
Farms with closed herds receive the most points. Farms that sell organic calves and buy conventional replacements receive the fewest. Replacements | 100 | Closed herd |
|
Standard practice is removing calves shortly after birth, with extra points given for unique ways of managing calves
Calves | 75 | Calves removed from mother shortly after birth (standard practice) |
|
Farms that prohibit antibiotics receive the most points. Farms that allow young stock to receive antibiotics (under one year), receive the fewest.
Antibiotic Use | 100 | No antibiotic use |
|
No hormones is the standard, however some farms do use oxytocin for therapeutic purposes. Hormone Usage | 100 | No hormones used |
|
Farmstead dairies (owner lives on-site) receive the most points. Fewer points are given as oversight declines. Farm Support | 100 | Rabbi is on-site for every milking |
|
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 | 100 | No outside ingredients used |
|
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 |
