Paradise Springs Farm

Rating
Farm/Brand Headquarters	Victor, ID
Products	Cheese, fluid milk, raw milk
Website	www.paradisespringsfarm.com
Market Area	ID, Web Sales
Total Score	1740

This brand can be found in Eastern Idaho, and nationwide via web sales. They write: “We grow all of the food for the cows on our nearly 420 acre certified Biodynamic, certified organic farm in Teton Valley, Idaho, including pasture, hay, and barley. Only rarely are off-farm inputs required; when things like extra bedding are needed, they are sourced locally from another organic farm. Our irrigation water emerges in the form of Paradise Springs, from the bottom of a hillside adjacent to thousands of acres of National Forest and is pure enough to drink right out of the spring.

Every effort has been made to retain nature’s purity and goodness and to block out the constant increase of radiation and chemicals in the environment. This is how we have become a certified biodynamic farm in Idaho producing raw cheese, raw milk, and raw whey from the happiest Brown Swiss cows around.”

Read our Farmer Spotlight on Paradise Springs.

Criteria	Points	Comment
TOTAL (possible score is 1600 plus extra credit)	1740	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	100	Family farm
Farms that produce 100% of their milk receive the most points. Milk from "open market" or known confinement dairies receive the fewest. Milk Supply	100	Single farm
100% organic farms receive the most points. Split operations with conventional dairy on the same property receive the fewest. Organic Production	100	Brand only markets biodynamic/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	100	Stellar Certification Services
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	100	Biodynamic Certified; Salmon Safe
100% grass-fed with independent verification of standards Grass-fed	90	95%+ DMI from gazing (very high) and some homegrown sprouted barley
No points are given for this but the information may be useful to certain consumers looking to avoid soy. Soy Free Ration?		Yes
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	90	Two times a day (standard protocol on legitimate organic dairies)
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	85	Calves raised first few weeks with mothers
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	Lives on premises
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	175	OSP submitted; very transparent. Sources 100% of grain from on-farm sources and was transparent about feed sourcing.