PCC Community Markets
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | Seattle, WA |
| Products | Fluid milk |
| Website | www.pccmarkets.com |
| Market Area | WA |
| Total Score | 1335 |
PCC Community Markets, in Seattle, is the country’s largest member owned natural foods cooperative. They are one of the most engaged retailers in the nation when it comes to being involved in policy work protecting the integrity of the organic label, both in Washington State and nationally.
Their choice of organic milk suppliers, for their own store-brand, reflects their dedication to the organic movement. It comes from a supplier of integrity, depending on local family-scale farms in the Pacific Northwest.
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 1600 plus extra credit) | 1335 | 4-Cow Rating | Excellent |
Farmstead dairies earn the most points. Corporations that have a history of skirting the organic rules receive the fewest. Ownership structure | 75 | Corporation with a superb track record |
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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 | 90 | Sourced from trusted dairy cooperative (local farms only) |
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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 | 80 | Markets both organic and conventional products, but organic suppliers do not have split operations |
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Farms that completed the survey in detail received the most points.
Disclosure of Information for Verification | 100 | Full disclosure |
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Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier. Organic Certification | 75 | Oregon Tilth certifies final products and farms |
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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 | None. Individual farmers may have other certifications. |
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100% grass-fed with independent verification of standards Grass-fed | 70 | Exceeds minimum USDA 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? | No | |
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Sliding scale based on policies, enforcement, acreage/cow, days/year on pasture, and permissible exemption. Pasture | 80 | Supplier farms are local and have good pasture compliance |
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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) |
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Lower cull rate scores better, with under 10% receiving the most points. Cull/death Rate | 75 | Moderate cull/death 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 | 100 | Closed herds |
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Standard practice is removing calves shortly after birth, with extra points given for unique ways of managing calves
Calves | 70 | Removed shortly after birth (standard practice) |
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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 | 100 | No antibiotic use |
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No hormones is the standard, however some farms do use oxytocin for therapeutic purposes. Hormone Usage | 100 | No hormone use |
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Farmstead dairies (owner lives on-site) receive the most points. Fewer points are given as oversight declines. Farm Support | 90 | Cooperative supplier that sets standards and has a staff that visits farms regularly |
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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 | 90 | Outside ingredients from trusted sources |
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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 | 50 | With respect to the concern of fraudulent grain imports, this brand some percentage of their feed from “open source” certified organic feed and were transparent enough to share that detail with us. |
