City Farm
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | Montrose, CO |
| Website | cityfarm-montrose.com/ |
| Market Area | Natural Grocers in Colorado |
| Total Score | 790 |
They write: “Welcome to City Farm! We are a farm located in Montrose, Colorado that produces hydroponic produce, herbs and free range, pasture raised laying hens. Our method of farming is by utilizing principles of permaculture (permaculture definition: The development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient.), recycling and creating a zero waste environment.
Our main product is production of free range, organic non-GMO eggs. (GMO definition: The abbreviation for genetically modified organism. A GMO is an organism whose genome has been altered by the techniques of genetic engineering so that its DNA contains one or more genes not normally found there.) We import certified non-GMO Feed from Illinois to help subsidize the diet of our hens. Our hens get to enjoy the outdoors from morning to nightfall where they return to their custom designed chicken condo to get a good night’s rest. We take pride in the care of our hens and believe that a happy hen is going to produce a better egg. We gather our eggs, wash, and package by hand. Our quality control of our eggs is hands on to insure the highest quality product.
In addition to our free range, organic non-GMO eggs, City Farm specializes in growing herbs, lettuces and micro-greens using a hydroponic gardening technique developed in house to introduce the proper nutrients into our produce. Even the water we use is purified and treated for optimal healthy growth of our produce. All natural growing gives you the highest nutrient rich food possible. This farm to table method is the best way to insure that you are getting a food that is not processed or shipped around the country for any period of time.
City Farm is involved in the community with recycling programs. We deliver to most of the restaurants and trade out bins of cut vegetables, which would normally go to the landfill, and feed the cuttings to help supplement the diet of our hens. All the chicken waste is used to produce a very high-quality mulch which is used to grow hay and then used as a high quality food source to be fed back to our hens.
City Farm is expanding rapidly. The market for our eggs has been increasing as fast as we can provide. People want a high quality product and they want to know where it came from and how it was produced.
We look forward to becoming a local producer for your store.
Sincerely,
Scott Ludian and Scott & Marilyn Scarborough”
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 2600) | 790 | 2-Egg Rating | Fair |
Family farms and farmer cooperatives that market their own eggs receive the most points. Corporations that do not produce any eggs receive the fewest points.
Ownership Structure | 70 | Farmer-owned LLC |
|
Flocks of 500 birds or fewer receive the most points based on Animal Welfare Approved standards.
Average Flock Size | 40 | 10-20,000 birds |
|
Single henhouses receive the most points.
Single or Double Henhouses | 100 | Single |
|
Animal Welfare Approved and Biodynamic certifications receive the most bonus points. Producers are not penalized for not having additional certifications beyond organic.
Other Certifications (bonus points) | 0 | None |
|
Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier.
Organic Certifier | 0 | No answer |
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Farms that are 100% certified organic receive the most points, farms/brands that are split conventional and organic receive fewer points.
Commitment to Organics | 40 | Split operation |
|
More than 1.8 square feet per bird receives the most points, less than 1.2 square feet receives the fewest.
Indoor Space per Bird | 0 | No answer |
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Farms with perches, scratching areas and deep litter or year round pasture receive the most points. Indoor Enrichments | 0 | No answer |
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Farms that freshen litter weekly receive the most points. Litter Management | 0 | No answer |
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Farms that ensure birds have ample access to outdoors during daylight hours receive the most points.
Natural Light | 0 | No answer |
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Farms that ensure 108 square feet per bird or more outdoors receive the most points.
Outdoor Space per Bird | 100 | 108 sq ft/bird |
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Farms that ensure birds are in mobile housing or 1 large door per 75 birds receive the most points.
Popholes/Exit to the Outdoors | 0 | No answer |
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Farms that ensure birds have access to feed, water and shade outdoors receive the most points. Outdoor Enrichments | 0 | No answer |
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Farms that can ensure outdoor access year round or those that only confine birds during inclement weather receive the most points.
Outdoor Space Exemptions | 100 | Year-round access |
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Farms that use mobile housing rotated on pasture every 1-2 days or weekly receive the most points.
Outdoor Management System | 60 | Fixed housing, type of outdoor space unclear |
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Farms that recycle chicken manure on the farm, using it for fertilizer, without causing nutrient pollution, receive the most points.
Manure Handling System | 100 | Manure composted and reused |
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Farms that never force molting receive the most points. Forced Molting | 0 | No answer |
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Farms that never trim or tip beaks receive the most points.
Beak Trimming | 0 | No answer |
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Farms where hens live an average of 3+ years or 1.6-3 years receive the most points.
Laying Hen Lifespan | 0 | No answer |
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Farms where spent hens die a natural death, are sold for meat, or are processed and sold for human consumption, receive the most points.
Use of Spent Hens | 0 | No answer |
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Farms where the death loss rate of hens is less than 3% annually receive the most points.
Death Loss Rate | 0 | No answer |
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Farms that breed and incubate their own chicks, or raise their own pullets, receive the most points.
Pullets | 0 | No answer |
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Farms that allow pullets access to the outdoors within the first 6 weeks of life, or within 6-10 weeks, receive the most points.
Pullet Access to Outdoors | 0 | No answer |
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Farms where all feed is produced on the farm receive the most points.
Feed Produced on Farm | 50 | No feed grown on farm but birds have access to pasture |
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Farms where 100% of the feed is grown in the US or Canada receive the most points.
US Grown Feed | 100 | US Grown feed |
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No points are given for this but the information may be useful to certain consumers looking to avoid soy. Soy in Feed | Yes | |
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Farms that do not feed synthetic amino acids receive the most points. Synthetic Amino Acids | 0 | No answer |
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Farms that participated in Cornucopia’s research providing full transparency receive the most points.
Disclosure Rate | 30 | Partial answers, no photos |
