Farm and Wilderness
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | Plymouth, VT |
| Website | https://www.farmandwilderness.org/ |
| Market Area | VT |
| Total Score | 1595 |
children’s camp, no mention of food sales on website
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 1700) | 1595 | 5-egg |
Brands that have close daily control over their egg production receive the most points. Ownership Structure | 100 | Non-profit, produces all of its own eggs |
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Brands that only produce organic products make the biggest investments — in time and money — in systems that benefit us all. Eggs sourced from a single operation receive the most points. Eggs of unclear origins and/or with poor oversight receives the fewest points. Commitment to Organic Label | 100 | Eggs come from single-farm source and farm only produces organic eggs |
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Additional certifications, depending on the credibility of the label, can demonstrate a commitment beyond the organic standards. Other Labels and Standards | 100 | Real Organic Project |
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Smaller flock sizes (the number of laying hens per housing structure) offer better animal welfare conditions. Flock Size(s) | 100 | High welfare flock sizes, less that 500 hens per mobile house |
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The best housing offers space for natural behaviors and legitimate access to the outdoors through adequate exits. Hen Housing and Exit Areas | 100 | Uses mobile housing |
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Adequate indoor spacing reduces stress and disease. With less crowding, birds can stretch their wings and more easily perform other natural behaviors. Indoor Spacing | 100 | 8 square feet per hen |
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High scoring brands provide enough space to allow each hen to fully utilize their outdoor area, and to perform instinctive behaviors without harming the environment. Outdoor Spacing | 90 | 40 square feet per bird outdoors |
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High quality outdoor access includes vegetation, soil, and ample opportunities to forage year-round. Quality of Outdoor Access | 90 | High quality outdoor time year round, maintains 70% vegetative cover with rotation |
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Birds that are introduced to the outdoors early are more accustomed to spending time outdoors without fear or stress. Outdoor Access Timing | 100 | 4-6 weeks old |
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Year-round access to perches, scratching areas, deep litter, novel foodstuffs, and dust bathing contribute to quality of life. Enrichments | 100 | High-quality enrichments, used indoors and outdoors |
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Chickens use their beaks to interact with the world. Authentic organic farmers account for this behavior, eschewing beak trimming. Alterations | 100 | Brand does not allow beak trimming or forced molting |
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Raising chicks on farm or buying them from certified organic hatcheries shows dedication to organic production from start to finish. Chicks and Pullets | 80 | Brand purchases chicks to raise into pullets on site |
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Brands that have low rates of deaths and utilize their spent hens for human consumption or similar score the highest. Deaths, Culls, and Spent Hens | 70 | Below 10%; processed into stew hens to sell, sold live, or composted |
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Brands that closely monitor and manage health of soil, native species, and water quality receive the most points. Environmental Impacts | 90 | Good environmental stewardship, uses rotation and other methods that are protective |
| Feed Sourcing | 75 | Obtains feed from local suppliers; also feed milk produced on-farm |
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Brands that score well here go above and beyond to ensure the highest animal welfare, taking into consideration their hens’ safety and cleanliness, natural behavior, and stress levels. Animal Welfare | 100 | Excellent animal welfare benchmark |
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Cornucopia believes you have a right to transparency. Top brands share information with Cornucopia via a survey and cooperate with our own independent investigations. Transparency | 100 | Full transparency |
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Brands do not receive points, but this information is offered for people with soy and/or gluten allergies. Soy free and/or gluten free? | Not gluten or soy free | |
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Brands do not receive points, but are invited to submit the name of their Accredited Organic Certifier (suppliers may have different certifiers). Organic Certifier (non-scoring) | Vermont Organic Farmers (VOF) | |
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Extra credit is offered for various practices that go above-and-beyond in some form. Extra Credit | 0 | None |
