Misty Meadows Farm
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | Everson, WA |
| Website | www.mistymeadowsfarm.com |
| Market Area | Seattle and Bellingham Regions |
| Total Score | 2320 |
They write: “Misty Meadows Farm is a small family farm wanting to raise the very best food we can for our own table and for our friends and neighbors. We are certified organic and seek in all ways to treat the land and the animals in ways that are respectful, healthy and sustainable. We began in 2005 with three pet hens and now have a flock of over 750 laying hens. Our eggs can be found at locally owned grocery stores and restaurants throughout Bellingham, WA.”
“All of our poultry are pasture raised. Our birds have continuous access to grass and fresh air. We rotate the birds around our 18 acre property providing a year-round supply of fresh pasture. Our birds have open air coops that protect them from severe weather, but they are never confined. In 2007, our eggs were tested by a nutritional testing lab as part of a nationwide study sponsored by Mother Earth News magazine. Misty Meadows Farm eggs had three times the vitamin E, four times the heart healthy Omega 3s, a third less cholesterol, and a third less saturated fat than eggs from factory farmed birds.”
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 2600) | 2320 | 5-Egg Rating | Top Rated |
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 | 100 | family farm, produces all of own eggs |
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Flocks of 500 birds or fewer receive the most points based on Animal Welfare Approved standards.
Average Flock Size | 100 | flocks average 400 birds |
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Single henhouses receive the most points.
Single or Double Henhouses | 100 | single |
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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 Certifications (bonus points) | none | |
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Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier.
Organic Certifier | 100 | WSDA |
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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 | 100 | 100% organic |
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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 | 100 | full outdoor access for the birds; over 2 sq ft/birdÊ |
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Farms with perches, scratching areas and deep litter or year round pasture receive the most points. Indoor Enrichments | 100 | perches, scratching areas, full outdoor access |
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Farms that freshen litter weekly receive the most points. Litter Management | 100 | year-round pasture access |
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Farms that ensure birds have ample access to outdoors during daylight hours receive the most points.
Natural Light | 100 | year-round pasture access, plentiful natural light |
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Farms that ensure 108 square feet per bird or more outdoors receive the most points.
Outdoor Space per Bird | 100 | more than 133 sq ft/hen |
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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 | 100 | four large doors on each coop |
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Farms that ensure birds have access to feed, water and shade outdoors receive the most points. Outdoor Enrichments | 100 | feed, water, shade |
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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 | outdoor access year-roundÊ |
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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 | 70 | fixed housing with rotated pasture |
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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 recycled on the farm |
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Farms that never force molting receive the most points. Forced Molting | 100 | no forced molting |
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Farms that never trim or tip beaks receive the most points.
Beak Trimming | 100 | no beak trimming |
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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 | 80 | 2-2.5 years old |
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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 | 100 | sold live to other producers or used for soup stock on farm |
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Farms where the death loss rate of hens is less than 3% annually receive the most points.
Death Loss Rate | 20 | 10% or less |
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Farms that breed and incubate their own chicks, or raise their own pullets, receive the most points.
Pullets | 80 | raise up own pullets |
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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 | 80 | 8 weeks |
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Farms where all feed is produced on the farm receive the most points.
Feed Produced on Farm | 50 | no feed produced on farm but 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 | 70 | actively work to secure domestically grown feed but can't be sure |
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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 | No | soy in feed ration |
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Farms that do not feed synthetic amino acids receive the most points. Synthetic Amino Acids | 70 | No more than 2 lbs per ton |
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Farms that participated in Cornucopia’s research providing full transparency receive the most points.
Disclosure Rate | 100 | full disclosure |
