Alden Hills Organic Farms

Rating
Product offeringsRetail cuts, sausages
Websitewww.aldenhillsorganicfarms.com
Market areaOnline, IL, WI, farm direct
LocationWalworth, WI
Specialty labelsDiversified
Participated in Survey?Yes
Total Score1025

They say: “Alden Hills Organic Farms has one mission: to provide you and your family with the healthiest, highest-quality pastured meats that we can produce.

We are a firm believer that wholly nourishing food comes from building a farm eco-system that enhances both soil and animals. Our meats are Certified Organic and guaranteed grass-fed, grass-finished and always out on pasture.

We specialize in grass-fed beef, pastured poultry, eggs, garlic and popcorn and deliver weekly to various Chicago locations.”

CriteriaPointsComment
TOTAL (possible score is 1100) 1025
5-Steak
Farms that participated in Cornucopia’s research providing full transparency receive the most points.
Transparency and Disclosure
100Very transparent
Family farms and farmer cooperatives that market their own beef receive the most points. Corporations that do not directly produce any beef receive the fewest points.
Ownership History
100Family farm/ranch
Beef sourced from a single operation receives the most points. Beef of unclear origins and/or with poor oversight receives the fewest points.
Beef Supply
100Single farm/ranch source, confirmed domestic
Farms that are 100% certified organic receive the most points, farms/brands that are split conventional and organic receive fewer points.
Commitment to Organics
50Sells both certified and non-certified beef
This category is non-scoring and provided for information purposes.
Organic Certifier
MOSA
Animal Welfare Approved, Real Organic Project, and Biodynamic certifications receive the most bonus points. Producers are not penalized for not having additional certifications beyond organic.
Other Labels and Standards
100Real Organic Project Certified
100% grass-fed and finished or cattle finished with site-grown supplement receives the most points. Cattle finished exclusively in a feedlot receive the fewest points.
Beef Finishing
90100% grass fed on pasture and hay
Points are awarded for quantity of time cattle are on pasture above and beyond what the USDA requires, and for the quality and care of the pasture.
Pasture and Grazing Management
100Rotational grazing, cattle are grazed with above and beyond care to improving and maintaining the natural resources of the operation
Brands that closely monitor and manage for health of soil, native species, and water quality receive the most points.
Environmental Stewardship
85Does yearly water tests (for organic production only), monitors soil organic matter, visial insepctions of vegetation and has hedgerows; does not graze public lands
Cattle finished on pasture or on feed that is grown on-farm or procured locally receive the most points. Feed of unknown origin, or known to be imported, receives the fewest points.
Feed Sourcing
100This brand produces 100% of its feed ration on the farm
Lower cull and death rates recieve more points.
Cull and Death Rates
1005% or less annually
More points are given for greater frequency of contact and close management with cattle and closed herds.
Oversight
100Close oversight, daily interaction. This brand raises all it's own replacements (closed herd)
Brands may receive extra credit for above and beyond transparency, or special practices not otherwise covered in the scorecard (see description for an explanation).
Extra credit
0None