Ayrshire Farm

Rating
Product offerings	Retail cuts, pet food, wholesale
Website	ayrshirefarm.com
Market area	Locally in VA and MA
Location	Upperville, VA
Specialty labels	Certified Humane, heritage, diversified
Participated in Survey?	Yes
Total Score	1015

From their about page: “Historic Ayrshire is unique in the region as a working farm that has met the 21st Century with one foot firmly planted in the 19th. The Farm is a certified organic farm, specializing in rare and endangered breeds livestock and heirloom fruits and vegetables. It is a working manor farm, historically a place of efficiency, sufficiency, and serenity.

Ayrshire’s mission today is to bring livestock and crop production to both self-sufficiency and profitability. Additionally, there is a commitment to achieving these goals using Certified Humane®, organic, sustainable farming methods, preserving genetically viable herds of the various rare breeds, and contributing to seed pools for heirloom plants. The soil is being constantly amended with cover crops and compost from the three-acre compost facility. As a part of their training, the Ayrshire Shires help in the constant task of soil improvement, keeping the skills of horse-powered farming alive.”

Criteria	Points	Comment
TOTAL (possible score is 1100)	1015	5-Steak
Farms that participated in Cornucopia’s research providing full transparency receive the most points. Transparency and Disclosure	100	Superb transparency
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	100	Single ownership 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	100	Our/my brand sources beef from a single-farm source
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	Only sells certified organic beef
This category is non-scoring and provided for information purposes. Organic Certifier		OTCO/Oregon Tilth
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	80	Certified Humane, Food Alliance, Predator Friendly, Non-GMO Project Verified
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	80	Finished on small lot with grain ration in addition to access to 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	90	Long rotation, rests pasture until regrowth is shown. Part of Savory Institute Hub (holistic management)
Brands that closely monitor and manage for health of soil, native species, and water quality receive the most points. Environmental Stewardship	85	Brand monitors vegetation, water (well testing), and soil quality using some markers. Does not use public lands. Maintains forested areas/certified Predator Friendly
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	80	Obtain feed from organic supplier that distributes locally
Lower cull and death rates recieve more points. Cull and Death Rates	100	Less than 5%
More points are given for greater frequency of contact and close management with cattle and closed herds. Oversight	100	Routine checks and brand has 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	0	None