Stemple Creek Ranch
| Rating |  |
| Product offerings | Retail cuts, bones, ground, hot dogs, organ meats |
| Website | stemplecreek.com/ |
| Market area | Locally in CA, online |
| Location | Tomales, CA |
| Specialty labels | 100% grass fed |
| Participated in Survey? | Yes |
| Total Score | 870 |
They write: “Our goal is to work in harmony with Mother Nature to promote optimal biodiversity that ensures the long term health and productivity of the ranch. We use regenerative, organic agricultural practices, which means we seek to enhance and rehabilitate our entire ecosystem by focusing on soil health and increasing carbon in our land. Most of our pastureland is Certified Organic, and our free range beef and lamb are 100% grass fed and grass finished.”
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 1100) | 870 | 4-Steak |
Farms that participated in Cornucopia’s research providing full transparency receive the most points. Transparency and Disclosure | 80 | Good disclosure |
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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 | Farmstead |
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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 | Single-farm/ranch source |
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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 | 50 | Markets both conventional and organic |
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This category is non-scoring and provided for information purposes. Organic Certifier | MOCA | |
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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 | 40 | GAP Step 4, EOV (Land to Market), Audubon Bird Friendly |
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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 | 100 | 100% grass fed and finished |
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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 | 60 | Indication of good pasturing practices, and confirmed meeting organic minimum |
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Brands that closely monitor and manage for health of soil, native species, and water quality receive the most points. Environmental Stewardship | 90 | Brand manages for environmental sustainability |
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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 | Sources all domestic and mostly local feed |
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Lower cull and death rates recieve more points. Cull and Death Rates | 100 | Low cull rate |
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More points are given for greater frequency of contact and close management with cattle and closed herds. Oversight | 70 | Evidence of good oversight, likely closed herd |
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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 |
