Verde Farms

Rating
Product offeringsRetail cuts, ground, sausages, wholesale
Websitewww.verdefarms.com/
Market areaNationwide, online
LocationWoburn, MA
Specialty labels100% grass fed
Participated in Survey?No
Total Score30

This brand did not participate in Cornucopia’s survey. Verde Farms sources their 100% grass fed beef from a network of family farmers in Uruguay, Australia, and North America. You can find Verde at major retailers, including BJ’s Wholesale Club and Market Basket. You can also buy online at Amazon Fresh in certain areas. In May 2017, Verde acquired Estancia Beef, the import division of Uruguay-based El Raigon Natural Beef. This is a large scale brand and little to no info was found about their individual suppliers.

Cornucopia’s investigation found litte information about this brand and associated farming practices, due to the brand owners not participating in our survey and a lack of transparency. If you are familiar with this brand we encourage you contact the brand owners and ask for them to participate in Cornucopia’s research.

CriteriaPointsComment
TOTAL (possible score is 1100) 30
1-Steak
Farms that participated in Cornucopia’s research providing full transparency receive the most points.
Transparency and Disclosure
10Large brand, little information able to be confirmed
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
0Corporate brand
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
0Supplied from multiple sources, including internationally
Farms that are 100% certified organic receive the most points, farms/brands that are split conventional and organic receive fewer points.
Commitment to Organics
0Unknown
This category is non-scoring and provided for information purposes.
Organic Certifier
BOC (handling only)
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
0Unknown
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
20Advertised as 100% grass-fed but unable to confirm practices
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
0Unknown
Brands that closely monitor and manage for health of soil, native species, and water quality receive the most points.
Environmental Stewardship
0Unknown
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
0Unknown
Lower cull and death rates recieve more points.
Cull and Death Rates
0Unknown
More points are given for greater frequency of contact and close management with cattle and closed herds.
Oversight
0Unknown
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