Farmer Focus (Shenandoah Valley Organic)
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | Harrisonburg, VA |
| Products | Chicken |
| Website | www.svorganic.com/ |
| Market Area | East coast, midwest |
| Total Score | 1230 |
Shenandoah Valley Organic (SVO) brands are supplied by a group of farmers that all use similar practices. Despite being a mid-sized brand, SVO was transparent with Cornucopia investigators.
They feature their farmer suppliers in interviews that include photos, and are fairly transparent to the public about their housing and general management practices.
Their website notes that: “Shenandoah Valley Organic Chicken is both Certified Organic and Certified Humane, and its unique Farm ID code allows consumers to see the actual farm and farmer that the package they are holding came from, and read about the farmer’s story. The four-letter code can simply be entered into the Farm ID field at svorganic.com and consumers are immediately connected with the source of their dinner.”
Consumers can find SVO’s products at retailers in the east coast, eastern midwest; and also available through e-commerce (Butcher Box, Fresh Direct).
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 1800) | 1230 | 4-Bird Rating | Excellent |
Family Farms and cooperatives receive the most points. Corporations and companies with poor or negligible farm oversight receive the fewest points. Ownership structure | 80 | Closely held business — close ties/partnership with farmers |
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100% organic brands receive the most points. Split operations receive fewer with increased penalties for poor segregation at the processor and farm level. Dedication to Organic Production | 100 | 100% organic production (brand does not market conventional) |
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Farms that participated in Cornucopia’s research providing full transparency receive the most points. Transparency and Disclosure | 90 | Fully transparent on survey |
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Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier. Organic Certifier | 100 | International Certification Services (ICS) (individual farms will have different certifiers) |
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To receive full points, flocks must number 500 birds or fewer (200 for turkeys). Flock size | 20 | Well over 4000 birds per flock with good dedication to maintaining high-welfare stocking density indoors |
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No more than 1.5 lbs of bird per square foot is required for full points. Stocking Density | 40 | Moderate stocking densities, generally no more than 5lbs per square foot |
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Mobile housing receives the highest number of points. Housing Style | 40 | Fixed housing with clear dedication to providing minimum outdoor access |
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Heritage varieties receive the highest number of points. Strain and/or Breed and Slaughter Age | 50 | Fast growing-type birds used, slaughtered around 6.5 weeks |
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Birds must spend 3/4ths or more of their lives outdoors for full points. Timing for Outdoor Access | 40 | Birds spend less than ½ of their lives outdoors outdoor access |
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Enrichments include but are not limited to shade structures, water, novel feedstuff (greens, mealworms, sprouted grains), and dust baths. Enrichments (outdoor and indoor) | 60 | Offers indoor enrichment, exceeds 25% vegetation in outdoor areas and provide shade and other enrichments for the birds |
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Points awarded for labels that go above and beyond organic. Other Labels/Standards | 60 | Certified Humane; GAP Step 3, Non GMO, Gluten Free |
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Maximum points given for high quality, rotated pasture. Non-rotated pasture adjacent to fixed housing with lower than 90% vegetative cover receives fewer points. Outdoor Management | 60 | Provides indoor enrichment and ensures outdoor areas are vegetated |
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100 points for on-farm production and/or milling of feed. Fewest points given to feed that cannot be verified as domestic and/or birds get poor or no supplementation from outdoor foraging. Feed Sourcing | 90 | Feed from domestic source, feed is also GMO free |
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Methionine needs met by outdoor foraging receives 100 points. Synthetic supplementation receives 70 points. Synthetic Methionine | 60 | Some farms fed maximum allowed |
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Under 5% cull and death rate required for full points. Cull/death Rate | 100 | Low cull and death rates |
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Chicks and poults that are certified organic since hatching, or are hatched on-farm receive 100 points. Off-farm or conventional chicks and poults receive 70 points. Chick and Poult Sourcing | 70 | Purchase chicks/poults from conventional hatcheries (allowed practice in organic production) |
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No physical alterations required for full points. Permitting beak tipping results in fewer points. Physical Alterations | 100 | No physical alterations performed |
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Measures farm oversight. Farmer owned brands, or daily visits by management required for maximum points. Farm Support | 70 | Brand visits supplier farms regularly |
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Non-scoring, category provided for information only. Slaughter Method (non-scoring) | Electrified stunning bath | |
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Non-scoring, category provided for information only. Soy Free Ration? (non-scoring) | Soy likely fed | |
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Maximum transparency, sharing of the organic systems plan, and/or novel practices that sets the brand apart from the rest of the industry can result in extra credit points. Extra Credit | 0 | None |
