Fulton Valley Farms (Pitman Family Farms)
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | Sanger, CA |
| Products | Chicken |
| Website | www.fultonvalley.com |
| Market Area | Nationwide |
| Total Score | 320 |
Fulton Valley Farms is a brand subsidiary of Pitman Family Farms. This industrial-organic brand that was not transparent in Cornucopia’s investigation, and caution is recommended.
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 1800) | 320 | 1-Bird Rating | Poor |
Family Farms and cooperatives receive the most points. Corporations and companies with poor or negligible farm oversight receive the fewest points. Ownership structure | 0 | Corporate brand, with unknown history 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 | 0 | Corporate brand that mimics conventional practices with some exceptions |
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Farms that participated in Cornucopia’s research providing full transparency receive the most points. Transparency and Disclosure | 0 | No response to survey |
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Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier. Organic Certifier | 0 | No response |
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To receive full points, flocks must number 500 birds or fewer (200 for turkeys). Flock size | 0 | No response |
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No more than 1.5 lbs of bird per square foot is required for full points. Stocking Density | 0 | No response, but requires that stocking density must not exceed 6 lbs/ft2 |
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Mobile housing receives the highest number of points. Housing Style | 30 | Static barns/fixed housing without any legitimate outdoor access, but still some enrichments that promote bird welfare |
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Heritage varieties receive the highest number of points. Strain and/or Breed and Slaughter Age | 20 | No response, but likely fast-growing strains with some third-party label requirements on strain considerations |
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Birds must spend 3/4ths or more of their lives outdoors for full points. Timing for Outdoor Access | 20 | Likely less than 1/2 of lives with access to outdoors; not all birds are able to access outdoors |
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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) | 30 | Enrichment indoors with straw bales (for picking at) and shade structures outdoors |
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Points awarded for labels that go above and beyond organic. Other Labels/Standards | 40 | GAP certified to step 3 and Non-GMO Project verified |
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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 | 30 | Outdoor access is defined as an outdoor area but does not have to be pasture |
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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 | 0 | No response |
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Methionine needs met by outdoor foraging receives 100 points. Synthetic supplementation receives 70 points. Synthetic Methionine | 0 | No response but likely supplements 2.5lbs for broiler chickens (the maximum allowed by organic regulations) |
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Under 5% cull and death rate required for full points. Cull/death Rate | 50 | Cull and death rate monitored due to 3rd party label |
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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 | 0 | No response |
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No physical alterations required for full points. Permitting beak tipping results in fewer points. Physical Alterations | 100 | All physical alterations are prohibited by their 3rd party label (GAP step 3) |
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Measures farm oversight. Farmer owned brands, or daily visits by management required for maximum points. Farm Support | 0 | No response |
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Non-scoring, category provided for information only. Slaughter Method (non-scoring) | No response | |
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Non-scoring, category provided for information only. Soy Free Ration? (non-scoring) | No response | |
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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 |
