Many Hands Organic Farm
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | Barre, MA |
| Products | Chicken, turkey |
| Website | mhof.net/ |
| Market Area | On farm, Massachusetts |
| Total Score | 1755 |
This farm is certified by the Real Organic Project:
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 1800) | 1755 | 5-Bird Rating | Top-Rated |
Family Farms and cooperatives receive the most points. Corporations and companies with poor or negligible farm oversight receive the fewest points. Ownership structure | 100 | Farmstead (owned and operated by farm family) |
|
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) |
|
Farms that participated in Cornucopia’s research providing full transparency receive the most points. Transparency and Disclosure | 100 | Full and open disclosure |
|
Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier. Organic Certifier | 100 | Baystate Organic Certifiers |
|
To receive full points, flocks must number 500 birds or fewer (200 for turkeys). Flock size | 100 | Small flock sizes |
|
No more than 1.5 lbs of bird per square foot is required for full points. Stocking Density | 100 | Stocking density and mobile housing allows for high welfare for each individual bird |
|
Mobile housing receives the highest number of points. Housing Style | 100 | Mobile chicken and turkey tractors, moved daily |
|
Heritage varieties receive the highest number of points. Strain and/or Breed and Slaughter Age | 100 | Freedom rangers and specialized turkey strain; slaughter age allows for majority of life outdoors |
|
Birds must spend 3/4ths or more of their lives outdoors for full points. Timing for Outdoor Access | 100 | Chickens spend approximately¾ of their lives outdoors (except during winter months) |
|
Enrichments include but are not limited to shade structures, water, novel feedstuff (greens, mealworms, sprouted grains), and dust baths. Enrichments (outdoor and indoor) | 100 | Outdoor space is either hay field or vegetable fields post season |
|
Points awarded for labels that go above and beyond organic. Other Labels/Standards | 100 | Real Organic Project |
|
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 | 100 | Mobile chicken and turkey tractors in vegetated pasture. |
|
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 | 85 | Obtains feed from organic feed supplier that distributes locally. |
|
Methionine needs met by outdoor foraging receives 100 points. Synthetic supplementation receives 70 points. Synthetic Methionine | 100 | Does not supplement synthetic methionine |
|
Under 5% cull and death rate required for full points. Cull/death Rate | 100 | Low death and cull rate (under 5%) |
|
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) |
|
No physical alterations required for full points. Permitting beak tipping results in fewer points. Physical Alterations | 100 | No physical alterations performed |
|
Measures farm oversight. Farmer owned brands, or daily visits by management required for maximum points. Farm Support | 100 | Farmstead (owner and/or management works on-site and sees birds daily) |
|
Non-scoring, category provided for information only. Slaughter Method (non-scoring) | Hand-slaughter | |
|
Non-scoring, category provided for information only. Soy Free Ration? (non-scoring) | No | |
|
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 |
