Wrong Direction Farm
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | Canajoharie, NY |
| Products | Chicken, turkey |
| Website | wrongdirectionfarm.com/ |
| Market Area | Northeast, home delivery |
| Total Score | 1710 |
Wrong Direction Farm is a small farm in the Mohawk Valley of Upstate New York. The Perozzi family has been raising pastured chickens since 2011. We believe that chickens thrive best when they are raised in an outdoor environment with bugs to chase, fresh air to breathe, and grass to roam in. Our chickens are constantly on the move to fresh pastures to ensure the best nutrition for the chickens. And of course, healthy chickens make better food for people, so you can be confident in the food you are serving. Available for home delivery throughout the Northeast.
| Criteria | Points | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 1800) | 1710 | 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 farm |
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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 | Only produces organic chicken; very dedicated |
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Farms that participated in Cornucopia’s research providing full transparency receive the most points. Transparency and Disclosure | 100 | Superb disclosure |
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Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier. Organic Certifier | 100 | NOFA-NY |
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To receive full points, flocks must number 500 birds or fewer (200 for turkeys). Flock size | 100 | Low flock size, with multiple separate flocks rotated on pasture |
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No more than 1.5 lbs of bird per square foot is required for full points. Stocking Density | 100 | Exccellent stocking density |
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Mobile housing receives the highest number of points. Housing Style | 100 | Mobile housing |
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Heritage varieties receive the highest number of points. Strain and/or Breed and Slaughter Age | 70 | Cornish cross, raised to age out more slowly |
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Birds must spend 3/4ths or more of their lives outdoors for full points. Timing for Outdoor Access | 90 | Typically spend at least 2/3rds of their lives 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) | 100 | Provides novel enrichments to the birds in conjunction with ample opportunities to forage outdoors |
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Points awarded for labels that go above and beyond organic. Other Labels/Standards | 100 | Real Organic Project Certified |
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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 | 90 | Rotated pasture with mobile housing, moved frequently, usually has 100% vegetative cover but requires a minimum of 80% cover |
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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 | 85 | Feed sourced from local mill, confirmed organic |
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Methionine needs met by outdoor foraging receives 100 points. Synthetic supplementation receives 70 points. Synthetic Methionine | 80 | Feeds synthetic methionine at allowed levels |
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Under 5% cull and death rate required for full points. Cull/death Rate | 100 | Less than 5% |
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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 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 | 100 | Daily interaction form farm owner, family farm |
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Non-scoring, category provided for information only. Slaughter Method (non-scoring) | Hand slaughter | |
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Non-scoring, category provided for information only. Soy Free Ration? (non-scoring) | No, chickens are fed soy | |
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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 | 25 | Provided contact info for suppliers |
