HERNDON, Va. — Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC), the leading international nonprofit certification program improving the lives of millions of farm animals in food production, announced this week that Organic Pastures Dairy Company in Fresno, California, is the newest farm to qualify for the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® program.
As 5th generation farmers, the McAfee family is well-known in Fresno for their humane approaches to raising dairy cows. Their 1,200 cows remain on pasture all day, every day, "strolling into the barn at milking time and then making their way back out onto pasture as soon as they're done," said Aaron McAfee, COO of Organic Pastures Dairy Company.
Organic Pastures sees the Certified Humane® label as a way of assuring consumers that only the best and most humane practices are used on their farms. Producer compliance with HFAC standards is verified through on-site visits by third-party inspectors.
"When a third party inspector is verifying everything, it gives consumers a confidence level that what they are eating is made with sustainable practices in mind," said McAfee. "Any time we can prove what's happening on the farm and not just asking people to trust us, that's great."
Organic Pastures produces 100% USDA certified organic, Grade A, raw milk and raw milk products, including butter, cream, cheese, whole milk, skim milk, and kefir (drinkable yogurt). The Company has been recognized repeatedly in independent NFO (National Farmers Organization) tests as having the best milk taste of the dairies surveyed.
According to Adele Douglass, executive director for HFAC, Organic Pastures Dairy Company passed all of the Certified Humane® qualifications and can now use the Certified Humane® label on all their dairy products.
The Certified Humane® label assures consumers that the meat, poultry, egg, or dairy products they purchase have been produced according to HFAC's precise standards for humane farm animal care. Animals must receive a nutritious diet without antibiotics or hormones and must be raised with shelter, resting areas and space sufficient to support natural behaviors. Since the HFAC program was unveiled in May 2003, more than 110 companies, representing millions of farm animals, have been certified.
Endorsed by 66 humane organizations, the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® program is nationally recognized as the Gold Standard for certifying animal welfare from birth through slaughter.
Read more about Organic Pastures here or visit their website.
To find a store that sells Certified Humane® products, visit HFAC's Where to Shop page or download Certified Humane's free mobile app. For more information on HFAC and the Certified Humane® label, visit www.certifiedhumane.org.
About Humane Farm Animal Care
Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) is the leading international non-profit certification organization improving the lives of farm animals in food production. The Certified Humane® designation assures consumers that meat, poultry, egg, or dairy products they purchase have been produced according to HFAC's precise standards for humane farm animal treatment. Animals must receive a nutritious diet without antibiotics or hormones and must be raised with shelter, resting areas and space sufficient to support natural behavior. Since the HFAC program was unveiled in May 2003, more than 110 companies, representing thousands of farms and millions of farm animals, have been certified. Learn more about HFAC at www.certifiedhumane.org.
Source: Humane Farm Animal Care