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    Farm Name Natural by Nature
    Rating (5)          Natural by Nature
    Location West Grove, PA
    Products Milk
    Market Area Fluid and other dairy products distributed on the East Coast
    Web Site http://natural-by-nature.com/
    The Natural by Nature brand truly exemplifies what consumers believe they are investing in when they purchase organic dairy products. It is a family-owned business that procures 100% of its milk from family-owned farmers, many of which are Amish. This dairy is widely respected nationally for upholding high standards for pasture-based production. They write:

    “Natural Dairy Products Corporation (NDP) was started in 1994 by Ned MacArthur and his father Norman. Ned had quit milking cows a year earlier because of low milk prices and the frustration that there was no system by which farmers could sell milk organically. Ned and Norman teamed up with four organic dairy farmers in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and created a whole system in which grass-fed organic milk could be produced, transported, processed, and packaged, independent of the huge, volume-based milk industry, under the brand name Natural By Nature. Those original four farmers have joined over the years with more than 30 other small, family farms to form LOFCO, the Lancanster Organic Farmer Cooperative, which provides Natural By Nature a high-quality, grass-fed organic milk supply in strict adherence with organic principles.

    Our Mission: To promote and support organic farming and the sustainable use of our natural resources. To produce foods that benefit consumers and farmers alike. To use the principles of grass-based dairy production as a means to improve the quality of our products, maximize the health of our cows, and protect our watersheds. To make a living for our families, based on these strongly held principles."

     

    Criteria Points Comments
    Ownership Structure 80 Family business
    Milk Supply 90 Own Patrons
    Disclosure of Information for Verification 100 Full and open disclosure
    Certifier farms 100 Most PCO
    Certifier processing 100 PCO
    Cows on pasture time/acreage provided 100 1.25 cows/ac - some years 250-300 days
    Health and longevity of cows 100 Very low cull rate
    Replacement animals only from organic farms 100 Closed herds
    Antibiotics used on young cattle 100 Never
    Reproductive hormones used 100 Never
    Farm support oversight 90 All dairies and visited regularly by staff
    Outside dairy ingredients purchased 100 None
    TOTAL SCORE 1160 FIVE COWS (outstanding)