| Farm Name | Engelbert Farms | |
| Rating | (5)  |
 |
|
|
||
| Location | Nichols, NY | |
| Products | Cheese | |
| Market Area | Farm store/Northeast | |
| Web Site | http://www.engelbertfarms.com/ | |
|
|
||
 They write:We have been farming organically since 1981, and have been certified organic since 1984. We recently learned that we were the first certified organic dairy farm in the country! We sold our organic milk into the conventional market for 20 years until we joined CROPP Cooperative and started shipping milk to Organic Valley in August 2001. No chemicals are ever used on our fields, and no antibiotics, hormones, or synthetic wormers are ever used on our animals. Our dairy cows live out their lives happily munching high quality, Organic grass, hay and small amounts of organic corn – all grown on our farm. During the grazing season, the Dairy cows are on a fresh plot of grass daily. Our cows are never confined. Beef cows are 100% grass-fed from April through mid-November each year. Over the winter they are fed organic hay, balage (higher moisture hay), and a small amount corn silage as an energy source. Corn silage is less than 5% of their diet over the winter. Corn silage is the entire corn plant, chopped and fermented. It accounts for around 5% of their diet over the winter, and provides an energy source to help maintain body condition in cold weather. Veal calves are raised in the pasture with their mothers. Pigs are fed certified organic grains, milk, hay and leftover vegetables from our organic gardens. No animal by-products are ever fed to our animals. Our beef, pork and veal are available by individual cuts – no order is too small! In 2013 we will be raising certified organic potatoes, onions, sweet corn and other vegetables, which will be available at our farm store later in the summer and fall. |
||
| Criteria | Points | Comments |
| Ownership Structure | 100 | Family farm |
| Milk Supply | 100 | Single farm |
| Disclosure of Information for Verification | 100 | Full and open disclosure |
| Certifier farms | 100 | VOF |
| Certifier processing | 100 | VOF |
| Cows on pasture time/acreage provided | 100 | Intensive rotational grazing |
| Health and longevity of cows | 100 | Extremely low cull rate |
| Replacement animals only from organic farms | 100 | Closed herd |
| Antibiotics used on young cattle | 100 | Never |
| Reproductive hormones used | 100 | Never |
| Farm support oversight | 100 | Single family farm |
| Outside dairy ingredients purchased | 100 | None |
| TOTAL SCORE | 1200 | FIVE COWS
(Outstanding) |