Leafy Creek Farm

Rating
Product offerings	Retail cuts, ground, whole, half, quarter
Website	www.leafycreekfarm.com/
Market area	Online, locally in TX
Location	Comanche County, TX
Specialty labels	100% grass fed
Participated in Survey?	Yes
Total Score	1085

NOTE: This high rating farm cannot get access to an organic processor their finished/packaged products cannot be sold as “certified organic,” though the animals are certified up until that point.

This farm delivers at no charge in San Antonio and Austin, TX, and if demand picks up could also deliver in Dallas TX. They also ship to other states via their website.

They write: “We are a small family-operated farm in Central Texas. We began operations in 2013 and strive to provide a diverse group of wholesome products. We do not believe in use of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics for promotion of growth, and similar pollution of our food. Synthetic fertilizers provide a “quick fix” for growth of plants, but damage the soil in the long term. There are many natural ways to build up soil so that its productivity is on part with or is close to that of industrial growth methods that use synthetic chemicals extensively. Antibiotics for treatment of manifest illness is of course the humane course, but animals so treated cannot then be passed on to our customers. We believe that illness in the animals and plants will be minimized by providing a healthy, natural environment for them.”

This farm is certified by the Real Organic Project:

Criteria	Points	Comment
TOTAL (possible score is 1100)	1085	5-Steak
Farms that participated in Cornucopia’s research providing full transparency receive the most points. Transparency and Disclosure	100	Superb transparency
Family farms and farmer cooperatives that market their own beef receive the most points. Corporations that do not directly produce any beef receive the fewest points. Ownership History	100	Single owner-operator/farmstead ownership
Beef sourced from a single operation receives the most points. Beef of unclear origins and/or with poor oversight receives the fewest points. Beef Supply	100	Single source
Farms that are 100% certified organic receive the most points, farms/brands that are split conventional and organic receive fewer points. Commitment to Organics	100	Very committed to organics
This category is non-scoring and provided for information purposes. Organic Certifier		NICS
Animal Welfare Approved, Real Organic Project, and Biodynamic certifications receive the most bonus points. Producers are not penalized for not having additional certifications beyond organic. Other Labels and Standards	100	Real Organic Project, American Grassfed
100% grass-fed and finished or cattle finished with site-grown supplement receives the most points. Cattle finished exclusively in a feedlot receive the fewest points. Beef Finishing	100	100% grass fed with 3rd party certification
Points are awarded for quantity of time cattle are on pasture above and beyond what the USDA requires, and for the quality and care of the pasture. Pasture and Grazing Management	80	Good pasture with low stocking density; does not currently rotate pastures frequently. Takes over 2 years to grow out
Brands that closely monitor and manage for health of soil, native species, and water quality receive the most points. Environmental Stewardship	75	Good land stewardship. Does not use public lands
Cattle finished on pasture or on feed that is grown on-farm or procured locally receive the most points. Feed of unknown origin, or known to be imported, receives the fewest points. Feed Sourcing	90	Most feed produced on-site, confirmed supplier for added alfalfa feed
Lower cull and death rates recieve more points. Cull and Death Rates	100	Below 5%
More points are given for greater frequency of contact and close management with cattle and closed herds. Oversight	100	Close oversight
Brands may receive extra credit for above and beyond transparency, or special practices not otherwise covered in the scorecard (see description for an explanation). Extra credit	40	Shared OSP, supplier certificates