Certified Humane® Label Awarded to Hearst Ranch

The Certified Humane Raised and Handled® label was awarded by the nonprofit Humane Farm Animal Care to Hearst Ranch Beef in San Simeon, Calif.

The Hearst family has raised Hereford, Angus and Shorthorn cattle since 1865 on the ranchlands that surround the famous Hearst Castle in California. Hearst Ranch customers include the food service company Aramark, which serves Hearst Ranch beef at many of their National Park properties and convention centers, fine dining establishments across the country, and artisan food producers such as Let’s Be Frank, which uses Hearst Ranch beef in its all-natural hot dogs. Hearst Ranch Beef is also sold direct to consumers through its on-site store and website.

“We’ve always been proud of our land stewardship and our humane production practices,” stated Hearst Ranch division manager Brian Kenny. “Consumers want to know where their food comes from and how it was produced. Our commitment to quality has always included a commitment to both the health of our herd and to low-stress management practices.”

The Certified Humane Raised and Handled label assures consumers that a meat, poultry, egg or dairy product has been produced according to Humane Farm Animal Care’s (HFAC) 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 HFAC’s program was unveiled in May 2003, more than 60 companies have been certified.

Hearst Ranch cattle are grass-fed and finished on the ranch’s 80,000 acres of sustainable native grasslands, one of the largest working cattle ranches on the California coast, and on the 73,000-acre Jack Ranch in Cholame, Calif., which Hearst acquired in 1966. For more information, visit Hearst Ranch’s website at www.hearstranch.com.

HFAC’s Animal Care Standards were developed by a veritable “Who’s Who” of national and international animal scientists and farm-animal welfare experts. Producer compliance with the HFAC standards is verified through annual on-site visits by HFAC’s third-party inspectors.

HFAC is a national nonprofit organization supported by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), regional and local animal protection organizations, foundations and individuals. More information is available at HFAC’s website, www.certifiedhumane.org

News from Humane Farm Animal Care
P.O. Box 727, Herndon, Virginia (703) 435-3883

For Immediate Release

Contact: Michele Wells, Humane Farm Animal Care (303) 417-0696