Humane Farm Animal Care Certifies Joseph Decuis Farm And Restaurant

(Herndon, VA) February 8, 2011 – Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) announced today that Joseph Decuis Farm and Joseph Decuis Restaurant located in Roanoke, Indiana has been certified as producers of Certified Humane Raised and Handled® beef and eggs.  The farm supplies meat and eggs to the Joseph Decuis Restaurant, as well as their retail shop, the Emporium at Joseph Decuis, also in Roanoke, Indiana.

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. Producer compliance with the HFAC standards is verified through annual on-site visits by HFAC’s third-party inspectors.

In order for the restaurant to be Certified Humane® the restaurant must undergo an extensive audit to ensure that the products they advertise as Certified Humane® can be identified throughout their handling, cooking and serving process.  Once the restaurant has passed inspection, it is awarded certification. The restaurant must reapply to the program and be re-inspected on an annual basis. This extensive and ongoing certification process includes the auditing and inspection of all procedures, facilities, receipts and sales records.

Joseph Decuis is owned by the Eshelman Family, and was founded in 2000.  The restaurant features the culinary talents of Executive Chef Aaron Butts.  The restaurant was recently named one of the top 50 restaurants in the United States by Open Table Online, a reservation and guest management system.  It has also been awarded the Four-Diamond rating by AAA and the Best of Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator.

The farm is certified for their Wagyu beef and free-range eggs.  Wagyu is the breed of cattle native to Japan and legendary for its succulent tender taste. Joseph Decuis is the only restaurant in the United States that raises and serves its own Wagyu beef using the traditional Japanese husbandry practices as taught to the Eshelmans by Mr. Shogo Takeda, the world renowned Wagyu Farmer from Hokkaido Japan.  The Wagyu breed has the genetic capacity to develop high levels of marbling, which contributes to its unique taste.

“Our passion is to develop the highest quality, best tasting, healthiest beef in the world for dining guests, and this requires all-natural, stress-free, humane husbandry practices,” says Pete Eshelman, Owner of Joseph Decuis. “The Certified Humane® Designation is the Gold Standard in the United States for animal welfare and is important third-party recognition for our customers acknowledging that we employ the highest standards of humane treatment for our cattle.”

Endorsed by more than 36 humane organizations, the Certified Humane Raised and Handled® program is nationally recognized as the Gold Standard for certifying animal welfare.  HFAC’s Animal Care Standards were developed by top national and international animal scientists and farm-animal welfare experts.  Since the HFAC program was unveiled in May 2003, more than 60 companies, representing hundreds of farms and millions of farm animals, have been certified.

To learn more about Joseph Decuis, please visit:  http://www.josephdecuis.com