Two Oregon-Based Meat Producers are “Certified Humane”

Two graziers in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Knee Deep Cattle Company near Coburg and Anderson Ranches of Brownsville, have been approved to use Humane Farm Animal Care’s (HFAC) “Certified Humane” label on their beef and lamb, respectively.

Knee Deep Cattle Company takes advantage of Western Oregon’s ideal grass-growing climate to raise cattle on open pastures with only grasses, clovers and mineral supplements. They are never fed grains. 

Likewise, Anderson Ranches raises its lambs on the open pastures and rolling foothills of the Willamette Valley, where high precipitation produces lush, green Oregon grasses. Its lambs are free to roam, eat when they like and grow naturally.  The Andersons have been raising Oregon lamb for five generations.

Unveiled in May 2003, the “Certified Humane Raised and Handled” label assures consumers that a meat, poultry, egg or dairy product has 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 enough shelter, resting areas and space to support natural behavior.

“Both of these companies are models for humane raising practices,” said Adele Douglass, founder and executive director of HFAC, the Virginia-based nonprofit organization that certifies companies for humane animal practices.  “They demonstrate that by taking advantage of what nature has to offer, animals can be raised successfully and treated humanely.”

Knee Deep Cattle Company’s beef is sold direct from its farm to neighboring families and is distributed to stores and restaurants, including Prather Ranch Meat Company in San Francisco; Long’s Meat Market, Red Barn Natural Grocery, KoHo Bistro and Shadow Hills Country Club in Eugene, Ore.; and River Place Hotel in Portland, Ore. Anderson Ranches lamb is sold to Oregon and Washington stores and restaurants including Market of Choice in Eugene, Ore., Wild Oats Natural Marketplace stores in Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash., Shop ‘n Kart in Ashland, Ore., The Herb Farm Restaurant in Woodinville, Wash., and the Heathman Hotel, in Portland, Ore.  For more information, visit www.oregonlamb.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 can be found at HFAC’s website, www.certifiedhumane.org.

News from Humane Farm Animal Care
P.O. Box 727, Herndon, Virginia 20172 – (703) 435-3883
For Immediate Release
Contact: Michele Wells, Humane Farm Animal Care – (303) 417-0696