Shelburne Farms, a 1,400-acre working farm, National Historic Landmark and nonprofit national environmental education center in Shelburne, Vt., has received “Certified Humane” certification for its award-winning Farmhouse Cheddar cheese.
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 shelter, resting areas and space sufficient to support natural behavior.
Shelburne Farms was created in 1886 by William Seward and Lila Vanderbilt Webb as a model agricultural estate. In 1972, it became an educational nonprofit organization. The farm’s woodlands and pastures are home to a herd of 125 purebred, registered Brown Swiss cows, which are pasture-raised on the property. Their fresh, untreated milk is transformed into Shelburne Farms’ Farmhouse Cheddar cheese, which is made on the property.
“All the milking cows are raised on the farm and graze on pasture from spring to fall. We use our own milk, add starter culture, rennet and salt, then age the cheese in one of the historic buildings on the farm,” said Scott Buckingham, director of farm products for Shelburne Farms.
The farm is dedicated to rural land use practices that are environmentally, economically and culturally sustainable. It maintains a grass- and pasture-based dairy with rotational grazing and spring and fall seasonal calving. Hay and silage are grown on the farm without the use of crop herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilizer. All livestock roam the pastures during the warm months and are housed with plenty of space during winter months. They are not aggressively milked, which reduces animal stress and produces higher-quality milk. In keeping with HFAC standards, growth hormones are never used and antibiotics are used only to treat injuries or disease.
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
Vermont’s Shelburne Farms Gains “Certified Humane” Certification
Posted: March 7, 2006 by Certified Humane
Shelburne Farms, a 1,400-acre working farm, National Historic Landmark and nonprofit national environmental education center in Shelburne, Vt., has received “Certified Humane” certification for its award-winning Farmhouse Cheddar cheese.
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 shelter, resting areas and space sufficient to support natural behavior.
Shelburne Farms was created in 1886 by William Seward and Lila Vanderbilt Webb as a model agricultural estate. In 1972, it became an educational nonprofit organization. The farm’s woodlands and pastures are home to a herd of 125 purebred, registered Brown Swiss cows, which are pasture-raised on the property. Their fresh, untreated milk is transformed into Shelburne Farms’ Farmhouse Cheddar cheese, which is made on the property.
“All the milking cows are raised on the farm and graze on pasture from spring to fall. We use our own milk, add starter culture, rennet and salt, then age the cheese in one of the historic buildings on the farm,” said Scott Buckingham, director of farm products for Shelburne Farms.
The farm is dedicated to rural land use practices that are environmentally, economically and culturally sustainable. It maintains a grass- and pasture-based dairy with rotational grazing and spring and fall seasonal calving. Hay and silage are grown on the farm without the use of crop herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilizer. All livestock roam the pastures during the warm months and are housed with plenty of space during winter months. They are not aggressively milked, which reduces animal stress and produces higher-quality milk. In keeping with HFAC standards, growth hormones are never used and antibiotics are used only to treat injuries or disease.
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
Category: press