The First Farm in Marshall, VA Awarded Top Grassfed and Animal Welfare Certification

The beef cattle at Tasty Grass Farm are now Certified Grassfed by AGW, demonstrating transparency and sustainability

Tasty Grass Farm is the first farming business in Marshall, VA, to be certified Grassfed by A Greener World (AGW). This is the only certification and logo in the U.S. and Canada that guarantees food products come from animals fed a 100 percent grass and forage diet, raised outdoors on pasture or range for their entire lives, and managed according to the Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW leading welfare and environmental standards on an independent farm. While other grassfed labels exist, none has fully met consumer expectations when it comes to a grassfed and forage diet, environmental management and farm animal welfare—until now.

Tasty Grass Farm sits on 410 acres of well managed pasture and is home to 117 Black Angus cattle. The farm participates in several sustainable environmental protection practices, including extensive riparian buffer zones around streams to keep the cattle from contributing to pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In addition, the Hauters engage in rotational grazing methods to discourage over grazing, encourage native flora, and control invasive plant species.

Wayne Hauter of Tasty Grass Farm says,

“We chose Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW and Certified Grassfed by AGW because we wanted to communicate our high-welfare and grassfed farming practices to customers. Our goal is to have a sustainable farm with excellent soil and animal health, and our cattle live healthy and happy lives eating fresh grasses and drinking pure, clean well water. This is all reflected in the quality and taste of our grassfed beef.”

According to recent research, demand for grassfed beef has increased by 25-30 percent every year over the last decade. But while demand for grassfed meat is sky-rocketing, not all grassfed certifications are meeting consumer expectations—and some continue to permit highly questionable practices. Some meat currently marketed as grassfed could come from animals confined on dirt feedlots for long periods outside the growing season, or where growth hormones and subtherapeutic antibiotics are used—just as long as they were fed cut grass or forage.

AGW’s new Certified Grassfed label is the only grassfed program in North America to guarantee:

• Ruminant animals raised outdoors on pasture for their entire lives, with an entirely grass and forage diet
• Animals raised according to the highest animal welfare and environmental standards in the U.S. and Canada
• High-welfare handling, transport, and slaughter of animals—including an annual review of slaughter facilities

Certified Grassfed by AGW is an optional, additional accreditation for farmers meeting Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW standards of production, which has been lauded by Consumer Reports as the only “highly meaningful” label for farm animal welfare, outdoor access and sustainability.

A Greener World Director of Outreach Emily Moose says,

“No other grassfed label can match the breadth, integrity, and transparency offered by AGW’s practical and achievable Certified Grassfed standards and certification procedures. We’re proud to support farmers and ranchers like Tasty Grass Farm and to help them promote their high-quality grassfed meat and sustainable farming practices to the public.”

Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW, Certified Grassfed by AGW beef from Tasty Grass Farm is available directly from the farm, as well as at a pick-up location in Warrenton. For more information, visit tastygrassfarm.com and find them on Facebook. Contact Debbie at ds@tastygrassfarm.com and 540-216-3165.

For more information about the Certified Grassfed by AGW label visit http://animalwelfareapproved.us/standards/grassfed/.