This blog post previously contained an outdated video about a supplier. We have removed the video to prevent confusion. We have always believed in and fought for the improvement of welfare for farm animals industry-wide, and all the pork, beef, chicken and turkey in our fresh meat cases comes from producers who have achieved certification to Global Animal Partnership’s 5-Step® Animal Welfare Rating system opens in a new tab.
We’ve got some exciting news!
We now have our first 5-Step™ Animal Welfare Rating System Step 5+ producer — Thompson Farms opens in a new tab!
To achieve a Step 5+ rating, a farm’s animals must be born and live their entire lives on one farm, pigs and cattle must be slaughtered on the farm, and chickens can only be transported short distances. Thompson Farms is an all-natural pork producer that raises free-range pigs on 1,000 acres in southern Brooks County, Georgia.
The farm has been in operation since the 1930s, when Raymond Thompson and his father started growing produce for the surrounding community.
Raymond then continued the tradition with his own son, Andrew, when they opened Thompson Farms Smokehouse.
The farm was able to achieve its Step 5+ rating because they built an on-farm processing facility thanks to a loan from the Local Producer Loan Program opens in a new tab at Whole Foods Market.
Have you tried Thompson Farms pork? Let us know what you think!
Editor’s Note: This blog was modified on 9/22/15 to update how we refer to our standards.
