Opportunity to sell to Whole Foods

[Tony M]

Comment from John Macky, CEO of Whole Foods:


We've hired our first animal compassionate field buyer, Andrew Gunther, who is going to work exclusively on developing sources of animal products that meet our new strict animal compassionate standards. Andrew is well qualified for this post as he has owned and managed a very successful organic farm in the U.K. and has pioneered animal compassionate methods on his farm for chickens, ducks, turkeys, beef cattle, and pigs. Andrew is a knowledgeable and passionate man concerning animal welfare. We're lucky to have him working with us. All of Andrew's initial animal compassionate suppliers will be relatively small in scale. If you check out our animal compassionate standards you will see that the standards have specific provisions requiring access to pasture (going beyond the current organic standards regarding pasture). Pasture is not optional in these standards but is one of the core values. If you know of any animal compassionate farmers (including 100% grass farmers) interested in selling to Whole Foods Market, please have them contact Andrew at Andrew.Gunther@wholefoods.com.

Tony M

[pakin]

Whole Foods Market is having trouble finding an abbatoir that meets the compassionate standards. Currently the nearest one is in Nebraska.

We were surprised that the requirements for the new grass-fed/compassionate program allows chemicals to be applied to pastures. You have to remove an animal from the program if it ever has an antibiotic shot, but there are no rules about what is used on the grass they eat.

FYI - Pat Akin

[Tony M]

Pat-
I was also surprised at the "reduced standards" that WF is applying to the way people can raise protien. I don't eat food grown under those standards because I have a choice that many people don't have. We have a lot of friends in the grass fed business plus I just harvested a deer and a wild turkey. A wild hog is next.
However. this is an important step in the right direction and provides a much better product than conventional feed lot protien. I'd like WF to get to the desirable end point tomorrow but movement in the right direction is important to me.
I wonder how many grass farmers would use chemicals on their fields, even if they were allowed to? Would you?
Tony

[pakin]

No, I would not use chemicals on the pastures. I passed this info along to folks because I'm concerned consumers may not know that chemicals are allowed.

Of course, it's good to have the choice of meat not from a feedlot, etc. I'm wondering if Whole Foods will build their own compassionate processing plant--or back someone who will.

Happy Holidays.

Pat Akin

[Robert D Bard]

I have talked to Andrew but I never thought to ask
about chemicals on pastures. What chemicals are
they permitting?
We have been grass farmers for 7 years and I have
not needed any chemicals. What type of slaughter
facilities do they want?
From our experience I can tell you that temperature
in the cooling room is everything if you want tender
meat from grass feeding. Out of three processing plants
that we have used, I have found one that cools and
ages the meat so that our product in of the best quality
in thenderness and taste.
Robert D Bard

[pakin]

Mr. Gunther has turned this project over to Don Davis, Treasurer of American Grassfed Assoc. Although Whole Foods has the Basic Principle of "The facility or ranch must be designed to support and enhance the land, water and air environmental quality," and other strick principles of how the animals are to be handled, Mr. Davis said, at a meeting in Austin, that there are no rules against chemicals being used on the pastures to be acceptable to the new Grassfed/Compassionate Program.

Mr. Davis apparently has his hands full, but if you'd like to email him: dwd@dwdlonghorns.com. He ranches in Central TX.

pakin

[pakin]

I just picked up my January issue of the Stockman Grass Farmer and see where someone has written in about Whole Foods not responding to their attempt to contact WF about supplying no-grain-fed hogs.

This is the editor's answer: You are not alone. They have not returned any of my emails either. I would leave Whole Foods alone until they get their act together.

This is what we've decided to do--leave them alone until they get their act together.

pakin

[Eden's Garden]

Isn't someone from Whole Foods scheduled to speak next week at the TCOOPS thing? I thought I saw a bio of someone from that company? Might be a good place to ask all these, and probably more, questions. They are talking about supporting locals - here's thier chance.

[Tree Dude]

What does the word "whole" means? If you are using "stuff" other than the organics would that disqualify being "whole" or even "healthy"?

Tree Dude