GEORGIA NATIVE CATTLE COMPANY LAUNCHES LINE OF BEEF STICKS WITH TOP SUSTAINABLE, HIGH-WELFARE CERTIFICATIONS
Georgia farm is supplying Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW,
Certified Grassfed by AGW pasture-raised beef sticks to customers across the region
Photo Credit: Shanna Harbuck
Jay Wells and his family raise cattle on a 1300-acre farm in Marion County, Georgia, located just five miles from where their family first settled in 1829. The Wells family manages a large herd of
Pineywoods cattle, and Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW, Certified Grassfed by AGW Pineywoods products from the farm are marketed under the Georgia Native Cattle Company brand.
The Pineywoods breed, one of the oldest cattle breeds in the U.S., is recognized for its ability to thrive in the warm Georgia climate, grazing freely through forage like native grasses, forbs and legumes. The Wells family is committed to preservation of the breed, focusing on a strong breeding program to grow the herd. Through the purchase of Georgia Native Cattle Company beef sticks, customers are able to support high-welfare, sustainable production and join the farm on their mission to preserve the Pineywoods breed.Wells values his Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW and Certified Grassfed by AGW certifications, which verifies his high-welfare and sustainable livestock management practices to customers. The Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW food label lets consumers know animals are raised outdoors on pasture or range in accordance with the highest animal welfare standards in the U.S. and Canada, using sustainable agriculture methods on an independent farm. Certified Grassfed by AGW, the first–and only–food label in the U.S. and Canada that guarantees food products come from animals fed a 100% grass and forage diet, and raised entirely outdoors on pasture or range.
Consumer Reports has rated Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW as the only “highly meaningful” label for farm animal welfare, outdoor access and sustainability–and the only animal welfare certification in which they have confidence. A recent report from the influential Hartman Group, a leading food and beverage market research company, reveals Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW label has the highest impact on consumer purchasing behavior of any current food certification label.
Georgia Native Cattle Company owner Jay Wells says, “We are focusing on ways to make the Pineywoods breed commercially viable, so that we can raise and, in doing so, preserve the breed. Georgia Native Cattle Company beef sticks are a product that consumers can feel good about purchasing–because they support biodiversity and independent farms raising an endangered and regional breed with the highest animal welfare at the center of the operation. We couldn’t be more excited for this product launch.”
A Greener World (AGW) identifies, audits, certifies and promotes practical, sustainable farming systems by supporting farmers and ranchers and informing consumers. AGW’s growing family of trusted certifications includes Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW, SalmonWelfare Certified by AGW, Certified Grassfed by AGW and Certified Non-GMO by AGW. Each program is designed to have positive and measurable impacts on the environment, society and animals, and to encourage truly sustainable farming practices. AGW’s standards and procedures are robust, transparent and achievable.