Our USDA Certified Organic
USDA Certified Grass "Forage Fed"
Black Angus Beef

What defines Certified Organic Beef?

USDA National Organic Program (NOP) Certification is separate from all other certifications.  The Certified Organic Certification is managed through Third Party Management Companies.  Our Third Party Certifier is:

Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, OEFFA

41 Croswell Road

Columbus, OH  43214

We are producer number  1782

According to the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) Standards rules passed on October 22, 2002, certified organic livestock, including beef, must come from a fully verifiable production system that collects information on the history of every animal in the program, including its breed history, veterinary care, and feed.  Further, to be certified as organic, all cattle should meet the following criteria:

  • “Produced without genetic engineering, use of ionizing radiation or sewage sludge“
  • Allowed continuous access to the outdoors except in specific conditions such as inclement weather
  • Fed feed and raised on land that meets all organic crop production standards
  • Never receive antibiotics
  • Never receive growth hormones
  • Never receive prohibited substances such as urea, manure, or arsenic-containing compounds
  • Managed organically from last third of gestation onward

This is the short definition.  Behind this are hours and months of record keeping and standard fulfillment that can be inspected at anytime.

https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Organic%20Livestock%20Requirements.pdf

What defines Certified Grass "Forage Fed" Beef?

We are certificate holder GF6319AUA

United States Department of Agriculture

Agricultural Marketing Service

https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/auditing/grass-fed-SVS

This is a separate Certification from the USDA (NOP) National Organic Program Certification.  It also requires separate third party inspection to the field and processor.

  1. Grass and forage shall be the feed source consumed for the lifetime of the ruminant animal, with the exception of milk consumed prior to weaning. 
  2. The diet shall be derived solely from the forage consisting of grass (annual and perennial), forbs (e.g., legumes, Brassica), or cereal grain crops in the vegetative (pre-grain) state.
  3. Animals cannot be fed grain or grain byproducts and must have continuous access to pasture during the growing season.  Hay, haulage, bale age, silage, crop residue without grain, and other roughage sources may also be included as acceptable feed sources.
  4. Routine mineral and vitamin supplementation may also be included in the feeding regimen.
  5. If incidental supplementation occurs due to inadvertent exposure to non-forage feedstuffs or to ensure the animal’s well-being at all times during adverse environmental or physical conditions, the producer must fully document (e.g., receipts, ingredients, and tear tags) the supplementation that occurs including the amount, the frequency, and supplements provided 

Note 1:  Routine mineral and vitamin supplementation must not include any added protein to the animal’s diet.  Supplements that contain added proteins (e.g., grain, grain by-products, urea or molasses) are not allowed under this marketing claim.

What defines Black Angus Beef?

In order to qualify as Certified Angus Beef, cattle have to have certified genetic qualities

  1. To achieve the Certified Angus Beef brand by U.S. Department of Agriculture graders, beef must be a minimum of 51 percent black in hide
  2. Possess a modest amount of higher-degree of marbling and medium to fine marbling texture
  3. Cattle must also be “A” maturity, both lean and skeletal
  4. Possess a 10- to 16-square-inch ribeye area
  5. Hot carcass weight must be 1,050 pounds or less with superior muscling
  6. Practically free of capillary rupture
  7. Beef must possess less than 1-inch fat thickness with no dark cutting characteristics
  8. No neck hump exceeding two inches

Black Angus can also thrive in our colder temperatures as well as meet the above rigorous standards of Certified Angus Beef quality.  We have had Registered Black Angus since 2003 and we have fed exclusively grass and forages for over 14 years.  We believe the genetics of Black Angus marbling in addition to feeding quality forages produces the best food grade beef.

© 2021 Simon Certified Organic Family Farm

Facebook Twitter Youtube Vimeo Instagram

Certified Organic Products are always        non GMO, free of toxic pesticides and herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers.