Humane Certification

Shelburne Farms Farmhouse Cheddar is Certified Humane by the Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) organization in Herndon, VA. We are the first farm in Vermont and the third cheesemaker in the country to receive the certification. The label assures consumers that a meat, poultry, egg or dairy product has been produced according to HFAC’s precise standards for humane farm animal treatment, including: animals must receive a nutritious diet without antibiotics or hormones and must be raised with shelter, resting areas and space sufficient to support natural behavior.

Our herd of 125 purebred registered Brown Swiss cows is pasture-raised and rotationally grazed on the property from spring to fall. Hay and silage are grown on the farm without the use of crop herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilizer. All livestock roam the pastures during the warm months and are housed with plenty of space during winter months. They are not aggressively milked, which reduces animal stress and produces higher-quality milk. In keeping with HFAC standards, growth hormones are never used and antibiotics are used only to treat injuries or disease.

HFAC’s Animal Care Standards were developed by a team of national and international animal scientists and farm-animal welfare experts. Producer compliance with the HFAC standards is verified through annual on-site visits by HFAC’s third-party inspectors. HFAC is a national nonprofit organization supported by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), regional and local animal protection organizations, foundations and individuals.