Contact: Michele Wells, Humane Farm Animal Care (303) 417-0696

Certified Humane® Label Awarded to Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy

Herndon, Va., November 27, 2007 - The Certified Humane label was awarded by the nonprofit Humane Farm Animal Care to Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy, a leading farmstead and artisanal cheesemaker based in Colorado. 

The Certified Humane Raised and Handled label assures consumers that a meat, poultry, egg or dairy product has been produced according to Humane Farm Animal Care’s (HFAC) precise standards for humane farm animal treatment. 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. Since HFAC’s program was unveiled in May 2003, more than 60 companies have been certified.

Former college professor Jim Schott started Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy 14 years ago with five goats on his seven-acre farm near Boulder, Colo. Haystack Mountain now produces award-winning fresh and aged goat cheeses from the milk of a mixed herd of more than 400 goats.  Its cheeses are distributed to grocery stores, specialty cheese stores and restaurants in 30 states. For more information, visit www.haystackgoatcheese.com

"Haystack Mountain has a reputation for producing outstanding cheeses, and we have certified that their goats are raised in humane conditions," said Adele Douglass, HFAC founder and executive director.

HFAC’s Animal Care Standards were developed by a veritable “Who’s Who” 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's Animal Care Standards were developed by a veritable "Who's Who" 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.