We are proud to report that Firsthand Foods lamb is Animal Welfare Approved by A Greener World. This third-party certification is considered by Consumer Reports to be the only “highly meaningful” food label for farm animal welfare, outdoor access and sustainability. A Greener World (AGW) is a nonprofit organization that provides third-party certification services. Their staff visit each farm on an annual basis to ensure that the production practices producers are implementing match the claims we are making about our products. Their standards address every aspect of a species’ life cycle, including from birth to death.

An Animal Welfare Approved seal of approval means that our sheep have been raised outdoors on pasture on an independent family farm and the animals have been treated humanely at all times. Living conditions must allow animals to engage in their natural behaviors, which in the case of sheep include ready outdoor access, freedom of movement, grazing, and weaning naturally no earlier than three months of age. In addition, growth-promoting drugs, such as hormones, are prohibited. Antibiotics can be used to treat illness, but using them for disease prevention is not allowed.

Lastly, animals must be transported and slaughtered humanely, minimizing stress through these final life stages. All of Firsthand Foods sheep are slaughtered at Animal Welfare Approved facilities, including Chaudhry’s Halal Meats and Piedmont Custom Meats.