Washington State Egg Producer Qualifies for "Certified Humane Raised and Handled" Label

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Wednesday, 24 March 2004

ASPCA-supported product label says producer meets humane guidelines.

Tobin Farm of Walla Walla, Wash., has become certified by Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) to use the "Certified Humane Raised and Handled" label for its pasture-ranged eggs. The label guarantees to consumers that Tobin Farm's animals are raised under humane conditions. Tobin Farm is the second U.S. egg producer to qualify to use the "Certified Humane" label.

Tobin Farm produces pasture-ranged eggs under the Our Hens Gems brand. Certification of Tobin Farm follows a rigorous on-site inspection by HFAC.

The "Certified Humane Raised and Handled" label, unveiled in May 2003, assures consumers that a meat, poultry, egg or dairy product has been produced according to HFAC's 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. Fourteen companies are now certified to use the label.

Tobin Farm raises its hens outdoors on fresh pasture. Shelters are portable and are moved weekly. "This system assures that the birds have adequate exercise, fresh air and sunshine that that their eggs have all the nutrients they should have," according to Leonard Tobin, owner of Tobin Farm.
"Tobin Farm is the first producer in the northwest to receive certification," said Adele Douglass, executive director of Humane Farm Animal Care. "Consumers in the northwest now have the opportunity to purchase "Certified Humane" products Our Hens Gems eggs."

More than 68,000 dozen Tobin Farm's Our Hens Gems Eggs are distributed annually throughout the northwest to restaurants and retail stores, including Andy's Market, Red Apple Markets, Brown & Coles Food Pavilion, Heath Cottage, Loney's Harvest Foods and Local Harvest Natural Foods.

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. More information can be found at HFAC's website, www.certifiedhumane.org.

For more information, or to contact American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, see their website at: www.aspca.org