Freedom Foods / RSPCA Assured

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 9:11 am

Broomcroft Farm is now registered with Freedom Foods and is therefore RSPCA monitored. Freedom Foods being the farming inspection arm of the RSPCA. I looked at this last year and we decided to go for it and we were inspected 2 months ago.

The inspection was a delight. Totally focused on animal welfare right from birth. It doesn't cost much more than other farm assurance schemes and if you're with FABBL you can join the two together, which is what we have done. In all honesty, when you talk to the public and say I'm registered with FABBL, they generally "who's that"? But just the mention of RSPCA says it all. I am really chuffed.

If anyone would ike to now more about it then by all means ask or email me, whatever.

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 4:12 pm

I downloaded forms for the Wholesome Food Association, but they won't like the idea that I have to put (some) fertiliser on this disadvantaged/ severely disadvantaged land to keep a reasonable amount of grass growing. Details of your scheme would be very much appreciated, Clive, please so I can compare.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 5:33 pm

Hi Sylvia

Basically, it's what you imagine. They are concerned about animal welfare, full-stop, end of story. It is from birth to abattoir. They will want to see how you do calving, feeding, housing, transport, medication, everything really that from what I see that people say on this site, we already do with a lot of passion. The FABBL-Freedom Food joint package is about 190 a year I think. There is also a Freedom Food only version which I do not know about. We did joint because we are already FABBL.

Web site is at Freedom Food. If Dexters generally and Freedom Food were be joined at the hip, I personally feel that would be a big step in the right direction from an animal welfare viewpoint and marketing. Is that a ridiculous dream?

Jo Kemp · Post by **Jo Kemp** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 6:19 pm

I was rather put off this by a documentary on TV which showed pigs in an appalling situation etc and this was on a 'Freedom' farm. I felt that with such advertisments any payment would be a waste of money!
The idea is good of course.
Did you see the programme about 10 days ago about organic chicken?
Most interesting. 3 couples were round a table and were shown film of 'organic' chicken farm ... thousands of birds, stuffed into a shed - acid burn on legs and general unfit appearance. They were cobb/ross birds. They were told that the birds had access to the outside at all times. Photographs of outside on sunny days showed not one bird outside.
I have reared cobb/ross birds and they will remain near the food if given the chance. Mine were put under broody hens and therefore learnt to scratch and find beetles but a mown grass field is fairly useless. Any way, tests were done on a number of 'organic' birds from various supermarkets and none passed! They had as much fat as the cheap birds on the shelves. The genuine organic bird from a farm had a tiny amount of fat as that bird had walked off the fat scratching around for insects, seeds etc.
So many of these schemes seem to be badly run and my customers know how things are here. They can come and see any time.
I may change my mind but I'll need persuading!
Jo

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:15 am

I was rather put off this by a documentary on TV which showed pigs in an appalling situation etc and this was on a 'Freedom' farm.

Are you sure Jo? It is the RSPCA themselves who do the monitoring. Are they going to ignore pigs being kept in a poor state? That can't be right, surely? Clearly if a farm passes, and then goes downhill before the next visit, or manages to put on a good show just for visit, then that could happen. Nothing's perfect, not even people visiting your farm to see for themselves. Any farmer could put on a show.

Based on my experiences, which is one inspection, the one by RSPCA was on another level altogether compared to others we have had which were just paper trails by comparison.

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:35 am

I saw the same program Clive, and Jo is correct. The RSPCA person interviewed was quite adamant that they where the best but the program told a different story. The pigs in question where kept in conditions that I can only describe as cruel and filthy, in fact I would not expect any animals within the UK to be kept in such awfull conditions, monitored or not.
Martin.

redhill · Post by **redhill** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 11:05 am

Clive. Perhaps you could invite these TV people to have a look at your Freedom Food venture I think it was Tonight with Trevor McDonald,as we know there are two sides to every story . Personaly I lost all faith in the RSPCA during 2001 and have seen nothing since to restore it ...Bitter and twisted you bet I am. Best Wishes Sue

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 12:14 pm

I'm going to ask RSCPA direct about the TV pig story because when I have seen TV programs about anything I know about, it's just plain wrong or at least sensationalised. For example, did you see the programme about the abattoir? I complained bitterly in writing to the BBC about the way that they totally distorted the facts. Not that there wasn't a problem at the abattoir they chose, but that they did not show any balance whatsoever and led you to believe that the problems were general in the abattoir industry and that all or most abattoir were manned by cruel and savage people. I will report back on what they say, if anything.

Kathy Millar · Post by **Kathy Millar** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 4:07 pm

We have a SPCA farm program here in BC and the guidelines were written in consultation with Industry . So for chickens,(I don't recall the cattle rules) it was deemed "cruel" to mix the different colours! I pointed out how rediculous this was and they said they would revisit this. And it is true about the commercial meat chickens (I raise a few hundred a year plus I have laying hens) that they do not walk much. So the next time you see someone selling them as free range ......I raise mine in pasture pens that are moved every 24 hours. Fresh grass and they only have a forced march of 12 feet and no stinky shed to constantly clean (for the final 4 weeks anyways). :O

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 7:45 am

These schemes start with good intentions but its difficult to believe that enough resources are then employed to do the inspections. Also there will be differences between inspectors covering different areas. How well are these inspectors trained? can you pull the wool over certain inspectors eyes? have they been told not to be too keen? is the RSPCA concerned that if it is too tough that not many people would join?
The program on TV did the whole Freedom Food thing a great disservice and I expect the truth to be somewhere between what was shown and the RSPCA's spin on things. There are many good farmers doing a very good job that are being tainted by a few bad ones. But when DEFRA encourages bad practice by putting so many farms on standstill for TB reactors etc. and not tackling the cause of the problem what can we expect!
Martin