True Free Range Egg Farmers offer pastured PROOF. Become a PROOF Licensee
PROOF stands for'PASTURE RAISED ON OPEN FIELDS'because that's what we believe free range means. Pigs and chickens were designed to forage in forest and grasslands and our farmers strive to offer the most natural conditions to their animals that controlled farming will allow. It will come as no surprise that the farmers that follow this philosophy pride themselves on not being a part of the industrial model for food production. They are driven by passion and farming means something more to them than getting the maximum number of animals on the minimum amount of land.
PROOF is a licensing program for genuine, pasture based production of certified free range eggs, pork, chicken, beef and lamb. The program is underpinned by these Core Values:
The Core Values are also underpinned by the Codes of Practice for the Welfare of Animals for all livestock and are complementary and additional to other health, agricultural, environmental, food and production related regulatory requirements at federal, state, territory and other relevant levels.
In particular, PROOF acknowledges the stocking densities for livestock that are set out in the Codes of Practice which include:
Lear more about the PROOF Licensing program on the website
PROOF is a licensing program for genuine, pasture based production of certified free range eggs, pork, chicken, beef and lamb. The program is underpinned by these Core Values:
- All animals* are able to range freely in open fields or paddocks
- Animals will not be kept in cages, stalls or crates
- All animals are kept at stocking densities that will ensure access to forage and grazing and; in the case of layer hens, shall not exceed 1,500 per hectare
- Densely confined production systems and feed lotting are not practiced
- All animals are able to interact with their herd or flock and to carry out natural behaviours
- All animals should thrive in their environment and not just cope with it
- All animals will be protected from predation
- Illness or injury will be addressed promptly so that no animal will be left to suffer
- Animals will be fed to meet their welfare needs as well as production requirements
- Surgical treatments that inflict unnecessary pain will not be performed
- There will be no use of growth promoters
- Pastured production should be environmentally, economically and socially sustainable
The Core Values are also underpinned by the Codes of Practice for the Welfare of Animals for all livestock and are complementary and additional to other health, agricultural, environmental, food and production related regulatory requirements at federal, state, territory and other relevant levels.
In particular, PROOF acknowledges the stocking densities for livestock that are set out in the Codes of Practice which include:
- 1,500 layer hens per hectare
- 9 - 14 lactating sows per hectare (in a rotational grazing system)
- 20 - 25 dry sows per hectare (in a rotational grazing system)
Lear more about the PROOF Licensing program on the website
