By Dori Modney (@Dori_Modney on Twitter)

Animal welfare and grassfed certification awarded to Waterton area ranch

May 17, 2018 | 4:29 PM

PINCHER CREEK –   A Ranch in the Waterton area has been awarded a top animal welfare and grass-fed certification.
 
The beef cattle at Scott Palmer Ranching Ltd, are now Certified Animal Welfare Approved and Certified Grassfed by A Greener World (AGW). 
 
The certification guarantees food products come from animals that are 100-per cent grass and/or forage fed, raised outdoors on pasture their entire lives and managed according to the Certified Animal Welfare Approved by environmental standards on an independent farm.

AGW’s respected Certified Grassfed label guarantees:

— Ruminant animals raised outdoors on pasture for their entire lives, with a 100 percent grass and forage diet
— Animals raised according to the highest animal welfare and environmental standards in the U.S. and Canada
— High-welfare handling, transport, and slaughter of animals–including an annual review of slaughter facilities

A news release about the Palmer Ranch states, “They applied for the Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW and Certified Grassfed by AGW labels so they could sell grassfed beef cattle to their friends at nearby TK Ranch, one of Canada’s leading retailers of Certified Grassfed by AGW beef.”
 
The 1969-hectare ranch is located north-east of Waterton Park, where management is committed to preserving the original prairie landscape, and where Angus cross cows can graze year round.
 
Julia Palmer says, “Our ranches aim to be a model of environmentally responsible cattle ranching, driven by a passion and concern for animal welfare, biodiversity and wildlife conservation. We felt that certification with A Greener World would add a level of credibility to our operation and value in our end product.”
 
In 1999, the ranch also provided the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s first large conservation agreement and was he impetus for other projects with local ranchers.