To help guide you, here are the standards we use to ensure the quality, integrity and sustainability of what we produce and the food you eat.  What you will get is: food that is true to its source; heirloom and heritage breeds; fresh and wholesome ingredients; care and craft in handling; and a commitment to sustainability in the way we produce and distribute our products.    

GRASS FED MEAT

• From the Southern Yellow Cattle, a local crossbreed in the Philippines that has been thriving before 1521 or pre-Spanish era.
• Raised outdoors, in pasture from start to finish. Cattle are domesticated with no need for dehorning or castrating.
• Raised by small family farms with 2-3 heads of cattle
• Raised on local grasses, without any supplemental diet of grain
• There are no antibiotics, artificial growth hormones or similar substances given.
• Animals are slaughtered in the public slaughterhouse authorized by public health authorities without undue stress during transport, holding or slaughtering.

PASTURED PORK

• From native crossbreeds of the local black heritage pigs, the Duroc and large white pigs. These have been bred locally by our family farm for the last 10 years.
• Raised in open pens on earth floor with a lot of uncovered areas allowing them access to sunshine, fresh air and pasture; there are no segregation or confined spaces
• Raised with permanent access to wood and grass
• Feed is made only of natural products such as salted fish, non-GMO corn (we grow ourselves), cassava, naturally fermented copra cake, whey, and cut grasses. They are never fed urea, silage, simple or compound feed made with genetically modified organisms, any kind of additive, or industrial processing waste.
• For medical treatment, pigs are given only homeopathic remedies. There are no antibiotics or growth hormones.
• Pigs are not mutilated.
• Pigs are only s slaughtered at 12 months of age with a dead weight of not less than 70 to 120
• Animals are slaughtered in public slaughterhouses authorized by public health without undue stress. There is no rough treatment in transport, or while in holding.

DAIRY

• Milk is from grass fed cows
• For medical treatment, preference is given to herbal and homeopathic remedies. Veterinary medicines are only used with a veterinary prescription and when there are no other effective remedies or when such treatments are essential to avoid suffering and discomfort to the animal concerned.
• No antibiotics or growth hormones or artificial substances are used.
• Raised outdoors on pasture with access to adequate shelter from the rain, wind, sun and extreme temperatures.
• Feed is made only of natural products such as grass, lucaena and caliendra leaves (legumes) and fermented coconut cake, which do not include the use of urea, silage, simple or compound feed made, even partially, with genetically modified organisms, any kind of additive, or industrial processing waste.
• Calves are given colostrum and raised in a group.

CURED MEATS

• All phases of production are done locally, using meat from grass fed/ free range animals and local breeds.
• Preparation (cleaning and trimming), cutting and processing are mainly carried out by hand or with traditional methods or machines such as grinder, mincer and mixer.
• Meat is cut by knife point, grinding or mincing.
• All casing is of animal origin made of hog casing
• Ingredients for treating the meat and producing the product are natural and local such as local sea salt, muscovado and honey. Some pepper and garlic is also used. Almost all herbs are from our own biodynamic farm. There are no flavorings, coloring agents, or preservatives.
• There are no additives such as potassium nitrate or caseinates or thickeners.
• All fermentation is done naturally without any starters.
• Sweeteners are only honey or coconut sap sugar.
• Drying is done for 5 days from processing under sun, and in an area with adequate ventilation, constant temperature and humidity.
• Smoking is carried out in a traditional smokehouse using only untreated non-recycled mango wood from the local area.

VEGETABLE PRESERVES

• Our preserves are made from vegetables that we grow biodynamically
• Except for cold-pressed olive oil, most ingredients used such as vinegar, salt and herbs are locally produced.
• We do not use dehydrating and lyophilizing agents or synthetic aromas
• We do not use any preservative, sweetener (except honey, muscovado sugar or coconut sap sugar,) additive, thickening agent, gelatinizing agent, emulsifier, stabilizer or coloring.