Responsible Manufacturer Benchmark - Black Kettle Farm

By CommonShare

Black Kettle Farm, located in Lyman, Maine, is a prominent player in the organic farming industry, known for its MOFGA Certified Organic Vegetables. While the farm will not be offering CSA shares in 2023, it has garnered a loyal following over the years for its commitment to providing delicious, vibrant food while fostering community connections and employing ecological farming practices. The farm's core focus lies in producing high-quality, organic vegetables that nourish both the body and soul of its customers.

With a strong emphasis on supporting local, small-scale farming, Black Kettle Farm stands out in the market for its dedication to providing fresh, seasonal produce grown close to home. The farm's unique value proposition lies in its ability to offer consumers the opportunity to make proactive choices about their food consumption while ensuring the vitality of small working farms in Southern Maine. Notable achievements include creating a thriving CSA membership program that allows customers to engage with the farm and its produce on a deeper level.

Founded on the principles of authenticity, sustainability, and community, Black Kettle Farm has become a beacon of organic farming in the region. The farm's mission revolves around providing customers with the authentic flavor of fresh food, promoting health benefits through seasonal produce, and establishing a direct connection between consumers and farmers. Led by a team dedicated to nurturing the soil and fostering a sense of togetherness, Black Kettle Farm has made a significant impact on the local agricultural landscape.

As Black Kettle Farm takes a hiatus to pursue other projects and give its fields a much-needed rest, the future outlook remains promising. The farm's commitment to providing high-quality, organic vegetables to its community is unwavering, and customers can look forward to the return of the CSA program in the future. With a focus on investing in health and community, Black Kettle Farm continues to be a trusted source of organic produce for those seeking to support local, sustainable agriculture.

Overall Rating

1.0

Under-Performing

Traceability

An increasingly important factor in global supply chains, traceability assesses the manufacturer's capability to track products and materials from origin to delivery. The Sustainable Manufacturers Benchmark® explores this through the lens of tiered supplier verification, culminating in end-to-end traceability with real-time monitoring and complete transparency.

Digitized Products

The digital landscape has transformed B2B interactions. This facet assesses the extent to which manufacturers have digitized their product offerings. The spectrum ranges from manufacturers without any online product catalog to those boasting advanced B2B e-commerce platforms, providing clients with order customization, real-time tracking, and an integrated view of the supply chain.

Preferred Materials

This aspect gauges the extent to which manufacturers incorporate sustainable, circular, and regenerative materials in their supply chain. It assesses whether companies merely use standard materials or whether they actively prioritize sustainable and preferred materials in their product range, even going so far as to offer digital verification of material certificates.

Facility Verification and Services

This dimension evaluates the openness and commitment of manufacturers regarding their facility's conditions and services. It covers a spectrum, from providing no facility details at all to showcasing comprehensive third-party audits, ensuring transparency in worker welfare and showcasing a clear commitment to maintaining top-tier facility services.

Readiness to Contract

Before entering a partnership, it's pivotal to understand a manufacturer's business legitimacy. The Sustainable Manufacturers Benchmark® checks for the presence and verification of essential documents, ranging from basic business licenses to comprehensive documentation, client testimonials, and even third-party attestations that verify a manufacturer's reliability and readiness to contract.

Black Kettle Farm

United States

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How our Responsible Manufacturer Benchmark® Works?

By CommonShare

The Responsible Manufacturer Benchmark is a comprehensive framework designed to evaluate and rate manufacturers based on their commitment to sustainability, digital integration, readiness for contracting, material sourcing, and facility standards. It provides a clear, standardized metric for assessing manufacturers in a B2B environment, helping businesses make informed decisions aligned with their sustainability objectives. The benchmark covers crucial areas like end-to-end traceability, the digital verification of supply tiers, utilization of preferred materials, and verified social audits for facilities. By incorporating both depth and granularity across its criteria, the benchmark not only promotes transparency but also encourages continuous improvement in responsible manufacturing practices.