Got organic? Demand lifts Vt. dairies

[zippy890]

Boston Globe
June 19, 2006

TROY, Vt. -- For the first time in decades, dairy farmer Dexter Randall could pay all his bills on time.

Wooed by signing bonuses and the prospect of doubling his earnings, the burly 60-year-old switched to organic milk over the past year. He says it is the only way to save his farm and his family's future -- all of it invested in 460 acres in the shadow of Jay Peak mountain.

``With conventional milk, there was no light at the end of the tunnel," Randall said. ``Now, I have true hope."

Across the country, an increasing number of farmers are abandoning conventional ways for organic dairy farming: They keep their cows free of antibiotics and hormones, and they let them graze on pure pastures day after day, instead of locked up in a barn.

...

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2006/06/19/got_organic_demand_lifts_vt_dairies/




Personally I feel its worth the xtra money to buy organic milk - it really tastes better,
like its from happy cows!

:)

[NewJeffCT]

1. I buy it for my 3 year old

But, the main reason is because it's the only milk I can find that is ultra-pasteurized - meaning it has a 6 week life span instead of the usual 6 day (or so) life of just pasteurized milk. Since she's finicky about drinking milk, we need the longer life span or we're throwing the money away.

[lindisfarne]

3. If you can, buy regular organic with a long shelf date.Ultrapasteurization

destroys some of the nutrients (it's not a huge amount but I don't know if some are more affected than others). Milk freezes ok, if that helps.

I don't go through milk fast and am always checking exp. dates to get the longest date - dig to the back of the shelf and you might find a carton with 5-7 days more life.

[Vidar]

16. Didn't realize this. Thanks for the info.

[Vinca]

2. That's all I buy - Vermont organic milk.

I live 3 miles from a Vermont grocery store, so it's always fresh and doesn't cost that much more.

[WePurrsevere]

4. I'd love to see more of this up where we are. Most dairy farmers up here

still let their cattle graze outside but increasingly we see those big corp barns where the cows are stuck in a building all the time. :(

I like the idea of no antibiotics and hormones and free range animals. Although we aren't heavy milk drinkers I think we'll have to look a bit more seriously at buying organic milk to help encourage this practice.

[livvy]

5. I agree. It does taste better.

Since I started drinking it, I can't stand the "old" stuff. It doesn't have the same taste, or enough taste, I guess would be more precise. I'm a milkaholic, always have been, and with the organic milk, I've been able to get myself to drink the 2%, which I could never stand with regular milk.
I like the idea behind it also, better for the cows, the small farmer, and my milk guzzling self! I also like the long shelf life, as if I need it...a half gallon lasts about 2 days with me.
Interesting article. Learned something about Horizon. May be looking for a new brand.

[lindisfarne]

8. See msg. 7 about brands; Horizon gets milk from a lot of feedlots

but if nothing else is available, organic is better than conventional (although Horizon is more expensive than a 4-cow brand where I live).

Although there are issues as to how some of these huge feedlots skirt organic laws or outright violate them, because enforcement of organic standards is lax and sparse. See http://abstract-concepts.net/cornucopia/OrganicDairyReport/cornucopia_milk_exec.pdf

[livvy]

11. Thank you. The link is helpful.

It looks like my choices in Michigan are somewhat limited, although the Castle Rock name seems familiar. I'll do some more research based on this chart and see what I can come up with.

edit: after a bit of research on the link, I was able to find a 4 cow brand sold at a health food store about a mile away! The same brand is sold at 3 other locations, all under 5 miles from my house. Wonderful! Guess where I'm going today?
Thanks again!

[apnu]

6. I find it funny that we celebrate "organic" ...

... which is producing food the old fashioned, or natural way. My God, we Americans are disgusting. Watch "The Corporation." There is a bit in there about Monsanto (SP?), put me right off beef forever. I buy all the organic and local food I can.

[lindisfarne]

9. Monsanto is evil evil evil. n/t

[tanyev]

10. Funny how these farmers are "abandoning conventional ways"

I know what they mean; but it's sad that so many have forgotten that the original conventional way was organic.

[lindisfarne]

7. I have no data to back this up, but I'll bet the avg. cow at a small dairy

organic farm gets more pasture time than one at a huge organic factory farm. Not only is this better for the cows, having adequate pasture can reduce the pollution problems caused by manure and its run-off in feed-lot operations.

Organic is better than conventional, but there are studies showing milk from grass fed cows has more nutrients than milk from grain/corn fed cows.
Horizon/Dean Foods and Trader Joes, unfortunately ... get a lot of their organic milk from huge factory farms.

http://cornucopia.org/dairysurvey/index.html
Has a ranking of various dairies; go down to the bottom to see the "1" cow ranking of Horizon, Aurora, Alta Dena, Trader Joes, Cost-Co (has many redeeming labor practices though; ranked as one of the best employers out there). But Organic is still better than Conventional if you don't have a choice of dairy or really can't afford to pay more for organic.

(About Trader Joe organic yogurt: I'm 95% certain that where I live, it's supplied by Wallaby yogurt (the packaging is identical, taste is identical, small differences in ingredients), which has a good (4-cow) rating, so I think their yogurt is ok.

From OP article:
"In December, Stonyfield donated $200,000 to the University of New Hampshire to help launch an organic dairy farm for research, education, and outreach, making it the country's first landgrant university to have an organic dairy farm."

Way to go Stonyfield!

[orwell]

12. I buy Clover Organic...

...a 4 star milk producer in NorCal. Great products, good prices, and funny advertising.

Thanks for the list.

[coffeenap]

13. Great resource--thanks for posting the link.nt

[cliss]

14. What a wonderful article.

Everybody I know says the same thing: buy organic. I'm involved in overseas trading, and my trade officer called me a few months back.

He said, "you've got to think about organic. In about 5 years, it's going to explode. Get in now while it's still early".

Isn't that awesome? It made me feel so good to know that people really are moving in the right direction......after all.

Love the Kissing Cow photo, too.

[MISSDem]

15. For sure. I buy everything "organically grown" that I can.

It feels so carefree to do so. No guilt and at least fewer worries about what I'm putting in my body.