organic milk

[margene]

Does this mean the cows are being treated well?

[bUU]

Not necessarily. It means what they eat is "being treated well", and they cannot be treated with hormones or antibiotics, but "organic" doesn't require cows to be pastured for their whole lives, and it doesn't place specific requirements on their living conditions, otherwise.

UPDATED: Found the specifics on pasturing: Minimum of 120 days, and 30% of food during the grazing season must come from pasture.

[margene]

So how do buy milk that I know the cows have been treated well?

[redfox]

Well, best way is to go visit the dairy. Buy local milk.

[decemberlov]

So how do buy milk that I know the cows have been treated well?

I would look up dairy farms in your area and research or visit them. Luckily there are many here in NJ.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Well not every area has dairy farms so visitng a local dairy may be as wildly fantastical for you as it is for me. Organic are more likely to have been treated well, but it's not comprehensive. They are starting to have humane certifications on products that certify the animal treatment meets certain standards. You'll sometimes see them, but they aren't widespread yet. Here's a guide to various humane certifications:

http://ecosalon.com/humane-certifications/ (scroll down)

[bUU]

Well, best way is to go visit the dairy. THIS. No one is going to tell you, "We treat our cows badly." The only way you can know is to see for yourself, or gain insights from people who have and have a vested interest to report problems if there are any. If those kinds of people are saying things are great, then you can rest assured that they are.

We've chosen to avoid cow's milk because of the logistical difficulties buying local milk involves.

[awakenedsoul]

I buy raw milk at Sprouts from Organic Pastures dairy. They are local, and their milk is excellent. It's expensive, but I like supporting them. Now that I'm out of debt, I can afford it. I buy raw cheese at our Farmers Market, too. It's delicious!

[peggy]

I have seen numerous dairies, and have owned cows, and milk goats in the past. It has been my experience that most dairies treat their animals well. Cows simply will not produce up to peak performance if treated badly. They won't give the top amount of milk, period.
Dairies are in the business of maintaining healthy, happy cows, unlike feed lots for beef. All the dairies I've seen, here and overseas, have beautiful pasture for their animals, and they milk twice a day so the top producers are kept reasonably comfortable. If you like a brand of milk, go to their website and look at what they have. I think you can be reasonably confidant that what they show as the situation is the truth.

On a side note, I once saw a report where a dairy instituted an automatic milking machine where the cow could choose when to be milked by simply stepping into the milking stall. Not really sure how the machine hooked up to the cow, but the point of the study was that cows went in several times a day. I simply mention this for those who think cows somehow don't like to be milked. My cows always did, and the goats followed us around like dogs who give milk! Loved the goats!

[bUU]

It is very true that dairies are generally far better to their cows than feedlots are to beef cattle, but that's pretty faint praise.

[ashleenshannon]

In Canada, all organic product, as well as milk, are certified by the government’s Canada Organic Regime. Milk is certified as organic if it had been created following organic farming practices. a number of these embrace getting milk from cows given access to pasture as typically as potential (some up to twenty two hours a day), providing them with organic feed that doesn't carries with it any harmful pesticides, chemicals, fertilizers, or genetically changed ingredients, Associate in Nursingd removing any cow treated by antibiotics from the herd for an extended amount.

Conventional dairy farm ,that also are regulated by the Canadian Food review Agency, could follow some or several of an equivalent practices. Canada, not like the USA and alternative countries, strictly prohibits the utilization of BVH (bovine growth hormones—used to extend production of milk) for all dairies, whether or not organic or standard. therefore the excellent news here is that issues concerning any growth hormones and their effects on young kids don't apply to any Canadian milk, standard or organic

[freein05]

We get our organic milk in returnable glass bottles. It tastes great and even has a little cream on the top when opened. The dairy is located in the Napa valley. It is named Strauss.

[Gregg]

I have seen numerous dairies, and have owned cows, and milk goats in the past. It has been my experience that most dairies treat their animals well. Cows simply will not produce up to peak performance if treated badly. They won't give the top amount of milk, period.
Dairies are in the business of maintaining healthy, happy cows, unlike feed lots for beef. All the dairies I've seen, here and overseas, have beautiful pasture for their animals, and they milk twice a day so the top producers are kept reasonably comfortable. If you like a brand of milk, go to their website and look at what they have. I think you can be reasonably confidant that what they show as the situation is the truth.


That mirrors my experience as well. Animals under stress grow slower, produce less milk, have lower birth rates, etc. Not unlike humans. Lower production rates relate directly to lower profits so a dairy owner has a vested interest in taking care of the herd. Even then all diaries are not created equal so it is probably still wise to let Google do a little work for you. Check to make sure your supplier hasn't been sighted for any infractions and that their certification is in good standing. If all that checks out it's probably reasonable to assume the milk meets your standards.

[Suzanne]

Check out this site for local, grassfed milk suppliers. http://www.eatwild.com/products/index.html

[Suzanne]

http://www.eatwild.com/products/index.html

[redfox]

http://www.eatwild.com/products/index.html
Thank you!