Organic? Milk

[Ohiorganic]

As Organic Bytes has reported, the most serious threat to U.S. organic standards since 1998 is in the dairy sector. Two rapidly growing and profit-obsessed corporations, Horizon and Aurora Organic, are sourcing much of their milk from intensive confinement dairy feedlots, where the cows have little or no access to pasture. Now, in a secret letter obtained by the Cornucopia Institute, OCA has learned that three other major organic dairies, Stonyfield Farm, Organic Valley, and Humboldt Creamery have joined forces with Horizon and Aurora to lobby the USDA to keep dairy standards vague and unenforceable, by not requiring any specific percentage of the cow's feed to come from pasture. The National Organic Standards Board and the overwhelming majority of the nation's dairy farmers have repeatedly stated that at least 30% of an organic cow's feed during the growing season should be coming from pasture. Scientific studies have shown that milk and meat from pastured animals are qualitatively healthier than milk and meat derived from animals kept in unhealthy and inhumane concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_4549.cfm

[LaRae]

It's a catch 22. Assuming you are talking about raw milk (afterall what's the point of organic if it's pasturized)....

If you aren't able to raise your own cows or goats (or even sheep) for milk then you have to buy from a local person....except many states have made it illegal to buy raw milk. Of course then there is the possible legal liability if someone buys your raw milk (if you live in a state like Missouri where you can sell it/buy it) if they get sick, in todays society you'll get sued.

That said there are some commerical dairies that do raise cows on pasture, not dry lots. Lots of the family farms here who sell milk commercially raise pastured cows.



LaRae

[Ohiorganic]

All certified organic milk discussed here is pasterized and homogenixzed. the point is cert organic dairies are not feed any growth hormone or antibiotics to the cows and graze them daily (weather permitting) on good pasture and feed 100% certified organic feed that does not contain any GMO grain. Conventional dairies do not graze their cows, feed GMO's and many still do use rGBH to increase milk output.

The bigger deal is Horizon and Aurora have been scrutinized for several years for not fololowing the regulations (they have not been great about grazing daily or feeding 100% organic feeds). But the other 3 dairies named have long been exaulted for doing things "right" and these entities have been known to use the difference between them (Horizon big agriculture=bad, Organic Valley small farmers=good) as advertising fodder. Now it seems they have gone over to the "other side" and the little guys lose out. as do consumer that used OV and the others because they were no big indistrial organic ag.

FYI Raw milk is illegal to sell in most states. Ohio has recently (like last Tuesday) dropped a lawsuit banning a few farms from selling raw milk and it is now a lot more legal to sell via legal cow share programs but one most certianly cannot sell raw milk retail or anywhere but on the farm. I think California is the only state allowing full retail sales of raw milk.

[LaRae]

All certified organic milk discussed here is pasterized and homogenixzed. the point is cert organic dairies are not feed any growth hormone or antibiotics to the cows and graze them daily (weather permitting) on good pasture and feed 100% certified organic feed that does not contain any GMO grain. Conventional dairies do not graze their cows, feed GMO's and many still do use rGBH to increase milk output.

There are alot of family farms though, who sell bulk milk and their cows while not certified organic, are pastured. There is probably a small percentage who avoid GMO's by raising alot of their own feed/hay.

I still don't see the point of organic milk that has been pasturized since anything benefical has been killed by heat.

The bigger deal is Horizon and Aurora have been scrutinized for several years for not fololowing the regulations (they have not been great about grazing daily or feeding 100% organic feeds). But the other 3 dairies named have long been exaulted for doing things "right" and these entities have been known to use the difference between them (Horizon big agriculture=bad, Organic Valley small farmers=good) as advertising fodder. Now it seems they have gone over to the "other side" and the little guys lose out. as do consumer that used OV and the others because they were no big indistrial organic ag.

Well if they are not following the guidlines in place then they should not be able to keep their status as organic.

I have said over and over to anyone who will listen (other groups) that we have got to get back to small family/localized farming and start buying from the local farmer and stop patronizing corporate farms for our meat/dairy.

FYI Raw milk is illegal to sell in most states. Ohio has recently (like last Tuesday) dropped a lawsuit banning a few farms from selling raw milk and it is now a lot more legal to sell via legal cow share programs but one most certianly cannot sell raw milk retail or anywhere but on the farm. I think California is the only state allowing full retail sales of raw milk.

Yes, which is why some people deliberately move to states where it is legal to sell (I know some who have done that). You can't sell raw milk at a farmer's market here however if someone comes to your home they can buy all the raw milk they want. Some states allow X amount of raw milk to be sold and then others allow you to sell it but it has to be sold for 'animal consumption'.

Kinda hard to go back to the localized farm buying when they can't sell it!



LaRae

[boston]

What is wrong with buying raw milk

[LaRae]

What is wrong with buying raw milk

Nothing as far as I am concerned...however the state/local governments have a different view. Too much governmental control in my opinion.


LaRae

[boston]

OK.... Maybe I should have asked what do "they" think is wrong with buying raw milk

[LarryS]

OK.... Maybe I should have asked what do "they" think is wrong with buying raw milk


AFAIK, raw milk CAN harbor dangerous microorganisms, and it is felt that pasteurization will compensate for this.

IF all the cattle were examined and tested for target diseases, and IF you could be sure the milk is handled in a sanitary way, then maybe there would be no issue.

But, as you well know, it is not always that simple. If it were, then people would not have died of E. Coli here in the USA. Cattle can harbor diseases like brucelosis, and others.

Personally, I see no advantage in drinking raw milk when health issues are, or at least can be, very real.

[LaRae]

AFAIK, raw milk CAN harbor dangerous microorganisms, and it is felt that pasteurization will compensate for this.

IF all the cattle were examined and tested for target diseases, and IF you could be sure the milk is handled in a sanitary way, then maybe there would be no issue.

But, as you well know, it is not always that simple. If it were, then people would not have died of E. Coli here in the USA. Cattle can harbor diseases like brucelosis, and others.

Personally, I see no advantage in drinking raw milk when health issues are, or at least can be, very real.


This is why people need to buy from local farms. You know your framer, you can see his cows, he isn't going to make more sales if he has problems with his milk or cows. Most people who sell raw milk run the annual tests to make sure they have disease free cattle.

Pasturization can be a way to 'cover up' milk that isn't so great to begin with when it comes to bacteria.

Of course as we saw last year, we had people dying from eating spinach in the US.

There are plenty of advantages to drinking raw milk, if you take time to know your local farmer.

LaRae

[Ohiorganic]

The raw milk I buy is tested monthly mainly because the OH dept of Ag had a vendetta against raw milk producer up until this past Tuesday when they dropped all charges against several producers.

As LaRae says, raw milk from small farms sold direct to the customer is a clean and healthy product but the pasturized milk lobby would have us believe that raw milk is at least as dangerous as rat poison. And it is if the raw milk you get is from an industrial dairy. Though the dairy lobby tries to claim there is zero fdifference between a 4000 head dairy that is kept indoors most of the time and a small dairy of say 45 cows out on pasture moist of the time. They also like to tell us there is no difference between raw milk and pasturized milk which is utter **. raw milk has its' good bacteria and fats in tact, pasturized homogenaized does not. There are differences in using the two for cooking too. And, of course, conventional milk has artificial hormones and antibiotics in it.

The dairy lobby would also have us believe that all tainted milk outbreaks are raw milk and that is by no means the case. There are hundreds sickened by pasturized milk each year, though you rarely hear about these outbreaks.

[slug slayer]

I just started reading a great book titled
The Untold Story of Milk, Green Pastures, Contented Cows and Raw Dairy FoodsBy Ron Schmid, ND Foreward by Sally Fallon of Nourishing Traditions
Here in NY its illegal to sell retail raw milk- however I know of many farmers that will sell directly to a consumer. A few require that the consumer supply the sterilized container.
Does anyone know of a good source for glass containers?

Lisa