A Question for My Readers about Organic Dairy

Pictured here, one of the sows out at Deep Roots Ranch, nursing a co-mingled litter of piglets, some of whom are hers and others, not. These are probably some of the piglets that Pim Techamuanvivit saw born when she visited a few weeks ago, and described in detail: "the piglets were cute and pink and spotted and got big floppy ears, but before all that they were wet and mucous-y and bloody and stuff." Heh.

Please put that image out of your mind when you consider the question a reader asked me. I didn't really feel qualified to answer, but here is what Marjorie Taylor asked me my thoughts on organic dairy.

Good evening, Tana,

What's your thought about dairy?  How do you make certain that the milk you are buying is really "organic" and from a small farm that practices sustainability?  I'm getting ready to move to Portland, Oregon and I'm interested in getting your thoughts on the subject.  I'm really trying to follow the "eat local" philosophy, however, what are your thoughts on making certain you're getting the real deal and not some marketing scam?

All the best,
Marjorie

Well, Googling fool that I am, I came up with a few links for her:

Medosweet Farms, Portland, Oregon
Organic Portland
Organic Valley Co-op (though I confess to some disappointment when receiving their newsletter, which came with some kids' activities, picturing organic corn, which they pronounced "good for cows")

Then I wrote Deborah Kane, the editor of Edible Portland, whose input would be invaluable. I'll let you know how she responds.

How 'bout you? Any ideas? I know STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM HORIZON DAIRY. (Google this blog if you're curious. Yep, another rant.)

• • • • • • • • • • • •

I hope you are all having beautiful summer weather.

Also, any spare prayers: we're having a bit of an emotionally difficult week in the family and I'm feeling a little weary and frail. I try to have a strong heart, but sometimes the behavior of other people can really weigh heavily on my soul.

We did have a blessing in family court last week: the judge basically told Bob (who showed him this photograph of Logan) that whatever we're doing, he endorses completely. So Logan will continue to be in our lives, in our home, for the foreseeable future...probably up until kindergarten at least. The judge holds Bob up as an example to all the fractious and fragmented people with at-risk children who come to court with their toxic arguments and lives. This is a good thing: Bob is really and truly a hero, and he works harder than any man I've ever known.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY, just because it made me laugh out loud (laughing = good medicine): "Nothing can be so amusingly arrogant as a young man who has just discovered an old idea and thinks it is his own." — Sidney J. Harris

Thanks for visiting, and thank you for the constant public and private support.

 

Comments

[nika]

Hi there. Love the piglet porn, always good stuff.

Local milk - we have been getting it from a local farm, raw.

We are planning on getting a family cow so that we have complete control (and its substantially cheaper than buying from the store, esp here in the NE).

We will be getting a bred jersey whose ave output when in milk is about 4 gals/day. She costs about $500 (bred). Housing perhaps a bit more than that. We are going to pasture her as long as possible throughout the year with some supplement in the deepest darkest part of winter.

We drink at least 1 gal milk/day in this house. With the new girl we get 4 gals which give us liquid milk, butter, cream, cheese. All of it raw, like we want.

I am not a vet or dairyman - (I am a scientist) but I am determined and I am convinced this is the best for our little family of 5. Nor do we live on acres of prime pasture. We have to etch it out of our bit of forest.

We are moving toward our own veggies too with the beginning seen at http://humblegarden.com

Local food to us means our backyard.

[Marilyn]

Delurking to say that I'm sending good thoughts your way re family issue. Love your blog...thanks for sharing all that you do here.

[Liz]

I shop at a small natural foods co-op, and the local milk is local milk indeed, in glass bottles and everything. My advice is to buy your milk from the most reputable, small grocery you can find. Portland has got to have natural food stores besides the mammoth Whole Foods, no?

[Bill Nunes]

Tana, Marjorie, et al
I'm an organic vegetable grower, (who grew up on a small dairy) but as I talk to people I often find myself touting the benefits of organic, pasture-fed meat, milk and poultry. MUCH research has proven that pasture-fed animals produce milk, meat and eggs that are healthier for humans; one of the latest reports shows that nursing mothers eating organic dairy pass those good nutrients on in their breast milk.
Much of the dairy industry and USDA still cling to outdated factoids stating that there is no difference in nutritional value which is BS.
That said, it is fairly well known that some dairies and poultry producers are circumventing the NOP and their claims to pasture access are entirely bogus, yet they are mostly getting away with using the organic label.
The list at www.cornucopia.org/dairysurvey/index.html gives a rating of the major players (and some smaller ones) if it has not been posted on your blog before.
In my area, the chain stores carry Horizon or store brand "organic" products - I won't buy them. The Mom&Pop stores carry Organic Valley. We have local OV producers here in the Great Central Valley and their milking herds really are eating pasture grasses for much of their feed. Probably even more than the dairy I grew up on.
Corn silage is a roughage made from the entire corn plant and I'm sure this is what the corn picture represents - not massive amounts of grain which are typical of feedlots. Corn fodder really is good for cows and can replace fresh pasture during winter.
The one issue I have with Organic Valley milk is that the small stores where I buy generally carry ultra-pasteurized products (to reduce their spoilage losses). Stores that move more product do carry OV pasteurized which I prefer. But I still get the health benefits of higher Omega 3s and CLAs which simply are not in the pseudo-organics produced on factory "organic" farms. So I keep buying OV from my neighborhood store in hopes that eventually enough of us will buy so they can switch to pasteurized. And also, buy the whole milk because good fats are obviously in the milk fat, so why take out half of the good stuff?
Finally, if there is a certified organic raw milk dairy in your area - that's where you want to get your milk (and cheese, butter, etc. if they are available).
I can't claim to be an expert of any kind, but I think all of these claims are factual and substantial.
CA farmer

[Pecos bluee]

Great Blog. I am glad I found it. Can you direct me to a small goat farm blog. I want to learn more about keeping goats.

[Bethany]

(mostly for Marjorie if she's looking)
We live south of Portland a bit and get our milk (topped with loads of cream) from a local farm called Kookoolan farms (located in Yamhill, OR). They also have certified chicken and free-range eggs as well as cheese-making supplies, local mushrooms, demi-glace - all those things to make my little cooking heart glad. They are not allowed to advertise their raw milk products, but customers who come to the farm (or join a milk carpool) receive such wonderful local freshness:)
There are also many markets and CSAs in the area as well as lots of local fruit. We've found it very easy to plug in to local eating here in the Willamette Valley. Happy eating to all!

[Rose]

Fantastic blog. This is truly what the internet is for. Organic Valley out here in Humboldt County is the label used for the new organic line that Humboldt Creamery is producing. I was tickled to find out that our local dairy is finally producing organic and that the OV milk I had been buying was local. I still tend toward the Strauss brand, even though they have to ship it up here - they put their milk in glass bottles and include a little cream at the top.