A Milk War Over More Than Price

Organic milk is about to become much more widely available, as Wal-Mart rolls out its own organic brand, which will be cheaper than similar milk on the market. But critics worry that what consumers will be getting is a diluted form of organic milk. Sold under Wal-Mart’s popular Great Value label, half-gallon cartons of the milk is likely to create stiff competition for many other makers of organic milk — which comes from cows that have not been treated with hormones or antibiotics — and even sellers of conventional milk.

The organic milk Wal-Mart is selling under its own label comes from Aurora Organic Dairy, which also supplies Safeway, Costco, Target and Wild Oats with their store brands of organic milk. The controversy turns on how closely Aurora adheres to the principles behind the organic food movement. Many organic farmers say grass feeding is essential for organic dairy production because it is part of a cow’s natural behavior. Milk from grass-fed cows, they say, is also higher in beneficial fatty acids than milk from cows fed grain, making it more nutritious.

At Aurora’s Platteville operation, 4,000 cows are put on grass only when not being milked or when they are nearing the end of a lactation cycle. That totals about two to three months a year. The rest of the time they stay in dirt-lined outdoor pens where they eat from an ample trough filled with a mixture of hay, silage, corn and soybeans. In accordance with organic standards, Aurora cows also get no hormones or antibiotics and all their feed is grown organically.

Courtesy of NY Times

Steve - of course, we still need to keep an eye on Wal-Mart and the metamorphisis of the organic dairy industry. In an ideal world, if all cows could be grass-fed, it would be best. That is nearly impossible right now. There are organic dairies that produce grass-fed milk. You can also buy from local dairy farmers. You will just have to pay more. Nevertheless, the fact that Wal-Mart is carrying organic milk that is free of antibiotics and hormones is a very positive step for the overall health of the population. Rome wasn't built in a day!