Most of us can buy some organic food at least some of the time. It’s available in grocery stores, on line, in farmers markets, even in convenience stores. Making even one shift – say, from conventionally produced milk to organic milk – is where a lot of people start. Yes, it might cost a couple of bucks more a week – but probably not more than any of us spend on some kind of crummy fast food take-out or a latte at the local coffee shop.

Have you started shifting to organic yet? Let us know what you’re doing and how it’s going.

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Scientists at Washington State University compared the milk that came from two groups of cows. The “old fashioned” cows had been fed a diet of mostly corn, probably living in what are called “confined animal feedlots” where they are also treated with hormones and antibiotics. The organic cows were raised in pastures, where they ate grassy plants. Both groups produce milk, but it turns out that the milk from organic cows has much higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, the “healthy fats” that are good for the heart.

Dr. Charles Benbrook, who led the research team, said, “We were surprised by the magnitude of the nutritional quality differences.”

Both organic and old fashioned milk contain two kinds of fatty acids. Omega-3 helps improve heart health. Omega-6 poses risks for cardiovascular disease, cancer, inflammation and auto-immune disease.

Although the total amount of fat in both groups studied was about the same, the organic milk had 62 percent more omega-3 fatty acids and 25 percent fewer omega-6s than the old-fashioned milk.

Conclusion? If you drink milk containing any fat (whole milk, 2 %, 1%, reduced fat), the safest, healthiest milk to drink is organic.

Of course, organic skim milk is better for you, too. In fact, overall, organic agriculture has long been proven to be better for the environment because it avoids toxic pesticides and herbicides that can contaminate groundwater, pollute the air, and indiscriminately kill birds, insects and other wildlife. Organic milk and beef production requires that animals be treated more humanely and not given hormones and antibiotics, which can disrupt human reproduction and create antibiotic resistance in people.

With this study showing that the fat in organic milk is actually better for you than the fat in old fashioned milk, it should be a no-brainer to choose organic.

Got milk? Make it organic.

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Aurora Organic Dairy provides the organic milk Wal-Mart, Costco, Wild Oats, Trader Joe’s and Safeway sell under their own brand names. The dairy agreed to make major changes in the way it operates a Colorado facility and, reports Environmental News Service, stop posting the organic label to some of its milk after the U.S Department of Agriculture threatened to revoke its organic certification for not allowing its cows enough time at pasture. To continue operating as a certified organic dairy, Aurora must provide daily access to pasture during the growing season.

The USDA action was initiated in 2005 when the Wisconsin-based Cornucopia Institute, an advocate for family farms, claimed that Aurora Organic violated federal standards that require access to pasture for organic dairy cows at its Platteville, Colorado facility.  In the course of its investigation, the USDA also determined that animals were not being properly transitioned from traditional to organic practices, among other infractions.

Under the agreement it reached with the government, Aurora will not renew the organic certification for its Woodward, Colorado facility as it works to improve operations at Platteville. But for consumers, a bigger issue looms.

Demand for organic milk has never been higher. At the same time, consumer confidence in organic manufacturers is not rock solid, given scandals like these and the general belief many consumers have that “green” and organic products are not worth the extra money they cost.

When companies like Aurora intentionally undercut the standards they’re supposed to represent, they do a disservice to every other company trying to live up to that standard. They also send a message to shoppers that they can’t trust the marketplace – even though the marketplace is where shoppers can make the greatest difference in protecting the environment.

We expect more from organic companies like Aurora. We should get it. Until we do, thumbs down.

If you want to let Aurora Dairy know they need to earn back your trust, send a letter or make a call to Mark Retzloff, president and “chief organic officer.”

Mark Retzloff
Aurora Organic Dairy
1401 Walnut Street, Fifth Floor,
Boulder, CO 80302
720-564-6296

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