Real Deal Organic Milk – We Did It!
Ok, ok, the huge throng of us who urged the USDA to please adopt stronger standards for organic milk probably shouldn’t be taking credit. But it’s nice to think our voices were heard, and in any event we can cheer the outcome: those long-awaited new rules were adopted on February 12.
please pretend these are celebratory fireworks
The Cornucopia Institute, which led one of the largest petition drives, has a good report on what happened and why. The New York Times story is shorter but perfectly adequate if you’re not (yet, just stick with me) a farm policy geek.
This is the shortest version of all. At the heart of the new milk standards is a requirement that all dairy cattle be on pasture for the full length of the local grazing season or at least 120 days. Adios to the oxymoron: factory organic dairy.
I’m planning to write and say thank you, on the theory that pats are deserved and will be appreciated. People who run these agencies seldom get any feedback from the public except demands and complaints. Here’s the contact info. if you’d like to join me.
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Okay! I did that, too. If those in decision-making offices do in fact care and act on those things we care about; they do indeed deserve credit for working on them.
Thanks for letting us know.
Thanks for this information, Leslie. I just added my email to what I hope is a chorus of thanks from consumers. Right now, I’m trying to buy Maine’s new locally sourced and produced organic brand, MOO milk; but it’s good to know that I can have more confidence in the alternatives when I can’t get MOO milk (right now the demand seems to be much greater than the supply).