Certified Pasture?

As some of you know, Brad and I try to to eat "all natural and organic" whenever possible. Sometimes it is dang expensive, but we feel like it is totally worth it. There have been times that we haven't been able to afford to buy everything all natural or organic, but typically in those situations, we buy organic "essentials." (Meat, dairy, fruits, veggies...)

Anyways, we have been incredibly impressed with Target lately - really focusing a lot of their buying towards all natural/organic food. We've been buying their skim organic milk since before we even got married. About a month ago, HyVee really impressed us. After Brad left the gym early in the morning (before Target opened) he went to pick up some milk - because if you know Brad, you know that he rarely goes a day without a couple glasses of milk. Personally, white milk makes me gag and has no appeal whatsoever. I'm more a yogurt girl!

When Brad brought home the milk, I noticed that it wasn't "organic," but "Certified Pasture."  I asked him what that was all about and he directed me to the side of the milk carton. It was from a company called Grass Point Farms with all of their products coming from family farms in Wisconsin. It had this amazing chart comparing regular dairy industry guidelines and USDA certified organic guidelines to "Certified Pasture" guidelines. It was incredible to read and realize that even the USDA has semi-lax standards for organic farmers. The one that really stood out to me, was called "Dual Production." This allows large companies who want to tap into the ever-growing organic market to treat some animals inhumanely and pump them full of antibiotics and hormones and on the other side of their farm, abide by organic standards. In doing so, large corporations are taking the business from family farmers and making what should be a pure business practice into a twisted one. It's so sad to me that some organic farmers are finding loopholes to being legitimate and don't really believe in the cause itself, but love the money that rolls in because of it.

I went to Grass Point's website and it is pretty incredible - they even have pictures of their farms and a "Meet the Farmers" page. They are very clear about their philosophy and state it very well on their website.  Here's an excerpt from their description of "grass fed dairy."

A fundamental understanding of the grass fed dairy concept requires little more than a literal translation of the words. Grass Fed Dairy is the entire food cycle from providing natural pastures for dairy cows to graze upon to our wholesome, delicious milk, cheese and other dairy products that you enjoy. A greater understanding of grass fed dairy gets much more personal. It’s the farmer and his family making decisions around their kitchen table, choosing to run their business with what is natural for their cows, in harmony with the environment and right for their family. It’s our products that bring you the best that Wisconsin dairy farming has to offer. Surprisingly, the current national organic dairy standards do not require cows to graze as the cows graze at Grass Point Farms. 

Grass Point Farms brings the simple concept of pasture raising dairy cows from the past, to the dairy farms of today’s Wisconsin landscape. We follow the milk from our farms through our bottling and cheese plants, making sure that the milk, cheese and butter products are made solely from the milk of pasture raised, grass fed cows. The result? Dairy products that are healthier and more flavorful than any you have ever tasted.

Until now, standards for the pasture raising of dairy cows simply did not exist. Seeing this conspicuous void, Grass Point Farms created our own very detailed standards that follow the entire food cycle. We have addressed the natural diet and environment of dairy cows. By the design of nature, cows are grass eaters. Their first inclination is to peacefully wander through thick pastures, eating as they go. Because this is their nature, it is also the best way for cows to live long and healthy lives. Our standards address all the best practices of dairy farming. From allowing for enough pasture land for each cow to graze on for as much time as the seasons will allow to requiring each farm to create an environmental stewardship plan, our farmers have taken every step possible to ensure the well being of each and every cow in their herd.

I wanted to scan the side of the milk jug in, so that everyone could see the amazing chart, but it was pretty blurry. I figured this was just too interesting, so I decided to type it up. Here it is! Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

Common Practices	Description regarding the well-being of farm animals	Certified Pasture (Grass Point Farms)	Industry Guidelines	National Organic Program (USDA)
Outdoor Access for Cows	Helps prevent abnormal behaviors and enhances vigor, heath and overall immune system	Mandatory	Not Required	Yes; but with debate on definition
Pasture Management Requirements	Helps insure proper diet, healthy soils and grasses	Mandatory	Not Required	Not Required
Dual Production (different standards of care are applied to different groups of animals	Allows industrial agribusiness to raise some animals with higher standards and the rest under cruel conditions while out-competing humane family farmers	PROHIBITED	Permitted	Permitted
Independent Family Farmers (Family owns the farm, participates in the majority of the daily labor and the farm provides a meaningful livelihood.)	Higher assurance that animals will be cared for as individuals and that a humane ethic will be passed on to future generations.	Mandatory, with a minimum of 50% family farm labor requirement	Not required	Not Required
Carbon Footprinting Standards	Helps reduce the impact human and animal activities have on the environment in terms of green house gases produced	Mandatory	Not required	Not required
Comprehensive Farm Management Plan	Requires a written farm management plan considering environmental stewardship practices	Mandatory	Not required	Not required
Farm Inspections	Assurance that standard claims are being followed	Mandatory	Not required	Mandatory
Unified Grass, Animal Care, and Environmental Standards	Ability to address and comply to a complete list of standards impacting the health and well being of dairy cows, family farmers, land, air and water	Yes	No	No