Shopping for grass-fed
Not all store-bought organic milk comes from cows that have been fed grass.
Hannah Wallace
7/2007
7/2007
Full-fat milk produced by cows that are fed corn has three to five times less CLA than that of grass-fed cows, according to Utah State University dairy scientist Tilak R. Dhiman, Ph.D.
Not all organic milk companies let their cows go out to pasture. To find a farm that does, visit www.americangrassfed.org. You can also check local health-food stores and farmers' markets, but read labels carefully. Though "grass-fed" can mean a cow was let out to pasture for a few days each month instead of daily, the following small companies promise that their dairy cows pasture from early spring to late fall:
- GRASS POINT FARMS (www.grasspoint.com) sells cheese, butter, and milk.
- NATURAL BY NATURE (www.natural-by-nature.com) distributes its milk from Maine to Florida, and its cream, butter, sour cream, and whipped cream are sold at stores across the country.
- SEVEN STARS FARM (www.sevenstarsfarm.com) doesn't sell milk, but their yogurt is made with milk from grassfed cows and is available up and down the East Coast.
- SKY TOP FARMS (www.skytopfarms.com) Milk and yogurt from this upstate New York dairy farm is sold at Whole Foods stores in the Northeast.
