Organic Milk and Chocolate Pudding
As everyone who comes across this blog knows, for the past few months I have been trying to buy/eat/annoy people with local food. A lot of time, once I find a product that is local – I stop looking.
Then, I start feeling guilty.
What if there is a brand that is MORE local? What if I am buying this from a farm who beats their animals or locks them inside their whole lives?
Unfortunately, I don’t have all the time in the world to study every single product at the supermarket. Although, I did decide to step it up and look into the milk I buy, Organic Valley. This company is huge, but they buy from smaller farmers who grow organic milk – no hormones, no antibiotics, and no factory farms.
I know a lot of smaller farms aren’t able to meet the requirements or the expense for organic milk certification by the USDA, not because their farm isn’t organic, but because the conditions or the cost just aren’t manageable. But, it is nice to know that the ones that have become certified are kept to decent standards – cows are allowed outside at least 120 days a year, are fed 30% of their diet from actual grass (a far cry from 100%, but it is a start), and aren’t treated with antibiotics unless they actually need them – and, if so, are kept out of the milk system for a full year.
This came directly from the company, but this quote makes me feel better:
“Our dairy animals have the best life of any dairy animals in this country, that’s for certain,” said Wendy Fulwider, the company’s animal husbandry specialist. “We do have pasture requirements, so they do get to spend a lot of time outdoors and they get excellent pasture to eat. They get exercise and sunshine and have the most nutritious milk. They are incredibly healthy.”
I think I am going to stop worrying about this brand. Sure, it is big and I would love to find a farmer I can buy from directly, but giving my money to an organization who is trying to do the right thing won’t keep me up at night.
Plus, I can enjoy this chocolate pudding I made for my ski trip next week. (And not actual, straight milk, because I would NEVER, EVER, EVER (EVER) drink that, ahem, stuff.)
Mmmmmm…. Chocolate, the best way to enjoy milk.
Recipe