What's in your organic milk?

At up to $7 per gallon in some parts of the country, organic milk is anything but cheap. Depending on the reasons that drive you to choose organic -- healthy earth, healthy farming practices, healthy children -- the benefit may be worth the cost. But what if the milk in your refrigerator isn't so organic after all?

In recent years, the organic industry has become big business. A market that used to consist of small, family owned farms now has some of the biggest names in agribusiness behind it. One of the best selling brands of organic milk, Horizon (which is owned by Dean Foods) was brought to task this year for running factory-style dairy farms which may violate the policies of organic farming.

Concerns have been raised that cows are not pastured often enough, denying the animals access to grass and increasing their dependency on grains for nutrition. There's also concern that factory-style organic dairy farms are purchasing replacement cows from conventional farms. These cows could have been exposed to pesticide-laden feed, growth hormones, and antibiotics -- all of the things that should be missing from organic milk.
So what to do? It depends on who you talk to. The Cornucopia Institute did a study on organic milk that rated suppliers on a 5 star system. It's an eye opening read, but a little research will also lead you to Milk Is Milk. This blog is dedicated to clearing up misconceptions about the dairy industry, and refutes that study. It's clear there's lobbying going on from every side and from every angle. It's not easy to be a consumer these days, and debates such as this one make it clear that as consumers, we need to know a little more about the companies behind the food we eat.