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Things that make Organic Milk different

A recent Channel 4 Dispatches programme put a spotlight on supermarket food, and among other things, suggested that some dairy cows are kept in unfavourable conditions.

At Yeo Valley we have our own herd of pedigree British Friesian dairy cows and we are very proud of the very high levels of animal welfare on the farm. The cows graze on natural grass in the fields in the summer and are fed grass and cereal silage in winter, when they are indoors to protect them from the elements. The herdsmen know the individual cows so well that theycan spot minor ailments before they can become serious and the British Friesian breed is very well suited to our part of the world.

We also have around 80 organic dairy farms in the South West who supply milk for our Yeo Valley Organic products.

On organic dairy farms, the care of the cattle and the purity of the milk they produce are of paramount importance and all of the farms supplying milk to Yeo Valley Organic work to the highest standards. They are also independently inspected by leading, government-approved, organic certification authorities.

The organic specifications they work to mean it is normal for no more than three cows to be kept on each two hectares of grazing land. On non organic farms the norm is for four cows to be kept on the same area. Organic farmers believe the greater grazing area given to their cows is better for their welfare and leads to better quality milk.

On organic farms, cattle are fed on pasture grown without the use of synthetic chemical herbicides, pesticides or fertilisers, with clover being used to provide the essential nitrosomas which help the grass to grow. On conventional farms there are no such restrictions, and chemical sprays can be used to speed pasture growth.

An organic cow’s diet must be natural grazing, silage or hay. There is no such restriction on conventional farms, so ordinary, non-organic cows are sometimes fed an unnaturally high level of compound feed, which is used to compensate for any lack of natural grazing and to help increase the milk yield. On a very few non organic farms dairy herds are even kept inside all year round and never graze outside.

With increasing financial pressures on farmers there has been a growing trend to breed and feed dairy cows in ways which will push their milk output ever higher. Organic farmers don’t agree with this approach and their cows are never managed in ways which will push their milk production levels beyond their natural capacity.

Like Yeo Valley Organic, organic farmers believe that their stock has a right to a natural, long, contented life and that this results in better, more nutritious milk. Recent research proves that this is correct.

One of the first pointers to the nutritional superiority of organic milk came from the Institute of Environmental and Glassland Research. Scientists there found that organic milk contains around two thirds more Omega 3 fatty acids than non organic samples. Among the benefits of Omega 3 are that it can help to combat heart disease and arthritis. It also aids concentration.

Support for the claims of the superior nutritional quality of organic milk has also been provided by an Aberdeen University study. It found that the organic milk it analysed had three quarters more Omega 3. This means that a pint can contain the entire recommended daily intake and that a matchbox sized piece of organic cheese would provide around 88% of the recommended daily allowance.

Earlier this year at a conference held at the University of Newcastle, it was revealed that the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences has found that organic milk also contains significantly more vitamin E, and 2 – 3 times more beta carotene than conventional milk. Both are antioxidants vital to good health, with vitamin E helping to combat aging. In addition, carotenoids are an important component of the flavour in milk.

If an organic cow ever becomes ill it will usually have the most natural treatment. Most organic farmers believe in natural remedies, so normally turn to holistic and homeopathic solutions. Only if these fail will they resort to the antibiotics which are used more regularly on conventional farms.

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