Got Milk?

For quite some time now I've been wanting to post an entry on milk in the U.S. Milk is a very controversial topic in many ways. Although I personally believe it should be consumed in small quantities, due to the fact we are the only species which consumes it past the point we are weened and also because as we grow it is extremely hard to digest, when we do consume it I believe wholeheartedly in consuming only organic or better yet local, organic milk. Here's why.

Our society is showered with images of happy animals living on farms where the cows graze in lush green fields and the chickens have the run of the barnyard. This vision of free-roaming animals living out their days in sunny fields is very far from the reality. A majority of the animals that are raised for food live miserable lives in intensive confinement in dark, overcrowded facilities, commonly called "factory farms."

Factory farming began in the 1920s soon after the discovery of vitamins A and D; when these vitamins are added to feed, animals no longer require exercise and sunlight for growth. This allowed large numbers of animals to be raised indoors year-round. The greatest problem that was faced in raising these animals indoors was the spread of disease, which was combated in the 1940s with the development of antibiotics. Farmers found they could increase productivity and reduce the operating costs by using mechanization and assembly-line techniques.


Dairy cows are bred today for high milk production. Most factory farm cows are injected with Bovine Growth Hormone, this in turn makes their already high rate of milk production double. Half of the cows in the national dairy herd are raised in intensive confinement, where they suffer emotionally from being socially deprived and being prohibited from natural behavior. Dairy cows produce milk for about 10 months after giving birth so they are impregnated continuously to keep up the milk flow. Female calves are kept to replenish the herd and male calves are usually sent to veal crates where they live a miserable existence until their slaughter. When cows become unable to produce adequate amounts of milk they are sent to slaughter. The cows are kept in a holding facility where they are fed, watered and have their waste removed mechanically and are allowed out only twice a day to be milked by machines.

Believe me this is not an exaggeration of factory farming, this holds true not just for dairy farms but also poultry and pig farms. These animals are pumped full of hormones and antibiotics which contrary to what the Dairy Council would have you believe DOES get into your milk supply. Animals were designed yes to nourish us but it is our responsibility not to take advantage of that gift but to be stewards of it.

"Plants and animals should be provided a habitat that allows them to express their physiological distinctiveness. Respecting and honoring the pigness of the pig is a foundation for societal health. "
Joel Salatin - Polyface Farms - http://polyfacefarms.com/