Got grass?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed strict new standards for what
kind of milk qualifies as organic: Cows must get plenty of fresh grass and spend
at least four months a year grazing in pastures.
The rules, which will go into effect June 17, are aimed at standardizing
industry practices and easing consumer concerns about how the milk they buy is
created.
Current rules require milk marketed as organic to come from cows whose feed was
grown without chemical fertilizers, pesticides or genetically modified seeds.
Herds can’t be treated with hormones or antibiotics.
The new rules seek to close loopholes that had allowed some of the country’s
largest feedlots to sell their milk as organic, even though their herds rarely
grazed in fields. Bovines are natural grazers that have been known to contract
digestive ailments from grain. Farmers will have to ensure that at least 30% of
their cows’ diet comes from pasture grass during the mandatory grazing season.
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Los Angeles Times