I am a city girl.  My knowledge of farms is almost non-existent. I have never been on one, and the only exposure I have had to farm animals has been at county fairs or children’s petting zoos.  I know that sounds pretty lame for someone who loves animals more than anything else on the planet.

I am telling you the above, because I have to confess my ignorance about cows.  Even though I have a tremendous amount of information about food, nutritional supplements and everything in between, until recently, I was missing some very important information about cows.  I thought that cows that gave milk were a special breed and had a supply of milk for years.  Only recently was I disabused of this ridiculous idea.

What I Learned About Organic Raw Milk In Stores

I wasn’t looking for this information, and honestly wish I hadn’t come across it.  In areas like this, ignorance can be bliss.  But now that I know….

Cows have to birth a calf to lactate and be able to give milk.  This means that milking cows are constantly kept pregnant (usually by artificial means).  Their babies are taken away a few days later causing great stress to the mother because she is very maternal.  But what happens to all the baby calves?

Organic Pastures Raw Milk

I sent an email to the largest supplier of organic raw milk in California,” Organic Pastures”.   I asked what happens to the babies of their milking cows?   I got the following reply from Marcy, in the Marketing Department:  “Thank you for asking about our calves.  We never sell our calves for veal. We raise our heifer (female) calves to be milk cows, but we do not raise our bull (male) calves.  Our bull calves are sold to be raised by another calf-raising operation.”

I was happy to hear they didn’t sell their calves for veal like many other dairy operations, but I got a little nervous about the “calf-raising operation”.  So I sent a follow-up email asking about the calf-raising operation.  “The operation is a conventional calf raising operation. They are raised there for breeding or to become steers.”

My worst fears – “conventional”.  These are horrific operations with inhumane practices.  The cows can barely move, live on GMO feed and are slaughtered in a barbaric manner.

I have lost my desire for raw milk from a store now.  I do plan on having a farm in the near future.  If I have a pregnant cow or goat, I might drink some of the milk.  But I won’t be eating (or selling) my animals though.

To your Health!

Peter Gillham