Sourcing Value 5: We support the humane treatment of the cows that provide us with milk to make our products.
Just like people, healthy cows are happy cows. In contrast, an animal that is stressed and uncomfortable is much more likely to get sick. But, cows don’t need a New Year’s resolution to live a healthier lifestyle. They just need a little help from their farmer to make sure they have access to the outdoors, clean space to move around and bed down for the night, and a diet that suits their biology. Sadly, these basic necessities are not a given on all farms. (But they are on the farms where we get our milk!)
We source all of our milk from Organic Valley’s CROPP Cooperative, the nation’s most successful organic farmer cooperative. CROPP farmers are organic dairy experts. The National Organic Standards offer a mandatory starting off point for the humane management of animals. The CROPP farm families, however, went above and beyond and created their own rigorous set of standards, called the Animal Care Program, to make sure that the health and wellbeing of their herds always comes first. When you buy Stonyfield, you are supporting CROPP in their stand for humane treatment.
So, what exactly do the National Organic Standards say about animal welfare?
o Employ preventative health care practices such as adequate feed, nutritional supplements, sanitary housing and freedom of movement.
o Provide medical treatment in cases of animal illness. If a cow requires antibiotics to be treated, antibiotics must be used. The cow then can’t be used for organic dairy production.
o Provide access to outdoors and calls for conditions that accommodate the natural behavior of the animal.
o Provide appropriate clean and dry bedding.
A few of these points are worth going into a little more detail.
Grass is good: In 2010, the USDA issued a final rule on access to pasture for organic livestock – clearing up some significant confusion on the matter since the original standards were passed in 2002. Today, organic cows must be on pasture at least 120 days of the year, and they must go outside every day that weather permits, even when the pasture’s not growing. Access to pasture is not only about exercise and fresh air but grass (and hay) are a very important part of a cow’s diet. It’s the food they were designed to eat! A diet that is too high in grains can make cows uncomfortable, gassy, and cause more serious digestive problems.
More isn’t always better: The organic standards also prohibit the use of any synthetic hormones, most notably rBGH – used in some conventional herds to boost milk production. Cows treated with rGBH have significantly increased risks of clinical mastitis and lameness. Who wants that?
Going the extra distance: CROPP farmers also follow their own Animal Care Program that takes the national standards to the next level. All farms are inspected for compliance with these standards and given recommendations for continually improving animal welfare. You can learn more about these standards here. It’s not all about rules and regulations, though. The Animal Care Program is about learning together as a professional community:
“We see education as a critical part of animal care. We are supporting that component with our veterinary staff, an animal care specialist, mailing related articles, field days, barn meetings and further information throughout all our communication tools. It is exciting to see new systems developing and we want to share those successes so you can consider those for your farm.” CROPP Cooperative, Animal Health Committee
So as you can see, organic farmers put a lot of energy into doing what’s best for their cows, not what makes the job easiest for them. But, as usual a job well done pays off in the long run. In fact, one farmer we visited this summer told us that their vet bill in the previous year had been higher for their two dogs than it was for their entire herd of 40 cows!
When you meet a farmer who is as passionate about their cows as the farmers we work with, you could spend hours going over every detail that contributes to a healthy, productive herd. Or, you could ask Lyle Edwards what he considers the most important thing about his job:
“I love the cows. Yeah, that’s why I farm.”
To us, it’s just that simple.
Here at Stonyfield we love to cook with our delicious organic yogurt but another key ingredient to a perfect dish is organic spices! We have a new myStonyfield Rewards partner who has a unique way of thinking about spices and will be a great addition to your personal spice cabinet.
We’d like to introduce you to our new friend Sara Engram, co-founder of tsp spices. Not only are tsp spices organic and always fresh, but they are also so conveniently already perfectly measured, freshly sealed in a single-use teaspoon packets and you can now find them through our myStonyfield Rewards Program.
So, Sara, tell us more:
1) How did your company get started?
My friend Katie Luber and I started the company because we loved to cook but hated our spice cabinets. We both had kitchen cabinets cluttered with old, half-used bottles of stale spice. We knew we weren’t alone in that. As we learned more about the health benefits and especially the fabulous flavors of organic spices, we decided that somebody should give home cooks a way to have fresh-tasting spices without having to waste money by tossing out half-full bottles every couple of months. So we came up with our pre-measured, airtight packets, each with one teaspoon of spice, herb or zest. That way, each time you open a packet you get the same fresh flavor you get when you open a brand-new bottle.
2) What is your company’s mission/philosophy?
We want to bring “Spice Enlightenment” to kitchens everywhere. By that, we mean giving home cooks an easy way to use these ancient flavors that can turn an ordinary meal into a trip around the world. Spices were probably the earliest example of international trade – and we think they are the perfect way to help families eat healthier food. We like to say “Eat locally, but season globally.” Spices and herbs add lots of flavor (and we are increasingly learning about their health benefits) – and they do it without adding calories or fat. Now that’s a food bargain!
Above all, we believe that enjoying food together – preparing it and eating it – is central to healthy families and healthy friendships. We’d like to help bring fun and adventure back to the kitchen – and to the table.
3) Why are you excited about being a partner in the rewards program?
We have long admired Stonyfield, both its products and its philosophy. Stonyfield customers are concerned about the same things we are – delicious food that is also healthy, both for the consumer and the producer.
4) Tell us about 1 thing your company is working on right now that you are really excited about.
We are always looking for ways to be more adventurous with herbs and spices. It’s such a great way to make food less boring. For instance, we have a themed tin that contains the spices and recipe for a pot of chili that includes the usual suspects, like cumin and chile pepper. But we also include cinnamon and fennel seeds, which can give the chili just a hint of something enticingly different from the same old chili powder you get at the grocery store.
We are currently working on more combinations that can help bring a new twist to familiar foods. Other than those projects, we want to continue to spreading the word about tsp spices, so cooks everywhere can transform their cooking with our packets of fresh-tasting, organic spices.
5) What is your favorite flavor of Stonyfield yogurt (or product)?
I love Stonyfield’s Whole Milk Plain Yogurt because I can spice it up a 100 different ways. I can add dill weed or basil – or chile pepper and cumin — and use it as a great veggie dip or for a baked potato topping. Or, I could sweeten it with a little honey, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a teaspoon each of ginger and cinnamon and have a delicious and healthy dessert. You could do all that with Stonyfield’s 0% Fat version as well. It’s just that spices add so much flavor that I can skip a lot of the calories from other things like sugar and butter and still enjoy that satisfying mouth-feel that you get from whole milk yogurt.
Check out tsp spices organic spices in perfectly measured, freshly sealed, single-use teaspoon packets on our myStonyfield Rewards site and if you are not already a rewards member, sign up here!
What do you get with thousands and thousands of acres planted with genetically engineered crops designed to be either herbicide resistant, insect resistant, or both? Thousands of acres of super weeds that have evolved to stand up to the ever-increasing spray levels needed to grow these crops. What’s a company to do once its pest problem silver bullet doesn’t pay farmers promised dividends? Why, invent a new one!
In response to the emergence of herbicide resistant weeds, Dow Chemical has developed a new corn variety that is genetically engineered to tolerate applications of the herbicide 2,4-D. 2,4-D is one of the main ingredients in Agent Orange, the herbicide renowned for causing widespread birth defects after it was used as a defoliant during the Vietnam war. 2,4-D is a highly toxic herbicide on its own, and exposure to drift from this herbicide has been proven to cause birth defects.
Approval of Dow’s 2,4-D corn will surely lead to massive increases in the use of this incredibly toxic herbicide. It will only be a matter of time before we start to see the consequences for public health. Despite this threat, USDA has proposed approving this new genetically engineered crop for planting. USDA will accept comments until February 27th and they need to hear from as many people as possible to reverse their decision. Join our friends at the Center for Food Safety in telling the USDA to reject Agent Orange Corn.
If legalized, exposure to this toxic chemical through the air and water will increase rates of birth defects, developmental problems and, certain types of cancer in rural residents.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Take action today to protect our country’s farmers and the food they grow from this harmful chemical. Join us in making your voice heard!
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1-The most convincing evidence came from a series of EPA-funded studies at birth centers in the Midwest and Great Plains states in the 1980s and early 1990s. Scientists observed consistent spikes in reproductive problems (e.g., spontaneous abortions, failure to conceive) among women living in heavily sprayed rural areas, as well as birth defects in babies born six to nine months after the spring herbicide spray season. No similar increase in birth defects was ever found in women living in urban areas in the same state, which were not at risk for pesticide drift. V.F. Garry et al., 1996. “Pesticide appliers, biocides, and birth defects in rural Minnesota,” Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 104, No. 4: 394-399.
T.E. Arbuckle et al., 2001. “An exploratory analysis of the effect of pesticide exposure on the risk of spontaneous abortion in an Ontario farm population,” Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 109, No. 8: 851-857.
M. Weselak, et al., 2008. “Pre- and post-conception pesticide exposure and the risk of birth defects in an Ontario farm population,” Reproductive Toxicology, Vol. 25, No. 4: 472-480.
Hey there, Northeasterners. I don’t know about you, but right about now is when I start getting those winter doldrums and feeling anxious for some spring skiing. Now I know it’s been a bit of a weirdly warm winter, but it’s not over yet and the slopes are open and action packed.
So here’s some good news for your winter blues! Stonyfield is partnering with the New England Inns and Resorts Association to bring you the Ski & Stay Getaway Sweeps! Enter to win two nights at either the Trapp Family Lodge at Stowe, VT or The Inn at Weathersfield at Okemo, VT . . . plus your lift tickets!
To enter to win, simply fill out this ENTRY FORM.
We’ll choose our winners and send them an email on March 11. Check out the Official Rules for details. Happy Skiing (or Boarding, of course!).
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