DRINK ORGANIC MILK

When you drink organic milk instead of conventional alternatives, you support organic farming methods that emphasize treating animals humanely, minimizing environmental impact and reducing the presence of synthetic chemicals in milk, and food.

Unlike organic farms, conventional farms tend to not treat their animals very well. These massive farms generally contain many thousands of animals at a time under extremely crowded conditions, and they harvest milk and food from them as cost-effectively as possible – thus earning the name "factory farms" for their industrialized approach. Unfortunately, efficiency on these farms usually comes at the animals' expense. Animals on factory farms are typically treated as units of production, subject to forced feeding of unnatural diets, extremely restrictive confinement, tail docking, artificial growth hormones, electric stunning, inhumane slaughter techniques and other abusive practices.

Farm animals are not protected by federal law from cruelty on the farm, and most states consider conventional agricultural practices exempt from the scope of their animal cruelty statutes.

Organic farms, on the other hand, abide by a number of standards that focus on protecting animals, human health, and the environment. For example, organic farms follow practices requiring that farm animals have access to fresh air and pasture, that they eat a natural diet grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and that they not be given any artificial hormones. Organic farming practices also use crop rotation and other techniques to minimize the need for synthetic pesticides and other chemicals. The result, proponents say, is healthier milk and food with fewer chemical pollutants, less impact on the environment, and happier, more humanely treated farm animals.

Like anything that goes counter to modern ways and big business, organic farming has its critics. There has also been recent controversy surrounding the precise definition of organic milk after a few very large-scale producers entered the organic milk market, posing what some view as a threat to the small-scale ideal embraced by many organic farmers. Meanwhile, there are some farms that, while not certified as organic, still embrace many of the same values.

Nevertheless, there are currently about 10,000 organic farmers in the United States, and their numbers are increasing each year. By buying organic milk and food produced by these organic farms, you can add your voice to the call for a sustainable future and for the humane treatment of farm animals everywhere.

• Choose organic milk. Because it is the most widely available organic food—now available even at traditional outlets such as Safeway and Wal-Mart—organic milk is a good place to begin expressing your support for organic farming. To find suppliers of organic milk and food near you, visit Local Harvest's ZIP code lookup guide.
• Choose your producer. Because of the controversy surrounding the inclusion of organic milk produced by large-scale farms, you may want to go a step further to select a brand carefully. The Cornucopia Institute has a ranking of organic milk producers by how well they adhere to true organic standards.
• Choose organic meats and produce. Look beyond just milk and choose organic options for as many foods as you can. The Eat Well Guide can help you find local sources.

It's certainly not an all-or-nothing proposition, but it comes down to this: the more organic foods you choose, the more you help animals and the planet.