Re: Grass in Organic Pastures Milk (was re: Jar question)

November 22, 2004

Myrtle Featherweather wrote:

>

> > - Jerome, drinking more kefir as the amount of grass in Organic Pastures

> > milk seems to be declining

>

> Jerome, really? Wow. May I ask, how can you tell?

Good Question! I think I learned how this last Spring, when I was

getting a good part of my milk from a local farmer who was milking

just one cow, and that cow was on a 100% grass diet (except for a

little hay when she was in her stall). It was springtime in the

mountains, and the grass was changing rapidly as it went through

its spring growth cycle. The farmer was also moving the cow to

different areas on his relatively diverse, hilly land. I found

that I could taste different grasssy qualities in the milk, from

batch to batch. When I'd ask the farmer, he'd explain that " She

was was eating ... " or " She got into ... " . One time, the milk

had the most wonderful, super-grassy tasting quality that reminded

me of the taste of " sourgrass " that my friends and I used to pick

and chew the stems of as children. When I asked my farmer about

this batch, he explained that he had just let her into a bottom-

hollow area that was full of plump new greens, including some

sour ones. This incident occured in late spring, when the hill-

side grasses were drying out, and that was the last " superfood "

batch of milk I got from my farmer friend that season. Later,

I could easily taste when he introduced baled alfalfa into the

cow's diet as the grass continued to wither with the approach

of summmer. It helped that I was also getting Orgainc Pastures

milk at this same time, and it helped when my farmer brought

a new cow on line, and when I found another local farmer who

had a very different feeding strategy (using commerical " dairy

feed " ). I usually had some of the previous week's milk left over

on pick-up day, so I often had the opportunity as many as six to

eight different batches of milk... To my taste, the differences

in taste were sometimes quite profound.

So, I learned to taste, or think I was tasting, the amount of

grass in the milk. Since I was living on just milk, I was also

sensitive to how the milk made me FEEL. My standard milk was

Organic Pastures, which seemed to be very consistent throughtout

this period. It was, in my opinion, quite good, and left me

feeling better and better in a slow, steady, upward spiral.

Meanwhile, the local, single cow milk was much more variable.

In the spring, the all-grass local (Guernsey-Jersey) milk was

even more " life-giving " than the Organic Pastures milk. When

the local cow found was in the really prime grass, her milk

left me feeling like I was soaring upward, growing younger,

repairing and rebuilding my tissues as I floated through

life in peace and contentment! Life was so good, and getting

even better, that I couldn't remember feeling so good since

my early childhood... On another occasion, I felt " flat "

and like I was " just staying alive, but not improving " on

the milk from the Jersey cow who was eating the commerical

dairy feed. I dropped this cow and this milk. Later, when

my farmer friend's grass dried out, I dropped his milk too,

until Spring returns.

Meanwhile, Organic Pastures remained very consistent all

through this local roller-coaster. Organic Pastures has

big, flat pastures with flood irrigation. Their cows live on

the pasture year-round, but eat quite a bit more than pasture

grass. According to Ron Schmid's 2003 book, " The animals eat

30 pounds of dry alfalfa hay and eight to ten pounds of grain,

mostly rolled corn, each day; the rest of their diet is a mix

of fresh-growing green grasses. "

So as Spring turns to Summer and California turns brown,

Organic Pastures can keep it's pastures green. This lets them

keep the grass component up, but even at its best OP cows get

only a partial grass diet. I've heard it said that they get

65% grass. Perhaps a farmer can tell us what percentage they

think the grass would be for a cow getting 30 lbs dry alfalfa

hay plus eight to ten pounds of grain...

Anyway, Summer turns to fall, and then the rains come to

California. The days grow short, the sun hangs lower in the

sky, and even irrigated grass grows more slowly. Cows at

pasture must be harder on it, too, given the squishy ground.

My guess is that the cows are spending a lot less time eating

fast-growing grass and a lot more time standing in mud, eating

dry alfalfa hay and grains at Organic Pastures this time of

year. My guess is that, to spare the pastures from damage

caused by trampling in the muddy season, Organic Pastures

has to do things a bit differently in the wet months.

I think I can taste, and feel, the difference. In fact, the

milk tastes and feels more like I remember Claravale's milk

tasting and feeling. Still wholesome, but without as much

vitality. Part of me suspects that the milk as changed in

other ways as well, perhaps connected to the immense growth

in demand for Organic Pastures milk subsequent to the joint

venture with Dr. Mercola taking the milk nationwide, and the

new (1000-store?) distributer relationship with Tony's Fine

Foods. It seems to me that this kind of growth would require

growing the pastures and the herd as well..

> I usually get Organic Pastures unless once in a while I can get

> Claravale. I'm in the San Francisco area. Claravale is not labeled

> organic. Perhaps it's the soil -- perhaps they're transitioning. I

> don't know. I should find out. Although some of the farmers I know

> at farmers' market use organic practices on land that has been

> organically farmed for many years and they don't bother with the

> certification process. But why would a dairy who markets commercially

> not want the certification? But then, Claravale is not always

> available so maybe they're like some of my organic farmers.

I'm also curious about Claravale. They aren't yet offered in

our markets here in Nevada City, but a local store owner said

he is trying to get them in his store. I've had the opportunity

to taste their milk on three separate occasions, and each time

my impression was that it was " wholesome, but with less fresh

grass content " than I was tasting in my reference Organic Pastures

milk on those same dates. I'll see if they are open for a tour.

It sounds like I may be able to tour there this coming weekend.

> I think that overall I like the idea that my milk came from one dairy

> rather than a conglomerate.

Me too! Though I think the very best milk would be from a

sequence of dairy farmers, following the peak of the green

grasses as it moves across the world. Let's see, where is

the milk " peaking " right now? Argentina? New Zealand?

Let's try some of that!

- Jerome, happily enjoying a mug of raw Organic Pastures milk

on day 266 of a 95%+ milk, cream and colostrum diet

November 22, 2004