Think Twice About That "Organic Milk" Label in California

Image: nytimes.com

The drought in California, one of the worst in the state's recorded history, doesn't get a lot of attention east of the Hudson River or inside the Beltway. However, the dry spell is having a powerful impact on agriculture in America's most important farming state.  Right now, nearly all California dairy farms are experiencing a dramatic absence of grass, thanks to the drought. Suffering perhaps most of all are organic farms, which are resorting to feeding cows organic hay or alfalfa. A story relating what's happening to farmers, bee keepers, and others in the Golden State's organic farming community recently appeared in the UK newspaper Guardian, and was picked up by siliconvalley.com.

One curiosity in the article was the USDA's definition of "organic milk." Apparently, all it takes for the designation is for the cows to eat "local" grass four months of the year. The other eight months? Well, do you really want to know what you're pouring on your corn flakes?