My husband and I have started to buy and enjoy raw milk products. I have not been able to have dairy in a very, very long time because of bowel problems, but I can have raw milk and cheese with no reaction!
Because of my strong concern for animal welfare, I wanted to find local sources of raw milk so that I could satisfy myself that the animals are well treated. As a result, we bought a share in a goat and we get a gallon of goat's milk weekly. It is not legal, in Texas, to buy raw milk from the market or have the farm deliver it. You have to pick it up at the farm where you own the share.
Here is a Raw Milk Fact Sheet from farmandranchfreedom.org.
We found our local source of raw milk by Googling raw milk and our city in Texas. We are also buying vegetable shares there--fresh, vine-ripened, organic fruits and vegetables. What could be better?
Friday, April 30, 2010
Texas Dairy is Kind to Its Cows
A Texas Milk Producer, Promised Land Dairy, Is Kind to Its Dairy Cows
My quest for milk producers that were concerned about cruelty to animals led me to research Promised Land Dairy. Their milk is available in my local HEB grocery store in Midland, Texas. I am so pleased to share with you what I learned about the kind treatment of dairy cows by this Texas milk producer.
Promised Land Dairy Cows Are Allowed to Graze
Factory-farm dairy cows are reputed to live in filthy, crowded conditions. Promised Land dairy cows are provided with food at the barn, and are allowed to graze freely in the pasture.
Promised Land Dairy Cows Are Allowed to Raise Their Calves
Factory farm milk producers keep dairy cows pregnant (to keep them producing) and then separate them from their calves almost immediately. Factory farm calves are often slaughtered for meat, sometimes when only a few hours old (veal).
Promised Land dairy cows raise and nurse their calves naturally. Mother and baby stay together and they lie around in the pasture together. When female calves are old enough, they join the other dairy cows in the herd. Male calves are sold to individual Texas purchasers. None are sold to factory farms or auction houses.
After raising their calves, at Promised Land, these Jersey cows are allowed a vacation to rest before getting pregnant again.
Promised Land Loves Its Dairy Cows
Promised Land Dairy is a Texas milk producer. Promised Land’s dairy cows are all Jersey cows. Promised Land puts quality above profit concerns by using Jersey cows. Jersey cows produce more nutritious milk, though they don’t produce as much milk as other dairy cow breeds.
Promised Land and its Texas ranchers have a special regard for Jersey cows and they feed them a “balanced diet to produce the best milk and healthiest animals possible. The cows are also treated with the best practices that assure humane and ethical treatment of each and every cow.”
Promised Land: An Executive Vice President That Cares
As I was researching this article, I came across a post on the website for Country Hills Veterinarian Clinic that shows the love Gordon Kuenemann, Executive Vice President of Promised Land, has for his dairy cows. He thought he would have to euthanize a Jersey cow that had a lump on her nose. He was told by a vet and several professional ranchers that it was cancer. He loved the cow enough to get one last opinion. The dairy cow was ultimately diagnosed with an infected dry socket from a broken tooth. She had surgery and a long recovery but recovered. Mr. Kuenemann said, “Dr. Patin cared for our cow as much as we did and he was relentless in his efforts to save her and get her back to pasture.”
No Tail Docking Allowed
Factory farm milk producers sometimes dock the tails of calves only a few days old. It is a painful, brutal practice that is done without anesthesia. Besides suffering the pain of amputation, without tails dairy cows are helpless to protect themselves against biting flies. The claimed benefit is to avoid contamination of udders.
Promised Land does not dock tails of its dairy cows.
Summary
My concern about animal cruelty by factory farm dairy producers caused me to search for Texas milk from dairy cows that are treated well. My HEB grocery store in Midland, Texas, carries milk from Jersey cows from Promised Land Dairy, a Texas-based company that cares about its dairy cows. The dairy cows are allowed to raise and nurse their calves, their tails are not docked, and the calves are not sold to factory farms or auction houses. They are fed nutritious diets and they are allowed to roam freely in the pasture. Talking with the Executive Vice President convinced me that these Jersey cows are loved and well treated. Promised Land is now owned by a corporation but operation management has not changed. I will check periodically to make sure no animal cruelty practices are taking place, but for now I am convinced that this company treats its dairy cows with respect, and even love.
DISCLAIMER:
I am in no way associated with nor do I own shares in Promised Land Dairy. My sole concern in writing this article is to provide information to others in Texas who are concerned about animal cruelty by factory farm milk producers and want to buy milk from happy, healthy dairy cows.
Sources:
No author given. The Way Milk Used to Taste. Promised Land Dairy.
No author given. Dairy. Vegan Peace.
Laura Bramble. Facts About Cow Mistreatment. eHow.
No author given. Factory Farms: Dairy Cows. Vegan Outreach.
No author given. Testimonials. Country Hills Veterinary Clinic.
No author given. Jersey Cows. Jersey Cows.
No author given. California Bans Dairy Cow Tail Docking. The Dairy Site.
No author given. Shedding Light on the Treatment of Dairy Cows. Humane Society of the United States.