Organic Dairy Farm Grades

Grade A: (Ideal or Outstanding)

These companies are family-scale farmers, pasture based, closed herd (meaning no conventional cows are bought), and strive to produce some of the finest milk and dairy products available to the public.  They gave full disclosure and are certified by the best.  There are no nation-wide producers that made an A however.

• Green Hills Harvest - Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri.
• Organic Pastures Dairy Company - California
• Crystal Ball Farms - Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Chicago
• Hawthorne Valley Farm - East Coast
• Traders Point Farms - Midwest, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic
• Castle Rock Farms - Wisconsin and Minnesota

Grade B: (Excellent)

Buys from or are family-scale farmers, and very little, if any, conventional cows are bought.

• This Land is Your Land - East Coast and Atlanta -(A distributor to health food stores. Their milk is produced by small family farms, such as Hails Family Farm located in PA.)
• Clover Storenetta - California - (Notable because it was the first dairy in the U.S. to be awarded the American Humane Association’s Free Farmed label for humanely produced dairy products.  In addition, they are eco-friendly by adding a solar-powered operation to part of their facility.  However, they also sell conventional dairy products)
• Farmers All Natural Creamery - Midwest and Atlanta
• Natural by Nature - East Coast
• Nature’s One infant formula - Nationwide
• Organic Choice or Next Generation Dairy - Nationwide
• Organic Valley - Nationwide - (A Co-op, which includes Natural Prairie and Organic Prairie Farms that provide organic beef, pork, and poultry.  It is notable that Natural Prairie refused to answer any questions however)
• Amish Country Farms - Nationwide
• Whole Foods Markets (365 organic) - Nationwide
• Stremicks or Heritage Foods - West Coast, Midwest, and Hawaii
• Scenic Central Mild Prod. Co-op - Wholesale milk nationwide
• Straus Family Creamery - California
• Trickling Springs Creamery - Mid Atlantic
• Upstate Farms - Mid Atlantic
• Wisconsin Organics - Midwest plus

Grade C: (Very good)

Buys from multiple sources for their organic milk, some sources are known to be from factory farms.  These companies buy mostly conventional cows.

• Harris Teeter - Southeast U.S.
• Abbott Laboratory or Similac formula fortified w/DHA & RHA - Nationwide
• Stonyfield Milk or HOOD - Eastern half of U.S.

Grade D: (Good)

There is a questionable commitment to long-term organics.  Buys from many sources and/or their main source is from factory farms.

• TESCO or Fresh and Easy Neighborhood Market - Nationwide
• UNFI (Woodstock) - Nationwide
• Wild Oats owned by Whole Foods  - Nationwide - (Supply comes from Aurora Organic Dairy. Notable is that Aurora released a statement in 2000 in regard to Wild Oats showing their commitment to be completely GE free)

Grade F: (Fair)

The milk has been found to be diluted, or not much better than conventional milk.  None of the private labels or store-brand labels would give information as to where their organic milk came from.  However, it was discovered that these brands bought most or all of their organic milk from factory farms or an unknown source.  Most of their cows, if not all, are conventional cows which saves the company a lot of money. Information was provided by industry sources.

• BJ’s Wholesale Club Inc. - Nationwide
• Costco’s Kirkland Signature - Nationwide
• HEB/Central Market - Nationwide
• Kroger’s Naturally Preferred - Large market availability
• Meijer, Inc - Midwest - (Also processes some of its food in the same plant as Kelloggs.  Recently Meijer, Inc recalled some of its inorganic products produced in the Midwest due to possible Salmonella contamination)
• Natures Promise or Tops and Giant labels - Large market availability
• Safeway’s O Organics or Lucerne Foods - Nationwide and Canada - (Lucerne Foods was not a part of this study however, but does supply O Organics)
• Trader Joe’s - Nationwide
• Target’s Archer Farms - Nationwide

Ethically Deficient: (Very poor)

Purchases all their dairy products from factory farm milk.  Despite what they claim, most of these companies have been found to not be following USDA regulations, which includes not allowing their cows to graze for an adequate amount of time and/or supplying GM feed to their organic herds.  None of these brands would participate in the study.  Information was provided by industry sources.

• Alta Dena owned by Dean Foods - West Coast
• Aurora Organic Dairy - Nationwide - (Supplier of Safeway, Costco, Target, Wal-Mart, and Wild Oats.  This supplier was found to practice inorganic methods for their products.  Most notable is that Aurora is one of the largest factory-farm organic milk suppliers in the U.S.)
• Good Heart Organics owned by Rockview Farms - California
• Great Value - Nationwide - (Wal-Mart’s private label for supercenters and Neighborhood Markets. Wal-Mart was not included in this study.  Two of its suppliers are Aurora Organic Dairy and PBM Nutritionals.  However, Great Value organic milk has been found to be of the lowest quality.  Great Value is one the cheapest brands of organic milk available because of dilution and factory farm suppliers)
• Hain Celestial Group or Earth’s Best infant formula - Nationwide
• Horizon owned by Dean Foods - Nationwide - (Questionable practices and treatment of their cows)
• The Organic Cow owned by Dean Foods - East Coast
• PBM Nutritionals infant formula - Nationwide - (Private label who also supplies Wal-Mart)
• Shamrock Farms which is sold in Sam’s Club and Costco - Nationwide - (Recently had a suit filed against them for inorganic practices)
• Rockview Farms -  Nevada and California location - (Recently had a suit filed against them for inorganic practices at their Nevada location, and also was sued for their inorganic practices contaminating a local water supply in California)

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Images: 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18