A guest post by Green Valley Dairies.
Go back 30 years and mention the word organic, and chances are people’s first thoughts were an Earth-hugging descendent of the 60s hippy movement, smoking interesting cigarettes with grass in their hair. ‘Organic’ was a buzzword for people that were looking to do things outside of the conventional. It was a nice idea, but your typical Queen St dweller doubted it would ever catch on.
Fast forward to 2018 and the word ‘organic’ is much more than that. It’s still true that it relates to people wanting to do things a little differently from the rest, but it’s now more than a buzzword – it is a conscious way of life, for an increasing amount of people around the world, and New Zealand is leading the way. ‘Processed’ and ‘preservatives’ are now dirty words that have a much smaller place in the weekly shopping trolley, and everyday Mums & Dads are making decisions around how to feed their families in the most natural way possible.
The question lingers – what does organic mean? Do we, as consumers, truly understand what goes into making that organic bottle of milk they pick up at the shop, and why is it that sometimes they simply can’t buy it?
Organic farming is a commitment based on defined practices and key principals that not only create but also maintain healthy soil, crops, and livestock in a sustainable manner. It takes time. To be organically-certified takes a farm a minimum of three years, so it’s not something that can happen overnight.
Organic practices prohibit the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones or any genetically-modified feed. The organic farm must be certified by a nationally-recognised organisation confirming they have met very strict guidelines that are constantly checked throughout the year. These standards mean consumers have confidence they know what they are consuming.
Milk is produced from an animal when they lactate. A cow has the same pregnancy period as we do – nine months. They are usually milked twice a day for ten months of the year before having a rest during the ‘dried off’ period.
Organic cows must have access to pasture – grass is a cow’s natural diet. To produce the best possible milk, the grass the cow has fed from must be full of nutrients. This pasture is created by healthy sustainable farming practices with the help of Mother Nature in the form of rain and sun in just the right amounts. Too much rain and the grass does not grow. Too much sun or wind and you get the same result. The cow may produce less milk, resulting in a reduction in milking to once a day. Milking a cow more than that during that period can be a recipe for health problems the following season.
This is a problem for us as consumers as there is less organic milk available. Most farmers in New Zealand have historically planned their calving periods for July and August to take advantage of spring grass growth. This means October and November are usually the best of the year in terms of milk supply.
