Free range milk?

1283 Views 8 Replies 5 Participants Last post by LedBoots, Feb 22, 2016

becca96

Discussion Starter · Feb 22, 2016

I've recently found out that a lot of milk is not free range, and given that my reasons for being vegetarian are in part to do with the living conditions of the animals, I've stopped having milk since I found this out. Just have a few questions for anyone who can help

Is organic milk made using free range cows?

I love baking (and eating the products), but even if organic milk is free range, I can't find any organic butter? I know soy milk can be used as a substitute for milk, but what about butter? Any good vegan cake recipes anyone knows about?

I've phoned Cadbury and Nestle and found out they don't use free range milk. Anybody know of any free range chocolate?

Thank you so much

having a little crisis over this...

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becca96

Discussion Starter · #2 · Feb 22, 2016

I live in the UK so would be helpful if there are any products suggested if I can buy them here. Thanks

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LedBoots

· #3 · Feb 22, 2016

I hate to be the one to tell you this, but no matter how free range the cows are, the treatment of dairy cattle is sometimes far worse than animals bred for slaughter.

First, the cow must be forcibly impregnated yearly, her calf taken away (you can hear the bellows and chilling cries of baby and mother). The male calves are used for veal, trapped indoors in tiny cages so they don't build muscle, fed milk only (taken from the cows), and slaughtered young.

The dairy cows are sent to slaughterhouses for an early death after their milk production declines.

So. Much dark chocolate has no dairy, read the label. It is more expensive than milk chocolate, but you need less to be satisfied.

There are lots of good butter substitutes, I'm in the US so can't give specific brands for England.

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Spudulika

· #4 · Feb 22, 2016

becca96 said:
I live in the UK so would be helpful if there are any products suggested if I can buy them here. Thanks

If you want to source higher welfare dairy in the UK, this should help you:

http://www.ciwf.org.uk/your-food/dairy/

If you'd like to explore plant-based alternatives, there are a whole host of dairy-free plant milks available now which work well in baking or cooking. My favourite chocolate milk is Oatly. My favourite dairy free cream is Oatly too (available from a number of supermarkets).

The best dairy-free butter substitute I've found is Pure Sunflower spread (no hydrogenated fats or emulsifiers) and it's available everywhere.

Tesco do a good own brand plain soya yoghurt too.

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Lipps

· #5 · Feb 22, 2016

becca96 said:
I've recently found out that a lot of milk is not free range, and given that my reasons for being vegetarian are in part to do with the living conditions of the animals, I've stopped having milk since I found this out. Just have a few questions for anyone who can help

Is organic milk made using free range cows?

I love baking (and eating the products), but even if organic milk is free range, I can't find any organic butter? I know soy milk can be used as a substitute for milk, but what about butter? Any good vegan cake recipes anyone knows about?

I've phoned Cadbury and Nestle and found out they don't use free range milk. Anybody know of any free range chocolate?

Thank you so much having a little crisis over this...

LedBoots said:
I hate to be the one to tell you this, but no matter how free range the cows are, the treatment of dairy cattle is sometimes far worse than animals bred for slaughter.

First, the cow must be forcibly impregnated yearly, her calf taken away (you can hear the bellows and chilling cries of baby and mother). The male calves are used for veal, trapped indoors in tiny cages so they don't build muscle, fed milk only (taken from the cows), and slaughtered young.

The dairy cows are sent to slaughterhouses for an early death after their milk production declines.

So. Much dark chocolate has no dairy, read the label. It is more expensive than milk chocolate, but you need less to be satisfied.

There are lots of good butter substitutes, I'm in the US so can't give specific brands for England.

While this won't help you find what you're looking for in the UK directly, dairies that care about their cows health and well being do exist. Not far from where I live (About 100 miles)
There is a dairy called Mill King. They sell unpasteurized milk on site and slightly pasteurized in specialty stores around the state. (in Texas it is illegal to sell unpasteurized milk unless it is on the farm where it is produced)
Anyway, they don't milk cows all day/every day, they get time off (really, they do) and they do not send them to slaughter when they stop producing. They stay on the farm and die a natural death. No antibodies, hormones, corn, or soy. They eat grass in the pasture 10 months out of the year and some hay and grain in winter. If you are in the area you can tour the dairy for free.
http://www.mill-king.com/

Here is a blog post where someone wrote about their visit to the dairy.
http://coffeebeanjunkie.com/2014/05/30/a-trip-to-milk-origin-mill-king-market-and-
creamery-pt-1/

"The average life span of a Dairy cow is 5 years, but we've had girls that have lived to be 21."

We buy the milk pretty often. It's really good tasting, but it's more than twice the price of regular milk at a grocery store.

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David3

· #6 · Feb 22, 2016 (Edited)

Lipps said:
While this won't help you find what you're looking for in the UK directly, dairies that care about their cows health and well being do exist. Not far from where I live (About 100 miles)
There is a dairy called Mill King. They sell unpasteurized milk on site and slightly pasteurized in specialty stores around the state. (in Texas it is illegal to sell unpasteurized milk unless it is on the farm where it is produced)
Anyway, they don't milk cows all day/every day, they get time off (really, they do) and they do not send them to slaughter when they stop producing. They stay on the farm and die a natural death. No antibodies, hormones, corn, or soy. They eat grass in the pasture 10 months out of the year and some hay and grain in winter. If you are in the area you can tour the dairy for free.
http://www.mill-king.com/

Here is a blog post where someone wrote about their visit to the dairy.
http://coffeebeanjunkie.com/2014/05/30/a-trip-to-milk-origin-mill-king-market-and-
creamery-pt-1/

We buy the milk pretty often. It's really good tasting, but it's more than twice the price of regular milk at a grocery store.

This is a wonderful improvement.

However, even for this type of operation, it remains true that the dairy cows must be periodically impregnated - the resulting calf births renew the cycle of lactation: http://www.motherearthnews.com/home...understanding-the-calving-cycle-zbcz1405.aspx. What happens to the male calves that are born? Are they allowed to live a full life and die from natural causes, too?

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David3

· #7 · Feb 22, 2016 (Edited)

Lipps said:
There is a dairy called Mill King. They sell unpasteurized milk on site and slightly pasteurized in specialty stores around the state. (in Texas it is illegal to sell unpasteurized milk unless it is on the farm where it is produced)
Anyway, they don't milk cows all day/every day, they get time off (really, they do) and they do not send them to slaughter when they stop producing. They stay on the farm and die a natural death. No antibodies, hormones, corn, or soy. They eat grass in the pasture 10 months out of the year and some hay and grain in winter. If you are in the area you can tour the dairy for free.
http://www.mill-king.com/

Here is a blog post where someone wrote about their visit to the dairy.
http://coffeebeanjunkie.com/2014/05/30/a-trip-to-milk-origin-mill-king-market-and-
creamery-pt-1/
.

Err, what a minute.

Here's the sign on Mill-King farm. What does it say?

Also, neither the Mill-King website, nor the blog article, say anything about the dairy cows being allowed to die a natural death. I do believe that they aren't sent to a slaughterhouse, because it looks like they sell their own "farm-raised beef" right on site.

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Lipps

· #8 · Feb 22, 2016

They do have different cows for meat. They sell meat there at the farm and to a few select customers (locals and a few restaurants). It's not their primary business -dairy is.

Also, in the blog article there is a sentence from the owner/farmer saying they have had (dairy) cows live up to 21 years. I pointed it out in my original post.

I have been there myself. It is what they say it is. You are free to believe as you wish, but vegetarians consume milk and cheese and I have yet to see a nicer, cleaner, more humane dairy farm anywhere else.

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LedBoots

· #9 · Feb 22, 2016 (Edited)

Didn't realize this was the vegetarian threads, sorry

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