Ok, just read in a local paper that Horizon Organic dairy farms keep their cows locked up in those big factory barns. Now, I'm not quite sure if this is ALL of the farms, but enough that there is an organization looking at the claims to see if this should qualify under organic standards.

I am definatly not going to buy from them anymore!! :vent:

Ok, just read in a local paper that Horizon Organic dairy farms keep their cows locked up in those big factory barns. Now, I'm not quite sure if this is ALL of the farms, but enough that there is an organization looking at the claims to see if this should qualify under organic standards.

I am definatly not going to buy from them anymore!! :vent:

Wow! That is too bad. I'm not totally surprised, though. I mean, they are a business, and they have to keep things cheap. I am disgusted, though, of course.

Do organic farmers follow the regular practice of seperating newborn calves from their mother's to get all the mom's milk?

Do they have to slaughter more humanely?

Anyone know this?

I work in a HFS and I was told by someone in our dairy department that either Horizon gets their milk from Organic Valley or the other way around. I've never checked up on that, but it could be that the milk from both companies come from the same source.

:tear:

I have to say in New Zealand that all the livestock is out on the grass...not locked up. Even the conventionally raised animals. I am sure there is exception, but not too much-yet.

I am realy sad about Horizon.

Linda, I am SOOO jealous of you!!! I wish I could get dh to move somewhere awsome. NZ seems like such an awsome country. And the landscape is gorgeous! Can I live vicariously through you? LOL! :rolleyes:

JustAmina, I'm not sure what their slaughter practices are. But, I'm sure they are better than the mainstream milk corperations.

Well, that makes little sense. Horizon has to get milk from millions of cows. It's hard for me to imagine that all the cows are in one place, at one farm.

They aren't Elizabeth. 2/3 of Horizon's milk is bought from family and independent organic farms.

Can anyone back up this rumor?

I found some interesting articles.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/greenwash20405.cfm

http://www.hgof.ns.ca/index2.php?function=viewgarden&item=14178

Horizon was bought out by Dean Foods. I'll look for info on them. Will edit when I find more.

Whoa, dean foods owns a lot. Mountain High, Hershey flavored milks, land o'lakes, silk soymilk, etc etc. You can see them all here:
htt://www.deanfoods.com

I used to live about 3 minutes from Horizon in MD. We used to take the kids there to play on the playground and pet the animals and feed the cows, who weren't in a factory style barn. They were in a barn, but not in stalls like that. Kwim? They could walk around and seemed content. jr volunteers were always there cleaning the barn (I can't remember ever being there when someone was NOT cleaning that barn!) and walking the calves around. I know they did get sold, though. Oh, some of the cows were out in a pasture, too. Maybe there were more I never saw? :confused:

They aren't Elizabeth. 2/3 of Horizon's milk is bought from family and independent organic farms.

Can anyone back up this rumor?

I read this in the Capital Press, it's a farming newspaper for the Northwest. I tried to look up the article online, but it sayed I have to subscribe :rolleyes:
But, it was in the Febuary 25 edition.

Here's another interesting website http://www.cornucopia.org/horizon_photo_gallery.html Shows Horizon's happy cows. Follow the link on the left for an article further explaining what I was talking about. They don't seem to be any better than the average mainstream dairy.