Less than a year ago, I switched over
to organic milk. Despite having changed my meat sourcing several years prior,
milk was just one of those things that I never quite got around to changing.
First of all, it’s expensive. And
second of all, my husband, who is a big milk drinker, was convinced that
organic milk would taste like grass or like soy milk or just plain weird.
But after reading about animal
mistreatment at factory farms and the hormones and antibiotics pumped into
dairy cows, it seemed ludicrous that I had made so many other dietary changes
and let this one slide. So, the next time I visited Kroger, I picked up their
brand of organic milk and didn’t look back. That is, until about a month ago.
Shortly after starting this blog, a
friend and a reader both suggested The Cornucopia Institute as a source of
information for all things organic and sustainable. Always one to seek out new
information on this topic, I checked out the site and was immediately intrigued
by the scorecards and reports, which review and rate various companies on their
organic and sustainable claims.
I checked out my eggs, which were a 5
star rating. Awesome! I checked out my cereal, which was also a top rating. Woo
hoo! Then I checked out my Kroger brand organic milk. Not so good. With just a
1 star rating, my milk was considered better than conventional milk, but far
below the standards of other organic farmers and certainly far below the
standards I have for paying a premium price.
Thankfully, it took me only a minute to
see that Organic Valley and Whole Foods’ 365 Organic brand were both highly
rated and available in my area. And, although I now pay a little more for my
milk than I did for the Kroger brand, I’m confident I’m buying the best for me
and my husband.
Before you spend your hard-earned food
budget on organic, check out The Cornucopia Institute to ensure your dollars
are going toward the most reputable farms and the best quality products.
Question: What are your biggest
sources of information when choosing foods for your family?
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