Organic Dairies Test Organic Feed Supply
US - It comes as no surprise to anyone that the number of organic farms is booming to meet consumer demand for healthy food. In Washington, a state known more for its apples than any other crop, there are 45 organic dairies. Five years ago, there were just two.
11 June 2007
1 minute read
| Cows graze on Jay Gordon's organic farm in western Washington's Chehalis Valley near Elma, Wash., Tuesday, June 5, 2007. Gordon, executive director of the Washington Dairy Federation, believes more feed crops need to be planted to meet local demand among organic farms. The fields behind the cattle are planted with corn, sunflower, canola, and safflower to feed his dairy cows. |
The challenge has been feeding all of those cows.
Acreage of organic forage, such as hay and alfalfa, has grown 40 percent in the past two years, yet isn't keeping pace with demand. In particular, high-protein crops like soybeans that are necessary feed for dairy cows are in short supply in some regions, forcing some companies to import them from as far away as China.
Given the recent problems with food and ingredient imports from China, in which a slew of products have been turned away by U.S. inspectors amid claims they are tainted, one might wonder if organic feed is actually organic.
"That's a legitimate concern. We do have organic standards, which apply even to producers overseas if they want certification," said Bill Freese, the Center for Food Safety's science policy analyst in Washington D.C. "But I think the oversight of organic standards to be sure there's compliance is generally better in the United States than overseas."
Source: islandpacket.com
