Organic Farming and some dang fine Milk

Amy - good to see you online. I hope all is well.

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My sister called and asked me for a ride home from work, saying that she had a case of milk her employer gave her and couldn't get it on the bus.

Now normally when someone calls and says they have a case of stuff 'given' to them it fell off the back of a truck. But in this case it was true, as there was a long line of women outside the shop with a case of milk at their feet.

In return for the ride my sister gave me twelve half-gallon containers of Organic Valley skim milk.

Organic Valley is a Wisconsin based cooperative of family farmers that produce organic dairy products.

And you know what? The milk was the best I've ever drank. It had none of that 'tinny' taste of most skim milk and just flowed down your throat. Yummy.

I priced it in the store and now know I'll probably never have it again. Her boss gave each of his employees the equivalent of $120 worth of milk . At ~$5 a half gallon when standard milk is $3/gallon, well, good luck sweetheart. Tell me how your sales turn out.

But for all you better-off folks (and despite your protests, you know who you are) I encourage you to pick up some of their product. Coupons are available on their website, listed above.

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Jan has a link on her sidebar to Heifer International, a charitable organization that purchases livestock for farmers and educates them in modern agricultural methods- a wonderful program that promotes self-reliance over handouts. [My kids raised money for Heifer while in K3]. While While I applaud efforts to provide funding for small business overseas I think this is of more value, especially in lands were famine not only breeds suffering but increased dependence on foreign aid and all that comes with it.

If you prefer to have your donations spent here at home Heifer also offers programs in the States, some of which teach organic farming methods. I'm all for the concept but I worry that the farmers are being steered in the wrong direction. At the prices quoted above it'll be awhile before it becomes mainstream, and I think they need a quicker financial turnaround. But I could be wrong.

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I'd like to also point out that a skeptical opposition to Mr. Gore and his global warming hysteria DOES NOT translate into a desire to make a mess of the earth. I'm all for clean air and clean water, and I assure you that I take care to make less of a 'footprint' than most of the preachy lefty's I know. I was carpooling and driving high MPG cars years before it was economically necessary, and we recycle so religiously that the Alderman sent us an additional bin. And we're not talking the rinky-dink blue containers you see in some 'burbs. Here's the size of one of ours:

That's all. I just wanted to get that off my chest.