The Cornucopia Institute

Organic dairy farmers from throughout the country descended on the nation’s capital last week in a show of solidarity requesting a USDA crackdown on large industrial dairy farms producing “organic” milk. The farmers present, along with over 8000 submitted comments from consumers and other organic producers, prompted the USDA’s National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) to pass recommendations for changes in the organic regulations and a guidance draft to help organic certifiers enforce the law. Critics contend that these large farms are ignoring the requirement that organic cows graze on grass as a major component of their diet.

BY ANDREW MARTIN
Chicago Tribune

WASHINGTON - (KRT) - Henry Perkins, an organic dairy farmer from Maine, brought a sign to Washington that read “Let Them Eat Grass.” On Wednesday, after two days of debate, a federal advisory panel on the organic industry took Perkins’ message to heart.

The advisory panel recommended that the U.S. Department of Agriculture tighten existing rules that require organic livestock to be raised and fed on open pasture, rather than in confined pens.