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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] E. Coli contamination and industrial

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Liz <liz@allslash.org>
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] E. Coli contamination and industrial
  • Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 19:37:05 -0400

At 11:46 PM 5/19/2008, you wrote:

I totally agree that grass fed cows are healthier. However, even organic
farms feed their cows grain when they milk. There may be milk farmers out
there who grass-feed only, but I haven't met a milk farmer yet who doesn't
grain their cows while milking, or at the very least feed them silage. That
is how they get the cows in the barn. Grass-fed is do-able for beef, but
harder for milk. Therefore, most milk cows, even on the grassiest organic
farms, are going to have a more acidic rumen.

The farmer I get my milk from takes the milking equipment to the cows, not the other way around. He built a stainless steel milker on a mobile base and tows it out to wherever he has the cows pastured that day. He told me that he knows of several others who are doing the same thing. I didn't think to ask him how he manages bad weather, but we've had a lot of it lately, so I expect he has worked something out.

So it's not just possible, but it may be something that is growing in popularity.

Liz




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