Not all organic milk products are equal!
A popular post about Organic Milk comparisons prompted us to publish an updated list of Organic Milk Ratings that is sold locally (you can find the full report here).
Check to see the rating of the regular organic that you buy and see if you need to change your habit. What you’ve been drinking labeled as organic milk may not stack up to its reputation. Make informed decisions after checking this report.
The Cornucopia Institute* Organic Dairy Report/Ratings are arranged by Cow Star Ratings.
| (Click on Dairy Name for Full Profile) |
| Farm Name | Rating | Location | Products | Market Area | Total Score | Cow Rating | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 Cow Rating (Outstanding) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Organic Pastures Dairy Company | 5 | Fresno, CA | Fluid milk products(raw) Butter, colostrum, kefir | California or sold as pet food | 1200 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Loleta Cheese | 5 | Loleta, CA | Cheese | Northern California | 1160 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Natural by Nature | 5 | West Grove, PA | Fluid, whip cream | Fluid and other dairy products distributed on the East Coast, whipped cream nationwide. | 1160 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Redwood Hill Farm and Creamery | 5 | Sonoma, CA | Goat milk yogurt | Nationwide | 1160 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Butternut Farms | 5 | Gilbertsville, NY | Cheese | Nationwide | 1155 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 Cow Rating (Excellent) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Green Field Farms | 4 | Fredericksburg, OH | Cheese | Nationwide | 1145 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pure Indian Foods | 4 | Lawrenceville, NJ | Ghee | Nationwide | 1140 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cultural Revolution (Kalona Organics) | 4 | Kalona, IA | Yogurt | Nationwide | 1135 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purity Farms (Organic Valley) | 4 | Sedalia, CO | Ghee | Nationwide | 1125 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Organic Valley (CROPP) | 4 | La Farge, WI | Full line dairy | Nationwide | 1115 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alden’s Organic (Oregon Ice Cream) | 4 | Eugene, OR | Ice Cream | Nationwide | 1100 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amish Country Farms | 4 | Totowa, NJ | Fluid milk products | Nationwide | 1100 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Julie’s (Oregon Ice Cream) | 4 | Eugene, OR | Ice cream | Nationwide | 1100 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nature’s One | 4 | Columbus, OH | Baby Formula | Nationwide | 1100 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nancy’s (Springfield Creamery) | 4 | Eugene, OR | Yogurt/sour cream, cream cheese & cottage cheese, kefir | Nationwide | 1095 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Green and Black’s Organic-USA | 4 | Parsippany, NJ | Ice cream | Nationwide | 1080 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cedar Grove Cheese | 4 | Plain, WI | Cheese | Nationwide | 1075 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Organic Creamery (DCI Cheese) | 4 | Sun Prairie, WI | Cheese | Nationwide | 1075 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wallaby Yogurt | 4 | Napa, CA | Yogurt, Ice Cream | Nationwide | 1075 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Whole Foods Markets (365 organic) | 4 | Austin, TX | Fluid milk products | Nationwide | 1070 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cowgirl Creamery | 4 | Point Reyes Station, CA | Cheese | 1065 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Straus Family Creamery | 4 | Marshall, CA | Full line dairy, ice cream, yogurt | California | 1065 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Three Twins Organic | 4 | CA | Ice Cream | Nationwide | 1060 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Clover Organic Farms | 4 | Petaluma, CA | Fluid milk products | California | 1050 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stonyfield (yogurt, fluid milk) | 4 | Londonderry, NH | Yogurt, Fluid Milk | Nationwide | 1035 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Helios | 4 | Sauk Centre, MN | Kefir | Nationwide | 1025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lifeway | 4 | Morton Grove, IL | Kiefir | Nationwide | 1025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Save Mart, Lucky, Food Maxx (Sunnyside Farms) | 4 | Stockton, CA | Milk | N. California & Nevada | 1025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sierra Nevada Cheese Company | 4 | Willows, CA | Cheese | Nationwide | 1020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scenic Central Milk Prod. Co-op | 4 | Prairie Du Sac, WI | Wholesale milk | Nationwide | 1005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Glanbia Foods | 4 | Twin Falls | Cheese | Nationwide | 975 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 Cow Rating (Very Good) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Natural Choice | 3 | Oxnard, CA | Ice cream | Nationwide | 955 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Similac (Abbott Laboratories) | 3 | Abbott Park, IL | Infant Formula, Fortified with DHA /ARA (please see related Cornucopia report for possible side effects) | Nationwide | 930 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Heavenly Organics, Inc | 3 | Condensed milk | Nationwide | 585 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boulder Ice Cream | 3 | Boulder, CO | Ice cream | Nationwide | 485 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 Cow Rating PRIVATE-LABEL (good, but questionable long-term commitment to organics) Note: information based on ”industry sources.” None of the two cow rated private-label brands were open enough to participate in the study. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (TESCO)Fresh and Easy Neighborhood Market | 2 | Fluid milk products | Nationwide | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| UNFI (Woodstock) | 2 | Fluid milk products, butter | Nationwide | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 Cow Rating PRIVATE-LABEL (some or all factory-farm milk or unknown source, but better than conventional) Note: information based on ”industry sources.” None of the one cow rated private-label brands were open enough to participate in the study. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Albertson’s( Wild Harvest) | 1 | Fluid Milk Products | Nationwide | 0 | Costco (Kirkland Signature) | 1 | Fluid milk products | Nationwide | 0 | Great Value (Wal-Mart) | 1 | Fluid milk products | Nationwide | 0 | HEB/Central Market | 1 | Fluid milk products | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||
| Kroger (Simple Truth) | 1 | Fluid milk products | Unknown | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nature’s Best (Cadia) | 1 | CA | Fluid Milk Products, butter, cheese | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Safeway ( O – Organics) | 1 | Vons/Pavilions | Fluid milk products | Unknown | 0 | Sprout’s/Henry’s Market | 1 | So. California | Fluid milk products | Unknown | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| Target (Simply Balanced) | 1 | Fluid milk products | Nationwide | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Trader Joe’s | 1 | Fluid milk products | Nationwide | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 0 Cow Rating NO COWS (Ethically Deficient) Most produce or purchase factory farm milk – none were open enough to participate in this study | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alta Dena (Dean Foods) | 0 | City of Industry, CA | Purchased by Dean Foods. Alta Dena is a brand managed by Dean. | West Coast | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Aurora Organic Dairy | 0 | Boulder, CO | Largest conventional/organic factory-farm operator. Largest Private label manufacturer. | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back to Nature (Kraft) | 0 | Glenview, IL | Cheese | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Borden Dairy (Dean Foods) | 0 | Texas | Fluid milk products | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Challenge Dairy Products | 0 | California | Butter | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Good Heart Organics (Rockview) | 0 | Downey, CA | Fluid milk products | California | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grassland | 0 | Wisconsin | Butter | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Greenbank Farms/ Stonefelt Cheese Co. | 0 | Preston, WA | Cheese | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hain Celestial (Earth’s Best) | 0 | Boulder, CO | Infant Formula | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Horizon (Dean Foods) | 0 | Dallas, TX | $11 billion–the nation’s largest conventional & organic milk marketer. Owns 4000 cow “farm”. | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Humboldt Creamery (Foster Family Dairy) | 0 | California | Fluid milk products | Unknown | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kemp’s Dairy (Dean Foods) | 0 | Fluid milk products | Nationwide | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mr. Cookie Face (Fieldbrook Farms) | 0 | New Jersey | Ice Cream | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mother’s Choice (Larsen’s Creamery) | 0 | Georgia | Fluid milk products | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Natural Prairie | 0 | Dalhart, TX | The nation’s largest factory farm producing “organic” milk,7200 milk cows/upwards of 10,000 total animals | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nurture Inc./Happy Baby (Danone) | 0 | Yogurt | Nationwide | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| PMB Nutritionals (private-label infant formula including Wal-Mart) | 0 | Gordonsville, VA | Private-label infant formula including Wal-Mar | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Santini | 0 | CA | Condensed milk | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shamrock Farms | 0 | Phoenix, AZ | This processor owns their own mammoth dairy, about an hour south of Phoenix., It is a “split herd” (conventional and organic combined) milking thousands of cows. | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source Naturals | 0 | CA | Protein powder | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spring Hill Cheese/Petaluma Creamery | 0 | Wisconsin | Butter | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Swissland | 0 | Indiana | Cheese | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vermont Organics (PMB Nutritionals/Perrigo) | 0 | Vermont | Infant formula | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wholesome Valley (Galaxy Foods) | 0 | Orlando, FL | Cheese/processed cheese | Nationwide | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
*The Cornucopia Institute, through research and investigations on agricultural and food issues, provides needed information to family farmers, consumers and other stakeholders in the good food movement and to the media. We support economic justice for the family-scale farming community – partnered with consumers – backing ecologically produced local, organic and authentic food.
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