The O word can be a little taboo in some circles, especially among Farmers and Ranchers. I’m going to let you in on the Agricultures dirty little secret. First let’s get down to the nitty gritty.
Organic.
Whew! There, I said it. That dirty word that raises its ugly head for producers like me. It’s a label that many have come to trust when shopping for many different products. Now, don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with shopping organic. The flip side of that coin, is that there is nothing right about it either. Here’s why…
I often get asked if my products are organic, the simple answer is no. None of my products are organic. They can’t be. In order for me to sell raw milk and raw milk products under Wyoming law, I can’t be inspected. In order for me to be Organic, I have to go through a 3 year process of inspections, then I’d have to find a local creamery (the nearest is in Idaho) ship my milk there, have it processed (including pasteurized), then bottled and shipped to a store who knows where under the creamery’s label. So does that mean that my lack of Organic labels define how I run my dairy? Does that mean that I have sub-par treatment of my animals, feed quality or product quality? Again the answer is a simple No.
I believe that Ethics go a lot farther in this world than a government label. Ethics define how I run my Farm, not an organic label. You see, if I was an organic farm, things would look much different for my cows.
If we get a simple infection, (sinus, ears, bad cold etc) that we can’t treat at home, we head to the doctor for a quick round of antibiotics and get on with life. If the same happened to my cows, I would have to make a choice of watching her fight an infection on her own or sell her. If I treated her with a round of antibiotics, she would no longer be able to be a part of the organic farm. This is reason #1 in my book as to why I will never be an organic farm. I will not discard or sell a member of my farm for getting a cold. Or a scratch. Or a cough. See where I’m coming from on this?
This is where Ethics comes in. I have made an unwritten promise as a keeper of livestock, to always treat them with the respect and love they deserve. This means even when it might hurt my bottom dollar or cost me a little more than I had expected. So if that same cow that has a cold is in my care, I give her what she needs to get better. Just like I would for my kids, my horses, my dogs, my cats, my ducks or my chickens.
It is my ethical duty to also protect you as my customers as well. I have to treat my cow that is in my care and I have to treat my customers in my “care” with respect and ethics. This comes down to dumping milk in the dirt. Throwing away money. You see I’ve also made an unwritten promise to you as my customers. I will never put something on your table if it is not good enough to be on mine. If I have a question or an issue with the health of my cows, I won’t keep the milk. It really does get poured in the dirt. Yes, there have been times when I have almost cried over that spilled milk. No matter how bad I need a paycheck, I don’t need it bad enough to put Ethics aside.
So does this mean that those that have an Organic label have no Ethics? No, absolutely not. Does it mean that those that do not have an Organic label are always ethical? No, absolutely not. This is where it is vital to know your Farmer. Know your source. Trust your gut and intuition.
I’m not spouting on about how great my ethics are because I think I’m such a great person. I’m spouting on because it’s important to me that people know who I am and what I’m about, and not about. I’m also spouting on because I am incredibly honored and humbled that so many of you trust me with your health. You trust me to deliver a safe product to you in an ethical manner from start to finish. For that I am truly and deeply grateful.