Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Slaughter-Free Milk



If you must drink milk (or consume dairy products like cheese, whey, lactose sugar, ice cream, or other things that do more to leach calcium from bones -- due to their acidifying of body chemistry and the ammonia produced from the break down of protein -- than they provide in any assimilable form), use slaughter-free. It's the least we could do to give thanks for what is taken from moo cows.

PRODUCTION:
The Lotus Trust has finally found a suitable farm to produce slaughter-free milk after two years of searching. Working in partnership with OMSCo (Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative), an organic dairy in SE England has agreed to pilot the production of Ahimsa [nonviolent, harm-free] milk with a select herd of cows.

Commonwork is an environmental charity, study center and an organic dairy near Sevenoaks in Kent [England]. It has a well established educational program that explores local and global sustainability. The thrust of its work is towards a just and sustainable world.

Due to parallels in its vision with The Lotus Trust for a fairer world, one where there is collaboration and connection with nature, it has agreed to run this first pilot.

Ahimsa milk will be produced to the following minimal standards:
  • No cows, calves, or bulls will be slaughtered
  • Cows can graze freely on open pasture
  • Cows will be protected for life
Commonwork Organic Dairy is fully responsible for all milking cows. The Lotus Trust has set up a new not-for-profit organization -- the Ahimsa Dairy Foundation (ADF), which will be responsible for ongoing care of all non-milking cows, specifically calves, bulls, and retired milking cows.


Meat and milk as commodities -- cash cow

Cows at Commonwork are looked after to Soil Association organic standards, which means:
  • they are not injected with hormones or steroids;
  • they are on a diet of non-GM forage (mainly plant leaves, stems, legumes, and grass) primarily grown on the farm;
  • they graze in open fields during spring, summer, and autumn.
Winter housing is spacious and they have areas where they can walk around with access to food 24 hours a day. The health and welfare of the cows is foremost, they are treated with homeopathy and alternative treatments when possible. Antibiotics are used only when no other approaches work. More

Living beings treated like unfeeling factories

1 comment:

  1. Would you want someone extracting YOUR breast milk?

    Come on, there is NO SUCH THING as compassionate dairy consumption.

    Although the cows have more space they are not free. They are still exploited for their milk.

    Although this may seem like an ethical alternative, it doesn't compare to adopting a plant-based (vegan) diet.

    ReplyDelete