Open Letter to Aurora Dairy from a concerned consumer

[nosmokes]

Aurora dairy, for thos unfamiliar with it, is just like horizon, organic in name only.

Open Letter to Aurora Dairy from a concerned consumer

* By Jeff Miller
June 27, 2006

Dear Aurora Dairy,

I'm just an ordinary urban middle-class consumer who finds this statement to be patronizing, insulting and dismissive:

"Aurora spokeswoman Amy Barr said organic standards shouldn't be based on an 'image of Old MacDonald's Farm' held by people who may never have been on a farm." (source: Yahoo article - 06/27/06)

Nor should organic standards be based on an image of living beings as just another profitable renewable resource to be factory-farmed like the poultry industry. People don't need to visit a farm to know that living beings need open space...not just for the quality of milk, but for the quality of life of the provider.

Buyers of organic dairy products understand that there is an ethical problem with cutting off consideration of the quality of life. It's not all about the quality of the milk, or the precise physical health of the milk provider. It's about the intangible qualities of life that all living beings share a need for. That may be inconvenient for a corporation to consider, but if your market demographic does, you'd better too.

And yes, I've read your entire web site, and even understood it. Both its strengths and obvious weaknesses and spin.

The organic demographic is apparently smarter, more informed and more ethically aware than both Amy and Aurora Organic Dairy know. I've never boycotted anything but I'm starting with Costco, Safeway, Giant and Wild Oats organic milk.

First rule of marketing: Understand the people that buy your products.

"Organic" is not just another corporate marketing niche...it's a set of ethical values. I know that's a bit alien for corporate types to understand, but I think they should get used to it to protect their bottom line, which is made vulnerable by exploitation tactics and dismissive press statements.

Also, disabling the Contact Us page isn't fooling anyone...it just damages your credibility and trust even more.

Best regards,

Jeff Miller

[donco6]

1. While I understand your issue . . .

. . . don't you think you're being naiive to think that you will EVER be able to buy the milk you're talking about in a supermarket? Why do you think you can go organic and not change your own life, too? That tends to be what everyone wants - everything organic, but don't make me change how I shop. Don't make me go to a farm. No, make the supermarket chain figure out how to guarantee supply for thousands of customers and still buy milk from Molly the Milkmaid.

I just can't see how it can happen.

[geardaddy]

3. What about Co-ops?

Co-ops server the community and don't serve some large corporate board.

[orwell]

4. I buy Clover Organic...

...in many supermarket. They are a very highly rated, high quality, ethical dairy.

It happens every day...

[Fierce]

5. It can be done.

I used to live across the river from a wonderful organic dairy. You could visit any time and meet the cows who made your milk. The dairy distributed their butter and milk (organic, pasteurized, non-homogenized in returnable glass bottles) to at least a dozen run-of-the-mill grocery stores in a three-county area. It's not uncommon in rural and semi-rural areas.

[nosmokes]

6. organic valley is a co-op that is

trustworthy. that's why if if you ever see horizon and OV brands next to each other OV is usually a few cents more. buy a quart of both and you'll agree the OV is well worth the extra cost. horizon, aurora and the other industrial'organic dairies are still buying calves that have been given antibiotics and weaned on milk from cows that may have been given rbgh and crammed into feedlot style pasture, not naturally grazed.

[donco6]

7. OK OK I GIVE!

I'm glad to hear I was wrong. Sadly, we have none of these companies around here. :-(

[lindisfarne]

11. Organic Valley isn't available in Denver? They have very good

practices.

[donco6]

12. Nope.

And you would think we'd have access to organic stuff here, so close to granola Boulder.

[lindisfarne]

13. There are 2 Whole Foods in Denver. It carries Org. Valley. here's a link

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/list_CO.html

See other msgs in this thread for a link to cornucopia's evaluation of organic dairies.
Of course, buying any organic is better than buying conventional, but if you're concerned about the way cows are treated and are opposed to factory farms, and the resulting pollution (mainly from the way they handle manure), some organic is better than others.

[donco6]

14. But I just went because of this thread!

And I didn't see it! Hmmm. Maybe they were out?

[lindisfarne]

15. Interesting. I just called the Cherry Creek store in Denver and indeed,

they carry Organic Valley milk. Sometimes supplies get low and one option runs out, but it's rare that they're out of all varieties (fat free, low fat, regular, chocolate milk, etc.)

Organic Valley *is* more expensive than other, equally good (in terms of treatment of cows) brands - I buy Clover at my Whole Foods which is cheaper (Clover isn't available much beyond CA though).

[lindisfarne]

10. See dairy ratings at this link and you'll understand that it can happen

http://cornucopia.org/dairysurvey/index.html

[geardaddy]

2. Where is Aurora Dairy?

California? Do they sell to Costco?
I'm all about family farming.

[lindisfarne]

8. Aurora dairy supplies some of CostCo's and Trader Joe's dairy products.

Organic is still better than conventional, but if you care about how the cows are treated, look for another organic supplier. (not Horizon).

[lindisfarne]

9. See the link below for ratings of org.dairies on how they treat cows.

http://cornucopia.org/dairysurvey/index.html