I'm a Pre-K Teacher for a state funded program in which the teachers are expected to eat breakfast and lunch with the children in order to demonstrate healthy eating and proper meal time manners for the children.. So, I'm lucky in the way that I don't have to worry about packing my own lunches. This saves on my food bill. This also means other than my morning snack, dinner, and my late night snack I don't have to buy as much food as often. Since milk is served with both breakfast and lunch at my workplace. I don't often drink much milk at home. I opt for water or other low calorie beverages. Which often meant the milk I bought would often expire before I was done with it.
My cousin told me she started buying organic milk because it didn't expire as quickly as other milk. So, yes, it is a little bit more expensive if you have to buy gallons of milk each week, but for someone like me who only has to buy a half gallon every two weeks or more it actually save money on my food budget.
A few friends and relatives lately have asked me what makes it organic, assuming that there had to be some kind of chemical process involved to make it last significantly longer than the other milks. So, I did a little research. Found a few sites that explained the difference, but the best explanation came from the Stonyfield website.
Basically, the difference between organic milk and non-organic milk whether or not chemicals are used in any step of the production of the milk and or the cows producing it. There are no chemicals used as either pesticides to protect the grass or feed of the cows, not are the cow injected with any chemicals to boost milk production.
In general farmers of anything grown Organically do not us pesticides or other chemicals to deter bugs. They use more natural methods to control pests and increase the fertility of the soil they use such as crop rotation and effective use of cover plants.
Organic milk lasts longer because it is also ultra pasteurized.
For more information on the difference between Organic and Non-Organic milk check out the Stonyfield website or the website of your favorite or local Organic milk producer. Here are a few sites for Organic Milk Producers:
StonyField
http://www.stonyfield.com/why-organic/organic-defined
Horizon
http://www.horizondairy.com/why-organic/what-is-organic/
Organic Valley
http://www.organicvalley.coop/why-organic/organic-defined/
